Search Results for: saturday program

Ngong Road Children’s Foundation is fortunate to have a dedicated and talented staff in Nairobi.  We employ our Program Managers, Case Managers, IT Assistants, Admin Assistants, Accounts & Procurement Assistants, and part-time “volunteer” caseworkers who receive a small stipend.

Kelvin Thuku,  Program Manager

Kelvin joined the organization in April 2013 as an ICT Coordinator and was promoted to Program Manager in March of 2020. He has trained in Information Technology where he specialized in computer hardware repair and maintenance, software development and maintenance, and database management among others. He is also a Technical Trainer having pursued Technical Education at KTTC.

Kelvin was raised by a single mother in Kangemi slum in Nairobi. After high school, he was supported by an uncle for his college education. This taught him the value of education support and he worked hard so as not to let his uncle down. His biggest academic achievement was when he was named the top student in Kenya Technical Trainers College.

Kelvin enjoys teaching computer knowledge to students and aspires to inspire them by offering the best computer training he can. He also feels that the organization is giving hope to children just as he was given hope by his uncle. Kelvin believes that the biggest gift you can give to your kids is education because knowledge is power. He feels this is being realized in NRCF.  he sees that education has opened employment opportunities to the vulnerable students in the program. Kelvin delights in being a part of the NRCF mission and sees it coming to life.

Kelvin is also the Saturday and August Camp Program Co-coordinator. He enjoys playing with the kids as he sees it bringing joy to their lives. His most satisfying moments are when his students accomplish something great.

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Tunda Lepore,  Head of Primary Department

Tunda was born into a polygamous Maasai family whose father had three wives, thus she has fourteen brothers and sisters in total. She grew up in a small village in Maasai land called Enaibelibel amid the rich, beautiful, and sometimes biased cultural practices of the Maasai community. Especially being born female made her very vulnerable compared to a male child. Today she is one of the few graduate girls from the Maasai community who was never circumcised and escaped being married off at a young age. Tunda is a university graduate with a degree in development studies.

Before joining NRCF, Tunda worked with United Africa for Orphans and Widows Foundation in Uganda as a Development Officer. In February 2010 she joined NRCF as a volunteer caseworker as a way of giving back to the community,  A year later she became a full-time Case Manager. In January 2013 she was promoted to Head of the Primary Department.  She says she has learned a lot from the kids; they have become part of her life and given her life a different dimension.  She believes education is the backbone of success for any individual and the development of any country.

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Margaret Norah Keya, Case Manager, Primary Department

Norah has a diploma in community development and has been working with the organization since 2011 as an intern, volunteer caseworker, and librarian. She recently became a Case Manager in the secondary department.

She loves being able to build relationships with students and their families. Walking into their lives often during difficult moments and being able to get a sense of what they need and make a positive difference by helping them identify solutions.

She believes that working for NRCF is truly a blessing as she is witnessing many lives change for the better.

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Wenceslaus Njiri, (Case-Manager, Primary Department)

Wence joined the program in late 2009. He was raised in Dagoretti, Ng’ando Slum where he lived with his grandmother, younger sister, and three other relatives.

He has always been active in all the organization’s programs. While at college, he frequently volunteered to attend Saturday Programs to play with the kids and offer mentorship to them. In 2018 when the SRH program was launched he quickly joined as a Youth Peer Provider (YPP) and ever since has been facilitating SRH talks to all our students.

In 2017, he was driven to pursue a career in social work and community development at Kabete National Polytechnic by his passion to help people in his community. Before graduating, he sought an internship in our organization. His determination and passion to help others were felt and hence got employed immediately after the internship. He currently serves as a Case Manager in the primary department and coordinates the Saturday Program.

Mary Wanjiru Muriu, Head of Secondary Department

Mary was born and raised in Kikuyu in Kiambu County. She is single and lives with her parents and two younger brothers near Nairobi.

It has always been her desire to serve the needy. After completing secondary school, she completed studies in Community Health Care, Computer training, Counseling Psychology, and Personal Therapy and obtained certificates in each. To have practical testing and application of theoretical issues learned during her training, she interned at Getathuru Rehabilitation School (This is a specialized government school that deals with the rehabilitation of street boys).  Mary volunteered at Rafiki Aids Ministry and while there heard about Ngong Road Children’s Foundation and successfully applied for the job of a Case Manager.

Mary has been working for Ngong Road Children’s Foundation since 2009. She has a passion for children and feels NRCF has been the best place to be. She feels she has gained more knowledge and skills that have promoted her psychological and social growth. During her years of work, she attended a diploma course in Social Work and obtained a certificate.

What she likes best about the program is helping children living in poverty and giving them a sense of belonging to the community and the promise of a bright future as they pursue their goals.

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Saidi Chesoli, Case Manager, Secondary Department

Saidi was born and raised in Trans-Nzoia County. He attended Ricatti Institute of Business Studies, Nairobi where he pursued a Diploma in Social Work and Community Development.

Saidi worked as an intern at USAID, Kitale Offices, and at Light and Power Center at Challenge Farm Children’s Home where he served as a social worker. He was later employed at Chosen Children of Promise as a social worker where he worked with families affected by HIV/AIDs.

Saidi joined NRCF in July 2018 as a volunteer caseworker and showed a great interest in working with children in the program to help them achieve their dreams. Six months later he became a full-time Case Manager working in the post-secondary department.

He is passionate about mentoring young adults into real men and women. In the post-secondary department, he has been involved in career mentorship and life skills training for young adults.

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George Odhiambo, Case Manager, Post-Secondary Department

George Muga Odhiambo is a beneficiary of the NRCF program since 2007. He was lucky to receive the greatest gift of his life through the generous sponsorship since he was orphaned and was struggling with fees.

Life took another turn and immediately he joined Holy Eden Primary School but later transferred to G.S.U Primary School where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and attained grade B.

He was soon admitted to Parklands Boys High School, one of the best provincial schools in Kenya. As a young man in high school, there was always the challenge of succumbing to peer pressure but he overcame all that to become a school prefect until he successfully graduated in 2013.

In 2014, he joined Mount Kenya University for his post-secondary education to pursue a diploma in Community Development. This is a choice he made as a way of giving back to the community that nurtured him.

He wanted to impact other people’s lives and make a difference in society. Life in the university taught him to make wise decisions keeping in mind the welfare of others. He is glad that he has acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the corporate world, something he always held close to his heart. George has completed his diploma in community development and is proud of his achievements so far.

He is now working at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation as a Case Manager and he is happy about his new job. His goal in life is to improve other people’s lives and he believes that’s exactly what he is doing at NRCF.

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Callen Moraa, Case Manager, Post-Secondary Department

Callen was born and raised in Nyamira County Western Kenya. Attained her Certificate in Deacon Work from Ogango Deaconess Training College. She started giving back to the community by being an Instructor at Ogango Deaconess training college. Later she worked as a youth counselor in Nyamira and Mombasa parishes respectively.

Callen also worked as a youth counselor at Compassionate social care organization in Love school center.

She joined St. Paul’s university and obtained a Diploma in Community Development. Callen joined NRCF In August 2017 as an intern.

She started working as a Case Manager in January 2018 in the Secondary department. Due to her love and passion for children and youths, she believes that NRCF is the best place to exercise her knowledge and skills. It touches her heart to see the lives of young ones transform.

As a Secondary Case Manager, Callen keeps track of 40+ of our children by visiting their homes and schools to talk with their parents and teachers. 

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Emmanuel Mukasa, Post-Secondary Department

He was born and raised in western Kenya. Both his parents were civil servants hence due to the nature of their work, moved from one town to the other giving Emmanuel early exposure to diverse people, cultures, and communities within Kenya.

After high school, he did a Four-year apprentice program in mechanical engineering-plant option. He later on studied Social work and welfare and advanced course in psychological counseling.

He has over 10 years of working experience in issues about rehabilitation, orphans and vulnerable children, child survival, families, HIV/AIDS, counseling, Christian Leadership, Facilitation, and youth empowerment among other social interventions.

He started working at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation in July 2014. He believes strongly in nurturing and mentorship of the sponsored children to make them who they want to be. His work entails creating Networks for internship /job opportunities for sponsored children so that they can transform their lives

Emmanuel has previously worked with Pan-paper Mills (EA), street rehabilitation centers, and Compassion International Kenya Program among others in different capacities.

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Lucy Iguri, Administrative Assistant

Lucy was born and raised in Muranga County in a family of six.

She has a Diploma in Community Health from the Kenya Institute of Professional Studies. She started working in Ngong Road Children’s Foundation as an intern caseworker in 2014 and got permanent employment as a receptionist and recently as an administrative assistant and librarian

Being the face of the organization, she has to ensure there is an element of trust during the communication with both the parents and students. In the reception area, she ensures they are attended to and puts a smile on their faces, therefore creating a good environment for them to share their stories. She has been able to see life from a different perspective by listening to their various life stories.

Working in the organization has provided her an opportunity to see the diverse life situations of the children. She has been able to see them transform their lives through Education with the help of program sponsorship.  She is proud to be part of the NRCF team.

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Victor Wambua, ICT Coordinator

Victor Wambua is a beneficiary of the program and attributes his success to his sponsors (Tom and Lorna Gleason ) who supported him throughout his education.  He completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science at Kenyatta University and is among two of our first university graduates.

Victor was raised by his aunt in the slums of Ngando Village, one of the slums in Nairobi.  Victor has been a hard-working, self-determined young man who is ready to conquer all odds and achieve his goals.

In the organization, Victor coordinates and supports the ICT department activities specifically website management, social media management, and IT support to staff and students. He also supports students in the computer lab with the hope of nurturing them into STEM studies in the future and coordinating the TechMates program.

Victor is delighted to work with the organization because he wants to serve as a role model for the students and support the children to achieve their goals by proving mentorship, especially through the TechMates program and STEM studies.

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James Kyalo, Computer Lab/IT Assistant

James was raised by his aunt in the slums of Ng’ando Village, one of the slums in Nairobi. He has two brothers and two sisters. He is a beneficiary of the program and attributes his success to his sponsors (Jin Soon Kim and Linda Kenny) who supported him throughout his education.  He completed his A+ certification course from the Shalom IT center.

In the organization, he supports the IT department specifically the computer lab where he offers instructions to students on basic computer application packages. He is also in charge of the Computer Resource Center in the evening where he facilitates post-secondary students’ access to the computer lab from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and during weekends. He is passionate about teaching children computer basics and delights in being part of the system that supported him through his education journey.

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Maureen Wambui, Accounts & Procurement Coordinator

Maureen was born and raised in the slums of Ngando Village, one of the slums in Nairobi. She is a beneficiary of Ngong Road Children’s Foundation and attributes her success to her sponsors (Gene and Ruby Hermier) who supported her through her education. She is the last born in a family of three being brought up by a single mother.

She is a graduate of Nairobi University with a Diploma in business management and has worked with NRCF since 2016 as an Accounts Assistant. These achievement has helped her earn a prestigious membership in her community.

She enjoys working with kids. As a role model, she has been guiding them through major transitions so that they can transform their lives. The hard-working spirit of her sponsors is what inspires her most. She believes that her success is a result of patience, hard work, and discipline.

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Hellen Ruguru, Office cook

Hellen is an aunt and guardian to two of the program’s children (Derrick and Brian).  She lives in the Waithaka slum, a densely populated area with two children and another nephew.

In the organization, she serves as the office cook where she prepares breakfast and lunch for the staff every day. She is passionate about being part of the community that is supporting her nephews and delights to be part of the mission.

Volunteer Case Workers

NRCF also enjoys the support of  “Volunteer Case Workers” who receive a small stipend for their time and travel costs.

A critical component of our program is the Case Manager position.  Case Managers get to know each of their assigned children and monitor and support the needs of every child in our program.  In each case, they are college or university graduates typically with degrees in community work, child development, or a related field. Case Managers are:

•  Assigned approximately 60 children each.
• Visit each child’s home annually and visit the school three times each year (primary level) to assess the children’s progress, safety, and needs.  For secondary school students, Case Managers visit the student’s home and school annually and meet with them at least annually in the office to develop a guidance plan.
• Assigned volunteer assistants to help them carry out their work, particularly at Saturday Program when nearly all the children are present.
• Responsible for entering relevant data on all of their assigned children in our database, including records of school and home visits, health, school reports, letters sent to or received from sponsors, etc.

Biographies of each of our Case Managers are available in “Our Staff in Kenya”