Archives for November 2016

Talented people are the heart of any organization and until this year, Friends of Ngong Road relied almost entirely on the talents of volunteers to handle our work. By the end of 2015, our board concluded we have simply grown to the point that our all-volunteer model had run its course, so we have begun to add paid staff who help with some very important jobs.

Lacey Kraft began working as the Director of Development in January 2016 – our first full-time employee. Although her focus is on development, Lacey has contributed to many projects from updating the website to the newsletter to sponsor renewals. Lacey most recently served in a similar capacity for a domestic abuse shelter in Grand Forks, ND. During her undergraduate years at the University of Minnesota, she spent a semester studying in Kenya where she first became acquainted with Ngong Road Children’s Foundation. Lacey has brought great energy and expertise to the organization and we are thankful for her contributions.

We are also deeply grateful to Jil Bakko. Jil has worked part-time for several years on Friends of Ngong Road’s accounting and audit preparation. She reconciles our accounts, prepares for our annual audit, and ensures our U.S. financials are accurate.

In 2016 we made big changes at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) in Kenya. Our new board chair is Rajpreet Bains. Rajpreet is a human resources professional, having worked for several corporations both in London and Nairobi. She has her own Human Resources consultancy in Nairobi focused on organizational development. Rajpreet has helped fortify governance in Kenya, recruiting new board members, articulating priorities, and ensuring a much more active role for the board of directors of NRCF. Rajpreet and her colleagues are still filling out their board; when they have a full slate we will provide a profile of each of them.

Finally, our new Program Director in Kenya named Maureen Mulievi joined NRCF in August. Maureen has brought a level of professionalism and experience in non-profit organization leadership that we have all appreciated. Before joining NRCF, Maureen was program director for a Planned Parenthood Global project that worked with women in several counties near Nairobi. She is in her mid-30s with two small children; her husband is a high school teacher.

Our organizations have already begun to benefit from the expertise and contributions of the people introduced here, both in the U.S. and Kenya.

Thanks for your ongoing support.

Paula Meyer
President, Friends of Ngong Road

Dear Friends,

We here in Nairobi take this opportunity to thank all the Friends of Ngong Road, our donors both known and anonymous, our supporters and partners. You cannot imagine the difference you are making in the children’s lives. Through your generous support, we currently have 114 children in primary school, 146 in secondary school, 94 in various Kenyan universities and colleges, and 37 alumni adding to a total of 391 children. It is our hope that through your support, and the support of your friends and other well-wishers, we will be able to increase the number of children sponsored by 30 or more by the end of 2017 as there are still many more vulnerable children out there who need your support.

Holidays in Kenya

Currently, the primary and secondary (Form One to Form Three/Ninth through Eleventh grade) children are on a long holiday that will end on 3rd January 2017 as schools resume on 4th January. During these long holidays, children are very happy to receive breakfast and lunch which they would not have gotten were it not for your generous contribution to NRCF. Since the holiday period is long, we have modified the Saturday Program so that the children can engage to fully exploit and realize their talents effectively. The Saturday Program is divided into four broad categories that are geared towards the complete development of the children, namely;

1. Psychosocial health improvement: Yoga, cheers, singing and fun, brain games, talent contests, team building and spirit, and health check
2. Cognitive development:  Arts and crafts, book reading, debates and presentations, crosswords, puzzles, and acrostic poems
3. Social development: Participating in various clubs and societies e.g. drama and music, scouts, dance club, journalism and arts, St. John ambulance, and STEM (Science, technology, economics, and maths)
4. Physical development:  Soccer, Katie, taekwondo, rugby, volleyball, handball, and athletics 

The children also enjoy a well-balanced lunch that is part of the nutrition program. After lunch the children go for breakout sessions; they are normally divided into two groups (girls and boys) and further by the primary and high school where group mentorship takes place on issues of reproductive health, personal hygiene, and how to overcome peer pressure, among others. The children really enjoy these sessions.

Testing season

Class Eight students have finished the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam and the Form Four students (12th grade) are sitting for their final exams, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE),  which they will finish by the end of November. We are expecting good grades from both the Class Eight and Form Four candidates that are currently sitting for their final exams.

August camp

This year from the 9th to the 22nd of August we had three exciting and successful camps held at St. Francis Xavier Girls School in Naivasha (i.e. Grammar Camp, Senior Camp, and Leadership Camp). We also had Little Kids Camp at Destiny Gardens, Rock City, Kiambu (an amusement park that has a swimming pool and beautiful gardens). We had 98% attendance of children in all four camps. Children interacted with each other and with visiting guests including the NRCF board chair and NRCF staff. The children had lots of fun through competitive sports and games, arts and crafts, career development sessions, swimming, a visit to the lake, boat riding, and hiking. They also had an opportunity to eat three balanced meals per day throughout camp. Thanks to the camp founder, Tom Gleason, and all the other sponsors who made this happen. We also appreciate Tulane University for its great support during camp.

Thank you all for making a big difference in the lives of these little ones and we believe that they will go to great heights.

Sincerely,

Maureen Mulievi
Programme Director
Ngong Road Children’s Foundation

Born and brought up in Western Kenya, Kakamega County. Maureen is a social scientist by profession having completed her Master of Arts in Sociology and bachelor’s degree in Social Science (Sociology option) from Moi University. When she was growing up, she dreamed of being a street actor. Maureen now says “Thankfully, my career goals became more aspirational over the years, but I love being strategic and wooing masses – a passion that makes me a successful Social Manager”.

Looking back over the last 10 years, Maureen observes “I have built my career on one simple principle: Working smart. I am the kind of person who puts a stop to inefficient procedures, I find ways to streamline them and consistently strive to boost the productivity of everyone around me. This is what has been allowing me to move up the ladder since I started my career and it is what I am doing as the Programme Director of Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF). I try to regularly associate with passionate people who help me push myself, I try to get inspiration from within and get motivated when I can solve challenging assignments.”

Further, Maureen explains, “I believe as the Program Director of NRCF, I can lead the organization to greater heights. Being passionate about orphans and vulnerable children I want to be their leader and inspiration. By showing them the love they need they will always appreciate NRCF as their best home while I and my team strive to transform their lives physically, emotionally, cognitively, and socially.