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Sallyanne Atieno, Author at Friends of Ngong Road - Page 17 of 23

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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Alumni Camp

The Alumni Camp was held from January 20th to the 22nd at the Duara Flamingo Camp, located in Elementaita, Nakuru (Lake Elementaita Lodge). The camp celebrated the accomplishments of the 2022 post-secondary graduates, welcomed them to the alumni association, and provided their first job preparedness training.

We had a total of 36 campers that included 31 alumni, 3 staff members, and 2 facilitators from the organization. We had a number of activities and training that were meant to develop employability skills and emotional intelligence. There was a training session conducted by Be The Leader (BTL) on job interview skills, digital marketing, entrepreneurship skills, and career development. The objective of the training was to teach them how to be outstanding during an interview, how to make themselves visible to potential employers via social media, and the basics of starting a business. There were also a number of team competition activities like crazy games and olympics. The alumni also had a chance to visit the Kariandusi prehistoric site and African Diatomite Industries Ltd to learn about the mining of diatomite (from skeletons of very tiny animals called diatoms) and its uses.

The camp was a success and we hope that the alumni were impacted positively by all the training and activities.

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Graduation Stories

Emmanuel

Emmanuel joined the program in 2009 and immediately joined one of our focus schools, Jagiet Academy. He performed really well in his Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE) and joined Dagoretti High School. He loved mathematics, business, and computer studies, and he developed an interest in actuarial science.

Emmanuel later joined Kenyatta University in September 2019 and was admitted to the Bachelor of Actuarial Science program. After a year, he paused his actuarial science studies and pursued an interest in data science. Both of these courses primarily involve analyzing data and making statistical predictions but Emmanuel wanted a course that would have more opportunities for him and data science offers that.   

He enrolled at Moringa School in August 2021 to pursue data science and the course took 6 months to complete. Upon completion of his course, he joined the TechMates program in August of 2022  as a developer intern. The internship took three months and he later transitioned into a TechMates contractor. While interning under the TechMates program, he secured a freelance contract with Lido Nation and is participating in a developer mentorship program. 

Additionally, Emmanuel is also an entrepreneur. He started his own furniture workshop in March 2020 and it has been doing really well. He makes all types of furniture and has created a good reputation for making quality furniture. This business venture has made it possible for him to support himself and his siblings. He aspires to take a course in business information technology and broaden his skills. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Lavender

Lavender joined the program on April 7, 2008, and was enrolled in Nelson Mandela School. She was attending a local primary school prior to joining the program and was constantly falling behind in her classwork due to being sent home on occasion for failure to pay school fees. Her grades improved significantly after joining the program and enrolling at Nelson Mandela, She scored 342 out of 500 on her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) when she finished Grade 8.

For high school, she attended Mirithu Girls Secondary School in Kiambu County. After high school, she went to Meru Polytechnic to pursue a diploma in Tourism and Management, a three-year course. She finished her coursework in April 2022 and officially graduated in December of the same year. Lavender is currently working as a salesperson for Unilever Kenya in Nairobi, where she is paid on a commission basis. She enjoys her current job and hopes to advance in her career.

Lavender has always been a hardworking and outgoing girl. Her profession complements her personality. She is easy to get along with and has matured into a charming and content young lady. Lavender is always cheerful and upbeat, and she is self-sufficient and capable of making her own decisions.

She is extremely grateful to her sponsor, Ann, who has supported her throughout her academic journey. Lavender is grateful to Friends of Ngong Road and to Ngong Road Children’s Foundation for providing her with the opportunity for sponsorship because it allowed her to transform her life.

Afline

Afline joined the program in 2009 when she was in grade 2. She lives with both parents and her brother, who is also in the program and in his senior year of high school. Afline attended Le Pic School, a local primary school in the Kabiria area, where they lived, prior to joining the program.

She was enrolled at Jagiet Academy after successfully joining the program. She attended this school until 2015 when she took her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). She later enrolled at Mirithu Secondary School, a boarding school for girls in Limuru, Kiambu County. She was a member of the school’s netball team and the music festival group in high school. She was given the opportunity to attend the Kenya Institute of Professional Studies (KIPS) technical college after finishing secondary school.

She enrolled in a supply chain management certificate program at the Nairobi town campus. This course is designed to teach students how to manage the supply chain’s activities effectively and efficiently, as well as the role it plays in an organization’s strategic development. Afline finished the program in November 2022.

She is currently furthering her education and working toward a diploma in the same field. She hopes to finish the course and work for the government. She is grateful to NRCF and her sponsor for allowing her to complete her education to this level.

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Yusuf’s Educational Journey

Yusuf enrolled in the NRCF program in 2018 when he was in fourth grade. In the Kawangware area, he lives with his mother,  two brothers, uncle, and a cousin. His mother was and still is a casual laborer, doing odd jobs like washing clothes or cleaning other people’s houses to make ends meet. This makes meeting even basic needs for the family of six difficult. This made it difficult to cover Yusuf’s school fees, and he was frequently sent home.

Yusuf enrolled at Jagiet Academy after joining the program. He was a hardworking student, as evidenced by his academic performance. He received 339 points out of a possible 500 on his KCPE exams in 2022. This performance earned him a spot at St.John Tala High School, a boys high school in Machakos County. He started high school this year and has already raved about it. He describes it as a very good school with hardworking students who are eager to assist teachers.

His favorite subject is Mathematics, and he aspires to be the school president before graduating from high school in 2026. He also wishes to study engineering or architecture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. As part of his extracurricular activities, he has joined a dance group and the school tennis team.

Yusuf is optimistic about getting good grades in high school and is looking forward to meeting new people and making the most of his four years there.

Transform a life today.

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Mid-term Break

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the Kenyan education calendar for over a year. Normalcy in the school calendar has been restored since the beginning of this year. According to the revised school dates, mid-term break for all students began on March 16th and will end on March 19th, giving students a three-day break.

Ngong road children’s foundation

This means that both our primary and secondary students will be at home. We have a number of activities for the students to keep them engaged. First, both primary and secondary students will be writing letters to their sponsors. Students will visit the newly constructed Elimu Hub, where they will have access to a computer and can log in to their portals to update their sponsors on their school and family progress.

Second, we have our regular Saturday program schedule. We will have a variety of activities planned for them, including yoga and light exercises, rock paper scissors relays, brain teasers, puzzle and crossword puzzles, and trivia debates, and have lunch together among other things. The Saturday program will also allow the staff to interact with the students one on one. The Elimu Hub will also allow students to complete their assignments in the library. They can obtain educational reference materials as well as a quiet location to work on personal projects.

Ngong road children’s foundation

When the mid-term break ends, we will provide basic necessities as well as transportation funds to the primary and secondary boarding students. We hope that the students will make the most of their three-day midterm break.

Support our fill a trunk campaign for our high school and some primary students that are in boarding school. 

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Latifah’s Achievement Story

I am Latifah, a beneficiary of Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) I was born and raised in the Nairobi area where I still live up to date. I grew up with my 3 siblings and we were privileged enough to be raised by both parents as most children in my neighborhood are either raised by a single parent or a guardian. However, life growing up was challenging.

Luckily, I got the opportunity to join the NRCF program while I was in grade two. I was schooling at one of their focus schools before joining the program. Once I joined, I did not have to change schools. Nonetheless, a significant difference existed back then, as I could remain in school throughout without experiencing being sent home due to a lack of school fees. Every school need was also being catered for and so my academic grades really improved. I was elected as the school head girl and held this position until my final year in primary school.

Being a disciplined student as well as hardworking made me a good fit for the position. Being head girl allowed me to nurture leadership by guiding peers, setting examples, and fostering a positive influence.

After sitting for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), I performed above average. This earned me a slot at a girls boarding school in Kitale. I was excited to join high school especially because it was a new environment for me since I had not schooled outside of Nairobi county. While in high school, I also had 2 leadership positions. I was a dining hall captain and also an entertainment captain. I am really good at dancing and so it was easy for me to get the entertainment captains’ position. In addition to holding leadership positions, I also participated in a co-curricular activity. I participated in the drama club and joined the team that represented my school at various competition levels.

 I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and when the results came out, I had scored an above average grade! This made me the top-performing female student for the high school class of 2022 in the program. I’m eager to pursue a law degree at the University of Nairobi, having a strong interest in this field since primary school. When I complete my course, I would also like to delve into arts and graphic design.

Thankful to my sponsor Chris for sponsoring me and giving me the chance to pursue my education. Grateful to NRCF for making sure that I maximize the opportunity. Hoping to succeed in my university studies, get a job and transform my life and that of my family.     

Transform a life today