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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FONR is in the 2017 MINN Summit

Friends of Ngong Road is proud to be involved in the 2017 MINN Summit as a marketplace host! Organized by the Minnesota International NGO Network (MINN), this full-day conference offers a wide-range of theme-based discussions, networking and wellness activities, and a music and dance performance. You can check out the full schedule here.

This year, attendees will gain access to an exciting new lineup of activities, including morning and afternoon breakout sessions and lots of opportunities for networking and celebrating in between. The event kicks off with a keynote session featuring Ben Powell, Founder and CEO of Agora Partnerships, and Rajiv Khanna, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Thousand Currents. Friends of Ngong Road will be participating in the MINN IDEA Summit Marketplace event. We’ll have information about our programs, sponsorship and trips available along with handicrafts for purchase.

The MINN Summit is a fun and engaging experience that brings together a remarkable community of global development practitioners and learners. Since 2013, the annual event has brought together more than 850 participants, 100 speakers, and 350 unique organizations. Learn more about the event and register at https://www.minnesotangos.org/summit2017

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Letter from Nairobi- Camps and US Trip

Dear Friends of Ngong Road,

We are so very busy here in Ngong Road! We had camps this year and a medical case for one of our students.

Camp 2017
In August we held successful Leadership, Grammar, and Senior Camps at Naromoru Girls School in Nyeri County over 13 days. This took place between 12th August and 24th August 2017. There was also a one-day camp in Nairobi for little kids on 25th August 2017. After Leadership Camp where 32 of our older students learned how to run the camp, three camps based on age groupings were held. Altogether 275 kids went camping, 97 to Grammar camp, 157 to Senior Camp, and 21 to Little Kids Camp.

The students enjoyed all sorts of activities ranging from team spirit-building, team competitions, music and dance, crazy games, tournament, and our own “Olympic games”. They also enjoyed rotations that comprised Arts and crafts (tie-dyeing a shirt) and educative lessons. The highlight of the camp was a field trip to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the largest conservancy in Laikipia South. There we saw the “Big Five” (an elephant, leopard, buffalo, lion, and white and black rhinos). The students were also treated to a balanced diet of three meals a day.

Others who attended the camps were: 10 US volunteers, 5 NRCF Board members, NRCF Programme Director, 12 NRCF staff, one Kenyan sponsor (Chris Adams) accompanied by Emmanuel Gatimu (NRCF Founding Board member), 12 Post-Secondary students and 3 Karibu Loo staff.

There was a serious medical case of Bernard Ouma who was run over by a bus breaking his left leg femur and dislocating the right ankle. He was taken to Nanyuki Cottage hospital for surgery and was discharged after a week. He is recuperating and the doctors have assured us that he will recover fast owing to his age (19 years old).

We are grateful to all sponsors and well-wishers who donated towards this year’s camp and whose efforts enabled us to put smiles on the children’s faces and build a great NRCF family bond. Thumbs up to Tile and Carpet Centre here in Nairobi for donating most of the dry food used during camp.

Upcoming Trip to the USA
I am excited about my trip to the US which will give me an opportunity of meeting our treasured sponsors and donors. The trip commences with my departure from Nairobi on 27th October 2017. While in the US, I plan to attend the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) Conference from 1st to 4th November 2017 in Minneapolis. The knowledge that I will gather from the conference will empower me with the skills of running Karibu Loo in a more effective and efficient manner.

After that my schedule includes several small group gatherings with individuals, businesses, and churches that support the program. It also includes participating in the Annual Gathering held at Surly in Minneapolis on 13th November. I am looking forward to a series of training programs including SalesForce training, Google training, and training titled Leading with a Theory of Change. I will be working with members of the FONR staff and board to finalize the NRCF 5-year Strategic Plan, and to present the 2018 NRCF Plan. I have been invited to attend the SMME Rotary Club Meeting and to visit Tulane University in New Orleans to make a presentation in a sustainable development class. Before I return to Nairobi, I will also spend a week with my friends and relatives in New York City. I will return to Kenya on 24th November 2017.

I am humbled by the responsibility bestowed upon me to manage Karibu Loo Limited as an additional responsibility. My team and I are equal to the task and are eager to steer that business to greater heights of achievement.

Thank you for supporting Ngong Road Children’s Foundation through Friends of Ngong Road. I look forward to meeting many of you soon.

Maureen Mulievi
Executive Director, Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, and
Acting General Manager, Karibu Loo

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Urgent Run for Karibu Loo!

Urgent Run Logo

We have learned many new things since launching our portable sanitation(toilet) business, Karibu Loo, in Nairobi in 2015 to provide sustainable income to the nonprofit. An important one is that there is a professional association to support those in the business and that it is headquartered right here in Minneapolis. The Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) has provided Karibu Loo with financial and business-knowledge support as well as a whole network of peers. We so appreciate them!

As part of World Toilet and World Portable Sanitation Day, the PSAI is launching its first “Urgent Run” 5k Run/Walk. Proceeds will benefit Karibu Loo and its goals to provide income to the nonprofit, employment for NRCF graduates, and safe sanitation. The PSAI will join with the World Toilet Organization (WTO), the United Nations, and other groups around the world to promote toilet options that help address the global sanitation crisis.

Join us to have fun, raise awareness about global sanitation issues, and help support Karibu Loo and Friends of Ngong Road.

Date: Thursday, November 2, 2017. The run/walk will begin at 7:30 am and end by 9:30 am.
Location: Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, MN. We will begin and end the run at Thomas Beach on the south end of the lake. An alternative, indoor location will be used if necessary due to inclement weather.
Price: $20.00 per person. This includes:

  • An event t-shirt
  • A water bottle
  • Various promotional items from event sponsors

Awards: there will be a short presentation of awards for:

  • First and second-place male finishers
  • First and second-place female finishers
  • Largest donation amount from a participating team

Register by completing this form or contacting the PSAI office at (952) 854-8300

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An Impact Beyond a Lifetime-will

Ruby and Gene Hermeier recently updated their will and were willing to share their experience and describe their decision to include Friends of Ngong Road in their legacy giving.

When did you start planning for your will? At various stages of our life together, we have discussed our intentions for our will and legacy. We were transitioning to a new stage of life having recently moved homes, and it was natural for us to revisit our hopes and plans for the future. 

Why did you decide to include Friends of Ngong Road in your planned giving? We want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have good lives. We want our communities to be vibrant and healthy, and we want the world to be a better place. We wanted to help Friends of Ngong Road and other charities about which we care deeply continue to thrive for many decades.

And it was quite easy. Friends of Ngong Road is a beneficiaries of our IRA once we are both gone. Our planned gift did not change how we live life today, but it did give us satisfaction and peace knowing that we will leave this place a little bit better for some very needy children. It is really fun to think that even after we are gone, children who don’t have the educational opportunities that our family does will get a chance for a good education. They will then instill education as a value in their children and so on. We get to plant seeds today that could bear fruit for hundreds of years in the future. That is pretty fun.

Friends of Ngong Road Development Director, Lacey Kraft, is happy to talk with you about your interests to include the children of Kenya in your will. We recommend consulting your tax and legal advisors on a wide variety of planned giving opportunities to understand what is appropriate for you.

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The Stock Market at Record High

The stock market has climbed to record highs. Use it to make a gift to transform lives through education!

Do you have some highly appreciated stock?  Our stock donation program allows you to donate stock to us as a qualifying charity and only declare the purchase cost as income, not the appreciated value.  Meanwhile, your gift has the full impact of the appreciated value for Friends of Ngong Road. Just click here for instructions on how to donate your stock.

Are you over 70 ½? The Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) provision allows individuals of at least 70 ½ years of age to distribute funds from an individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifying charity without the transfer qualifying as income has been made permanent by recent legislation. Consider using this tax-free option to make a gift to Friends of Ngong Road to transform lives through education. Consult your financial advisor or the financial institution that holds your IRA to learn if this is appropriate for you and to find out what special processing is required to make a QCD.