My name is Nickson and I am a Ngong Road Children’s Foundation program alumni. The NRCF program initiative quickly spread in my neighborhood, and my mother heard of it. She immediately applied, and I was fortunate enough to get a slot.

Upon joining the program, I was admitted to one of their focus elementary schools. After completing my primary education, I attended Dr. Ribeiro Parklands Boys High School in When I was at Parklands High, I engaged myself in co-curricular activities that kept me active all through. I was not only participating in one sport but in three. I was playing rugby, which is my favorite sport, as well as football and handball. When I was in fourth grade, I knew that I wanted to take a course in hospitality when I joined college, as I had an interest in cooking and preparing different drinks.

I completed my high school education and enrolled at Zetech University to take a certificate course in food and beverage production. I loved the course, would often practice cooking at home. I graduated in December 2022 and became a certified chef.

Last year TechMates program piqued my interest in learning a new skill. I did an interview, which was successful, and was accepted as an intern for the March program. I took the digital marketing path, and I immediately started taking the courses outlined by the program for that path. 

After the internship, which lasts 3 months, I am aiming to transition into a digital marketing freelancer by June’s end. Once in a while, during the weekends, I work as a chef at the restaurant at Tangaza University in Bomas. I also work as a Karibu loo associate. As a Karibu loo associate, I maintain clean portable toilets and manage the handwash area.

Aiming to start a restaurant and utilize TechMates program skills for marketing and growth. I am extremely grateful to the program for not only taking me through my education but also for the opportunity to join the TechMates program and for making it possible for me to learn a new skill.

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.