Friends of Ngong Road

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

By Leave a Comment

New Sponsor Portal Launched!

We are excited to announce the launch of the new Friends of Ngong Road Sponsor Portal: https://sandbox.ngongroad.org/sponsor/

Purpose: The new portal is designed to foster a deeper understanding of Friends of Ngong Road sponsors of the children they sponsor and to form a stronger relationship between sponsors and students. The portal includes a photo gallery, school marks, child assessments, renewal information, and a link to write the sponsored child.

Future Enhancements: As this is version 1.0, sponsors can expect to see updates and improvements in the coming months. In upcoming versions we plan to include:

  • Annual student assessments are delivered electronically instead of via post
  • Donation and sponsorship payment history (an easy way to check on giving history and print receipts for tax purposes)
  • Monthly giving subscription management (ability to update credit cards, pay for multiple children, etc.)
  • Photo library and tagging system (we have a wealth of amazing photographs–too many for our current system to handle–an upgrade is needed to make these photos available to sponsors)**
  • Communication tools and tracking (a history of all written communications between sponsors and children and the ability to correspond more efficiently that supports photo/video, etc.)**

**We are currently seeking funding for these projects. If you are interested in underwriting one of these enhancements, please contact Lacey Kraft at Lacey@ngongroad.org.

Sponsors: To log in for the first time you will need to create an account. Here’s how:

  1. Start by visiting ngongroad.org/sponsor/
  2. Click “New User” under the login
  3. Enter your email address (the one you use to communicate with Friends of Ngong Road).
  4. Check your email inbox. You will receive an email with a link that allows you to create a password. Click it.
  5. Enter your new password. You will use the same email address and the password you create to log in from now on. You can reset the password at any time by clicking the “Lost Password?” link below the login form.

See the brief video demonstrating this process here.

We welcome your feedback as we continue to make the portal and your sponsorship a positive experience for you and your student(s). Please use the feedback form link at the top of your portal homepage. Or, for assistance and comments, contact the Friends of Ngong Road technology and operations team at staff@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.

Thank you for helping to transform lives through education!

Andy Walz
Board Member, Technology
Friends of Ngong Road

PS – if you are not a sponsor but are interested in learning more about the new portal, please contact Development Director, Lacey Kraft, at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211. She would be happy to give you a demonstration of the portal and explain what sponsorship entails.

By Leave a Comment

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.

By Leave a Comment

Adventure Series at Wilderness Inquiry

Join Friends of Ngong Road’s Development Director, Lacey Kraft, and sponsor, JoAnne Zachow, for stories and photos from their March group trip to Kenya with the Wilderness Inquiry.

This gathering is perfect for anyone considering traveling to Kenya or interested in learning about the country and program. You will hear stories of the first time sponsors met the students they had been sponsoring and corresponding with for years, of home visits where they met parents resiliently determined to give their children a better life, and about Maasai girls who ran away from their homes to avoid female genital mutilation and early marriage. Many memories and stories are to be shared.

You will see close-up photos of the big five animals, thanks to the wonderful guides with Wilderness Inquiry. A favorite series is of a water buffalo killed by lions that were scared off by hyenas only to have the lions return with a bigger pack. We have photos of a lion walking right up to one of the Wilderness Inquiry vans searching for shade – something the guides had never seen a lion do!

Appetizers and beverages were provided. All are welcome. Please RSVP to Wilderness Inquiry.

Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Place: Wilderness Inquiry, 808 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis

By Leave a Comment

Volunteers at Camp 2017

Have you ever considered traveling to Kenya? Do you enjoy working with kids? Were you ever a camper? Volunteers at camp are needed.

Each year, volunteers from both the U.S. and Kenya join us at camp to enrich campers’ experiences. Volunteers participate in daily activities and use their unique skills to teach classes, run new and creative games, and share life experiences with the kids. There is plenty of room for creativity and fun.

This year, Emily Gleason and Turner Cobden are offering a $1,000 partial travel grant for camp. The grant will be awarded to the candidate they believe will best contribute to the holiday camp and to the mission of the charity. Apply by April 7 to be considered. We invite you to learn more about camp and the travel grant online or by contacting Tom Gleason at tom@ngongroad.org.

Camp 2017 runs from August 12 to August 25 in a beautiful, rural part of Kenya near Mt. Kenya. The location provides students with a once-a-year chance to escape the busy, noisy city. It is the student’s favorite part of being in the program, and you could be a part of it!