Sallyanne Atieno, Author at Friends of Ngong Road

April 4, 2023 By Sallyanne Atieno Leave a Comment

The Aspiring “A” Student

My name is Michael, I consider myself to be a highly ambitious student. I reside in Nairobi with my mother and four siblings. I was attending a local school, St. Joseph of Tarpes, before joining the program.

Immediately I enrolled in one of the program’s focus schools, where I took my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and achieved above-average performance. I was the top performer in my school and one of the top five performers in the NRCF program.

This achievement earned me a spot at top performing high school in Siaya County, an extra-county-level boarding boys’ high school. They have dubbed the institution “the gentlemen’s school.”

This is because of its reputation for producing moral and visionary leaders like Prof. John Lonyangapuo, the governor of West Pokot County, and the late Tom Mboya, a freedom warrior, among others. In January 2020, I began at the school. In my final year of high school, I have diligently worked to maintain a high grade point average.. I’ve been the school captain since I was in my third year. I am the president of various clubs, including mathematics, science and engineering, and modern dance.

Aiming to get an “A” on my final high school exams. I want to be the top student in the program as well as among the top students in my school. I’d want to attend the University of Nairobi and study chemical engineering, which would allow me to create and construct chemical manufacturing processes, or human pathology, which is the study of the causes and consequences of diseases or injuries on the human body.

Delighted to be a part of the program! I would like to express my gratitude to my sponsor for supporting me through this educational experience. I want to be a successful alumnus who gives back to the program so that other students may benefit from the same high-quality education I have received.

March 30, 2023 By Sallyanne Atieno Leave a Comment

Food Aid Support Program

In March 2020, food aid support was enabled for parents affected by job loss due to COVID-19. In addition, most people had to stay at home due to the enforced restrictions. The majority of the food assistance at the time came from different partners and donors. The entire undertaking was referred to as “food from friends.”

Three years after the epidemic, the economy has not fully recovered, leaving most parents unemployed or struggling to support their families. As a result, NRCF is continuing to provide food assistance to these parents as well as any other program parents who are struggling to put a meal on the table due to other factors like illness or other hardships.

COVID-19 loosened in 2022, we ceased food aid support for parents, but tracked those still needing it. This was done per department. Case managers identified multiple parents in their caseload requiring food assistance and provided fixed packages to distribute monthly from allocated food to each parent.

This will be the norm in 2023 too as we continue to support struggling parents. The food aid program has so far helped more than 130 parents in the first quarter of 2023. Our aim is to be able to assist all NRCF parents who are having a hard time feeding their families.

We call upon well-wishers to help us continue offering this support to our parents.

March 28, 2023 By Sallyanne Atieno Leave a Comment

The Inspiring Story of Clare

My name is Clare. My name means “shining or bright,” and I was told that it was given to me by my mother because she knew I would be a bright girl in school and she also wanted me to have a bright future. I have four other siblings with whom I share my home, but growing up was not easy.

My grandmother, who has raised me along with my siblings, learned of a sponsorship opportunity at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation and requested assistance there right away. After passing my interview, I was given the opportunity to join the program and started attending one of the program’s focus primary schools for my elementary education, where I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education. While I was in grades 6 and 7, I was appointed as the class prefect for the corresponding classes, and I thoroughly enjoyed expressing my leadership abilities.

I later enrolled at I later enrolled at a girls’ high school, a national-level girls’ high school in Tharaka Nithi county. I was overjoyed when I entered the school since it is one of the few institutions in the country that consistently achieves high marks in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) tests, and I knew it would keep me on my toes academically. My favorite subjects have been mathematics, English, and biology, and I’ve done well in my overall academic performance. Apart from academics, I am a member of the school’s football team, debate club, and the Young Catholic Society’s organizing secretary (YCS).

I am now in my senior year of high school and am hopeful that I will graduate with honors and be able to pursue a bachelor’s degree program in aeronautical engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I hope to continue my education and pursue a master’s degree at Oxford University in England.

I work hard not just to create opportunities for myself, but also to express my appreciation to my sponsor and the NRCF program for believing in me and guiding me through my schooling to where I am today. NRCF is actually impacting young people’s lives, and I am pleased to be a part of this life-changing program.

March 23, 2023 By Sallyanne Atieno Leave a Comment

Waiting Students

Blessing

Blessing is an eight-year-old charming young girl. She lives with her aunt in Kabiria, a village in the Dagoretti constituency. She has an elder brother, Sean, who lives with another relative. Her mother passed away in 2021 and she has been staying with her aunt since then.

A bright student, she has big aspirations for her future academic life and career. The only thing hindering her success is getting a quality education. Blessing would like to be an educator and she particularly wants to teach literature and Swahili so it is not a surprise that languages are her favorite subjects. She also loves modeling as well as fashion and design and she would like to one day own her clothing line and design beautiful dresses for women and young girls. She is optimistic that her hard work and resilience will definitely bear fruit and that her life will be better.

Blessing currently studies at Jagiet Academy, which is one of our focus schools. If she joins the program she will continue in the same school. She promises to continue with the good performance that she always has in school if she gets the opportunity for sponsorship.

Ashbel

Ashbel is 9 years old and he lives with his parents and a one-and-a-half-year-old sister by the name of Ivana. Both his parents are casual laborers, so they work hand in hand to provide for their families.

Ashbel is currently schooling at Ndurarua Primary School but when he gets a sponsor and joins the program, he will join Jagiet Academy, one of our focus schools. As can be seen from the latest school results, Ashbel is a bright student. His favorite subjects are mathematics and English. He enjoys watching animation shows on television during his leisure time at home. While in school, he loves playing ball games with his friends. He desires to be a pilot and not just a pilot, but the most outstanding pilot in the world after he successfully completes his studies. He loves nature and traveling and being a pilot will enable him to have both experiences while doing what he loves.

Ashbel would benefit from quality education in the program and work towards fulfilling his dreams. He is a promising young man and education will be a great way to empower him and push him toward a successful future.