Have you ever thought about visiting Kenya? How about meeting the child you sponsor and the other children in the program? Or seeing some beautiful animals of Africa? Join us March 2017 for a trip to Kenya! More details can be found here and by contacting Lacey at lacey@ngongroad.org.
Stacy
Stacy started our program in 2008 shortly after demise of her mother and she moved in with her grandmother. With the support of her sponsor, Stacy succeeded at one of our primary schools and was accepted to St. Mary’s Girls Secondary School. She was a leader at camp and graduated from secondary school in December.
Next up in Stacy‘s journey are plans to attend Kenya Methodist University where she’ll study marketing and sales. While Stacy is waiting for her acceptance to her post-secondary studies, she has been working part-time in our Kenya office and as an associate with Karibu Loo. She said even if she didn’t have work in our office that she “feels like it is her second home.” We are proud of you, Stacy!
Star Tribune: “Minnesota emerging as a leader in global philanthropy”
Friends of Ngong Road and Karibu Loo were included in a front-page article in the Star Tribune on global giving!
“…A more unusual route was taken by Friends of Ngong Road, which funds the schooling of about 400 children a year in Nairobi. It recently partnered with Minnesota-based Satellite Industries to launch a portable toilet business that will provide office and cleaning jobs to students, and become a funding source for their education.”
NRCF Library Reaches Milestone 2,000 Volumes
In early 2009, MN volunteer Rachel Durfee asked family and friends to donate “A Book and A Buck” to establish a lending library for our students in Kenya. A group of travelers hand-carried 200 books to Nairobi and with “200 bucks” bought library supplies such as cards and pockets to insert in each book and plastic crates to store and transport the books to Saturday Program, creating a mobile NRCF library.
In December 2015, with donations from Nairobi and Minnesota, a milestone was reached:Â the 2,000th book was added to the library.
The NRCF now houses the library in a dedicated space that doubles as a conference room.The room features shelves categorized by early readers, fiction, African literature, and non-fiction, including biographies, references, and revision books. A large table in the room, surrounded by chairs, allows students to explore various subjects like art and zebras.
In addition to books, the library is a modern multi-media resource for our students. It now boasts three kindles (the first of which was donated by Tarpon Springs FL student Gabriella Kennedy for a school project), board games (Scrabble, Mancala, Candyland Bingo, Legos, and Chutes & Ladders are particular favorites), and DVDs (shown at camp and at gatherings during school breaks). In addition, paper and markers are available for students to illustrate and write about themes discovered in a special book they’ve read.
The library is open all day Monday to Friday. Nelson Mandela Academy, a partner school, sends its students to the library daily and NRCF also shares the library with students from other neighboring partner schools like Jagiet Academy. Boarding school students heavily use the library during school breaks and Saturdays, with selected books brought for the Saturday Program.
NRCF distributes early readers’ books to children in grades one to three for personal possession. The students were grateful and excited to receive their very own book – a first and only for most of them.
Why the Library Is Important
Kenyan English-based schooling improves children’s performance on standardized exams by increasing their English language skills. This in turn helps them with their school (and ultimately career) placement. The library offers Swahili books, but they’re not as popular as English, especially among younger readers. However, books about or taking place in Africa are quite popular.
As in the United States, reading allows children to escape to other worlds fueling their imagination and creativity. NRCF students realize global concerns, challenges, and interests through reading, highlighting shared interests and challenges among students worldwide. Through the many non-fiction books, they are able to learn about history, science, nature, geography, and other topics.  Reference books aid students in understanding specific subjects and improving their English reading and writing skills.
Librarian Norah Keya
Volunteer caseworker Norah manages the library. She assists students in selecting books, encouraging them to read more by favorite authors or try new ones. They can borrow books for various durations, including weekly, two-week, or monthly readings, browsing shelves, or visiting the library. At any given time, approximately 50 books are checked out.
Norah has partnered with Kelvin Thuku, the head of NRCF’s computer lab, to create an online library management database. Library inventory manages book check-outs and ins, providing Norah with information on book numbers, names, ownership, and time stamps.  From this, she is able to tell which books are most popular which guides the search for books in the U.S.
Help to expand the library
NRCF library has used books for up to seven years, featuring popular series like The Magic Tree House, Junie B Jones, Hardy Boys, and Babysitters Club.
If you have books of interest to readers from ages seven to college age, consider donating them to FONR. Non-fiction books guide post-secondary students in career paths and college/university courses, making them valuable resources for career guidance.
FONR supporters held book drives at Creek Valley Elementary School and Lommen Abdo law firm in Edina and Minneapolis, respectively. We would welcome additional book drives – perhaps a youth group, classroom, or workplace project. All books are hand-carried to Kenya therefore, required to be current, good condition, and student interest.
Notes from Paula-NRCF
Dear Friends,
During the past weeks, Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) has been operating without three long-time employees: Executive Director, Peter Ndungu; Secondary Department Head, Naomi Kamanda, and Accountant, Beatrice Theuri. These three people were suspended on May 1, 2016. We expect to communicate the outcome of the forensic accounting review and their future employment by the end of June, or shortly thereafter.
Interim Management Very Engaged
During this time, NRCF has been led by Tunda Lepore, the Primary Department Head, and a core team of employees. Other members of the team include Joy Obiya (Post-Secondary), Kelvin Thuku (Computer Lab), and Mary Muriu (Secondary). This group has met weekly and I have held bi-weekly Skype updates with them. Our contract finance manager Oscar Musovochi has stepped in to handle accounting matters.
The interim leadership team has done a wonderful job of both continuing operations and making progress on long-standing issues. They have created a procurement process that includes seeking wholesale prices for items we buy in quantity, developed a Food Aid Policy to ensure the neediest families receive food aid, and have paid overdue bills and Term 2 school expenses, with most payments, handled electronically. In addition, they have proposed we extend computer lab hours to support the needs of post-secondary students enrolled in colleges.
New NRCF Management Structure in Development
Although this operating approach has worked smoothly, we will be moving to a new organizational structure in the coming months. Rajpreet Bains, NRCF board chair, has agreed that the Kenyan board will play a more active role in the future and we are working together on what that means. She is a human resources consultant and is well-qualified to define NRCF’s new organizational structure.
There will be many more changes in day-to-day operations in Kenya that will collectively make NRCF a better partner for Friends of Ngong Road. Despite the financial issues we have uncovered in NRCF, we know that the core promises of the program have consistently been fulfilled – students have been in school, have been fed, and have received uniforms and the supplies they need to succeed. This newsletter includes several stories of lives transformed. I look forward to sharing more with you about the changes NRCF intends to implement.
New Website and Newsletter Approach
In the meantime, I invite you to check out our new website ngongroad.org and the exciting stories and updates in this newsletter. We have adopted a new look and approach that involves posting stories more frequently–follow us on Facebook or Twitter to stay in the know.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Paula Meyer
President, Friends of Ngong Road
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