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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Art for Africa Spring Sale: May 1!

What will you find?

  1. Selections of original artwork donated by a local art collector who has discovered a wide range of art pieces from all over the world.
  2. Beautiful jewelry donated by a longtime Friend of Ngong Road.
  3. Kenyan handicrafts such as baskets, jewelry, rugs, and gift items created by the mothers of some of our kids – just arrived from Nairobi.

Bring a friend, all are welcome. No RSVP is required. We hope to see you there!

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Poem by Steve Kotvis

Taller, stronger, smarter
Our children have become
High school graduates
Equaling more than 60 in sum

The students are focused
They see before them what others can do
We’ve added experience and jobs
With the advent of Karibu Loo

“I’m working” is embraced
From classroom to fore
“It’s working!” Ngong Road’s mission
The future offers so much more

Your continued support is priceless
It’s transforming lives of those in need
Grade school to growing up
Our children are learning to succeed

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Our Students Outperform the Kenyan Average!

Our kids have once again outperformed the Kenyan average on their Kenyan Comprehensive Primary Exams (an exam 8th graders take to determine high school placement) with an average of 310 out of 500! The Kenyan average was 205.  Congratulations and kudos to our children and sponsors who make a great education and support possible!

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Notes from Paula- It’s Working

This has been an exciting year for our organization as two major changes have taken place and we have crafted a strategic plan that will guide us through 2020. A lot of our programs are working.

I’m Working!  It’s Working!  We have seen the result of nine years of work as some of our oldest students finish their post-secondary education and get jobs.  There is an article in the newsletter about our post-secondary program, describing how it will work and the results to date.  We now have 94 students who have finished their primary and secondary education.   All of our 2012 graduates are employed and more than half of our 2013 graduates are employed.  With each newsletter, we will profile students who have completed their education and are now employed.

Karibu Loo.   We have completed the pilot for Karibu Loo and have placed an order that will put us on the path of growing this business. We greatly appreciate the pilot results and hold a strong belief that the business has significant potential to generate income in support of our educational mission, while also providing employment opportunities to many of our graduates. In 2016, the company initiated the plan to expand and develop the business.

Vision 2020. In 2015, the Board had 3 planning sessions, backing a 5-year plan with 3 key initiatives:

1.     Capacity building – moving to professional management from today’s volunteer organization in the U.S. and building management capacity in Kenya;

2.     Financial sustainability – build Karibu Loo and the endowment fund to create a more enduring financial model for the organization;

3.     Return to growth – the board has endorsed the objective of growing to 1000 students actively supported plus alumni by 2020.

As has happened in the past 9 years, there will be many changes and challenges in the coming years.  However, with a clear strategy and the work of talented people, I feel optimistic we will be able to craft an enduring future for the organization.  As always, sincere thanks for your support.

Paula Meyer
President, Friends of Ngong Road