Friends of Ngong Road

We empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.

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Transform a Life Today!

We have 22 open spots (at least) for students to join the program yet this year and 200 students are on the waiting list. Are you thinking about becoming a sponsor or supporting another student? Do you know someone who may be interested? Now is the time!

Here is what some of our current sponsors have said:

  • It is so much fun to watch my student grow and change over the years.
  • I have a family of boys. What a treat to learn about a girl in another country.
  • I started sponsoring another student for my grandsons to correspond with. I can teach them about being a global citizen, generosity, and another culture. And it is fun!

You can sign-up by going to https://ngongroad.org/sponsor or by contacting Development Director, Lacey Kraft at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.

Here are some students in need of sponsorship:

Brandon Odhiambo, age 7
Valentine Njeri, age 9
Ryan Karanja, age 7

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Letter from Nairobi- Camps and US Trip

Dear Friends of Ngong Road,

We are so very busy here in Ngong Road! We had camps this year and a medical case for one of our students.

Camp 2017
In August we held successful Leadership, Grammar, and Senior Camps at Naromoru Girls School in Nyeri County over 13 days. This took place between 12th August and 24th August 2017. There was also a one-day camp in Nairobi for little kids on 25th August 2017. After Leadership Camp where 32 of our older students learned how to run the camp, three camps based on age groupings were held. Altogether 275 kids went camping, 97 to Grammar camp, 157 to Senior Camp, and 21 to Little Kids Camp.

The students enjoyed all sorts of activities ranging from team spirit-building, team competitions, music and dance, crazy games, tournament, and our own “Olympic games”. They also enjoyed rotations that comprised Arts and crafts (tie-dyeing a shirt) and educative lessons. The highlight of the camp was a field trip to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the largest conservancy in Laikipia South. There we saw the “Big Five” (an elephant, leopard, buffalo, lion, and white and black rhinos). The students were also treated to a balanced diet of three meals a day.

Others who attended the camps were: 10 US volunteers, 5 NRCF Board members, NRCF Programme Director, 12 NRCF staff, one Kenyan sponsor (Chris Adams) accompanied by Emmanuel Gatimu (NRCF Founding Board member), 12 Post-Secondary students and 3 Karibu Loo staff.

There was a serious medical case of Bernard Ouma who was run over by a bus breaking his left leg femur and dislocating the right ankle. He was taken to Nanyuki Cottage hospital for surgery and was discharged after a week. He is recuperating and the doctors have assured us that he will recover fast owing to his age (19 years old).

We are grateful to all sponsors and well-wishers who donated towards this year’s camp and whose efforts enabled us to put smiles on the children’s faces and build a great NRCF family bond. Thumbs up to Tile and Carpet Centre here in Nairobi for donating most of the dry food used during camp.

Upcoming Trip to the USA
I am excited about my trip to the US which will give me an opportunity of meeting our treasured sponsors and donors. The trip commences with my departure from Nairobi on 27th October 2017. While in the US, I plan to attend the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) Conference from 1st to 4th November 2017 in Minneapolis. The knowledge that I will gather from the conference will empower me with the skills of running Karibu Loo in a more effective and efficient manner.

After that my schedule includes several small group gatherings with individuals, businesses, and churches that support the program. It also includes participating in the Annual Gathering held at Surly in Minneapolis on 13th November. I am looking forward to a series of training programs including SalesForce training, Google training, and training titled Leading with a Theory of Change. I will be working with members of the FONR staff and board to finalize the NRCF 5-year Strategic Plan, and to present the 2018 NRCF Plan. I have been invited to attend the SMME Rotary Club Meeting and to visit Tulane University in New Orleans to make a presentation in a sustainable development class. Before I return to Nairobi, I will also spend a week with my friends and relatives in New York City. I will return to Kenya on 24th November 2017.

I am humbled by the responsibility bestowed upon me to manage Karibu Loo Limited as an additional responsibility. My team and I are equal to the task and are eager to steer that business to greater heights of achievement.

Thank you for supporting Ngong Road Children’s Foundation through Friends of Ngong Road. I look forward to meeting many of you soon.

Maureen Mulievi
Executive Director, Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, and
Acting General Manager, Karibu Loo

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Urgent Run for Karibu Loo!

Urgent Run Logo

We have learned many new things since launching our portable sanitation(toilet) business, Karibu Loo, in Nairobi in 2015 to provide sustainable income to the nonprofit. An important one is that there is a professional association to support those in the business and that it is headquartered right here in Minneapolis. The Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) has provided Karibu Loo with financial and business-knowledge support as well as a whole network of peers. We so appreciate them!

As part of World Toilet and World Portable Sanitation Day, the PSAI is launching its first “Urgent Run” 5k Run/Walk. Proceeds will benefit Karibu Loo and its goals to provide income to the nonprofit, employment for NRCF graduates, and safe sanitation. The PSAI will join with the World Toilet Organization (WTO), the United Nations, and other groups around the world to promote toilet options that help address the global sanitation crisis.

Join us to have fun, raise awareness about global sanitation issues, and help support Karibu Loo and Friends of Ngong Road.

Date: Thursday, November 2, 2017. The run/walk will begin at 7:30 am and end by 9:30 am.
Location: Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, MN. We will begin and end the run at Thomas Beach on the south end of the lake. An alternative, indoor location will be used if necessary due to inclement weather.
Price: $20.00 per person. This includes:

  • An event t-shirt
  • A water bottle
  • Various promotional items from event sponsors

Awards: there will be a short presentation of awards for:

  • First and second-place male finishers
  • First and second-place female finishers
  • Largest donation amount from a participating team

Register by completing this form or contacting the PSAI office at (952) 854-8300

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Derrick said “I Can” at Camp

Thanks to you, Derrick found the courage to say “I can” at camp 2017.

Camp 2017 was held near Mt. Kenya, a serene, peaceful part of Kenya. Students rode buses for three and a half hours to the rented boarding school and were anxious to have fun with friends while exploring a new part of their country.

Derrick

Again this year we saw that camp is one of the most effective community-building parts of the Friends of Ngong Road program. Students, staff, board members, and volunteers were together in one, safe place. Students realized that they are not alone, but are part of the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation family.  They got to know their caseworker better. They learned about another culture from several Tulane students and other volunteers who traveled to camp to help conduct the program. They ate three healthy meals a day, learned about topics they do not get in school such as leadership and confidence building, and they had fun.

This year’s camp theme was “I Can.” In Derrick’s essay titled “I Believe I Can” that he wrote at camp, he says, “The most difficult problem that I have faced is standing in front of my peers and speaking to them…I came to realize that if I will not change it, it will affect me academically. How I came to overcome this challenge was during the NRCF Camp 2017. I was appointed to be a squad leader. I accepted the leadership but one thing that was in my mind was how will I speak to my peers and the other adults. But through the mentoring from different guests, (I gained) the courage and strategies to overcome this challenges…I really appreciate the 2017 NRCF Camp with the motto, “I Believe I Can,” that motivates most of us to (have the) courage and braveness to overcome challenges as (well) as we can.”

Because of you, Derrick and over 300 students discovered more about what they can do. The $10,000 match was met, and all students who were available to attend camp were given the opportunity to attend. Thank you for caring. Thank you for saying “I Can” send a kid to camp so that students can say “I can transform my life.” Thank you.

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Camp 2017 Update

Thanks to those who “sent a kid to camp” this year; Camp 2017 is in full swing! The four-day Leadership Camp is wrapping up today and Grammar Camp (students aged 10-13) begins tomorrow. Students prepare for camp near Mt. Kenya at Naromoru Girls Secondary School in Nyeri County, packing warm clothes. This is about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Nairobi where temperatures range 55-70 degrees Fahrenheit during August.

Late last week, nine U.S. volunteers safely arrived in Kenya and are actively creating a positive camp experience. They are teaching classes, play games, and building relationships with our students.

While camp is off to a great start, you may have heard about the recent elections in Kenya. The area where the camp is being held (and where students, staff, and volunteers are staying) has remained calm following the election. On August 15, camp director, Tom Gleason, wrote, “This is a lovely, remote, and secure area to hold camp. Despite the election, volunteers and kids for camp are unaffected. Isolation ensures security, leaving us untouched in this peaceful place.

The camps are running smoothly.”

Friends of Ngong Road President and Founder, Paula Meyer, wrote this about the organization’s decision to continue with camp 2017: “On August 8, Kenya held elections for positions of President, Members of Parliament and local offices. The following day a small group of people from both Kenya and the U.S. met by Skype to discuss the security situation after the elections with the goal of deciding whether or not to proceed with Camp 2017. Kenya held peaceful elections in 2013 but there was considerable post-election violence in 2007.

With just one day elapsed since the election, formal results were not yet published by the Kenya election board. We heard the perspectives of Rajpreet Bains, Ngong Road Children Foundation board chair, and Maureen Mulievi, program director. Rajpreet brought insights from a Kenyan security expert. The biggest risk the team perceived was that there would be isolated violence from supporters of the leading opposition candidate, Raila Odinga. At the time we spoke there had been a few violent episodes, however on balance the country was peaceful – especially in the area near the planned camp. On the basis of our understanding that this trend would continue, we made the decision to proceed with Camp 2017.”

We anticipate the area near camp will remain calm in the coming weeks. Energy will remain high at camp with fun, learning and memories abounding. Check back to our news page and social media for future updates on camp!

If the Gleason Camp Endowment Fund and its lasting impact on the camp’s future intrigue you, or if you hold inquiries about this year’s camp, kindly reach out to the Development Director, Lacey Kraft at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.