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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Derrick said “I Can” at Camp

Thanks to you, Derrick found the courage to say “I can” at camp 2017.

Camp 2017 was held near Mt. Kenya, a serene, peaceful part of Kenya. Students rode buses for three and a half hours to the rented boarding school and were anxious to have fun with friends while exploring a new part of their country.

Derrick

Again this year we saw that camp is one of the most effective community-building parts of the Friends of Ngong Road program. Students, staff, board members, and volunteers were together in one, safe place. Students realized that they are not alone, but are part of the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation family.  They got to know their caseworker better. They learned about another culture from several Tulane students and other volunteers who traveled to camp to help conduct the program. They ate three healthy meals a day, learned about topics they do not get in school such as leadership and confidence building, and they had fun.

This year’s camp theme was “I Can.” In Derrick’s essay titled “I Believe I Can” that he wrote at camp, he says, “The most difficult problem that I have faced is standing in front of my peers and speaking to them…I came to realize that if I will not change it, it will affect me academically. How I came to overcome this challenge was during the NRCF Camp 2017. I was appointed to be a squad leader. I accepted the leadership but one thing that was in my mind was how will I speak to my peers and the other adults. But through the mentoring from different guests, (I gained) the courage and strategies to overcome this challenges…I really appreciate the 2017 NRCF Camp with the motto, “I Believe I Can,” that motivates most of us to (have the) courage and braveness to overcome challenges as (well) as we can.”

Because of you, Derrick and over 300 students discovered more about what they can do. The $10,000 match was met, and all students who were available to attend camp were given the opportunity to attend. Thank you for caring. Thank you for saying “I Can” send a kid to camp so that students can say “I can transform my life.” Thank you.

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Camp 2017 Update

Thanks to those who “sent a kid to camp” this year; Camp 2017 is in full swing! The four-day Leadership Camp is wrapping up today and Grammar Camp (students aged 10-13) begins tomorrow. Students prepare for camp near Mt. Kenya at Naromoru Girls Secondary School in Nyeri County, packing warm clothes. This is about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Nairobi where temperatures range 55-70 degrees Fahrenheit during August.

Late last week, nine U.S. volunteers safely arrived in Kenya and are actively creating a positive camp experience. They are teaching classes, play games, and building relationships with our students.

While camp is off to a great start, you may have heard about the recent elections in Kenya. The area where the camp is being held (and where students, staff, and volunteers are staying) has remained calm following the election. On August 15, camp director, Tom Gleason, wrote, “This is a lovely, remote, and secure area to hold camp. Despite the election, volunteers and kids for camp are unaffected. Isolation ensures security, leaving us untouched in this peaceful place.

The camps are running smoothly.”

Friends of Ngong Road President and Founder, Paula Meyer, wrote this about the organization’s decision to continue with camp 2017: “On August 8, Kenya held elections for positions of President, Members of Parliament and local offices. The following day a small group of people from both Kenya and the U.S. met by Skype to discuss the security situation after the elections with the goal of deciding whether or not to proceed with Camp 2017. Kenya held peaceful elections in 2013 but there was considerable post-election violence in 2007.

With just one day elapsed since the election, formal results were not yet published by the Kenya election board. We heard the perspectives of Rajpreet Bains, Ngong Road Children Foundation board chair, and Maureen Mulievi, program director. Rajpreet brought insights from a Kenyan security expert. The biggest risk the team perceived was that there would be isolated violence from supporters of the leading opposition candidate, Raila Odinga. At the time we spoke there had been a few violent episodes, however on balance the country was peaceful – especially in the area near the planned camp. On the basis of our understanding that this trend would continue, we made the decision to proceed with Camp 2017.”

We anticipate the area near camp will remain calm in the coming weeks. Energy will remain high at camp with fun, learning and memories abounding. Check back to our news page and social media for future updates on camp!

If the Gleason Camp Endowment Fund and its lasting impact on the camp’s future intrigue you, or if you hold inquiries about this year’s camp, kindly reach out to the Development Director, Lacey Kraft at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.

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March 2018 trip Dates Released

Looking to travel with a purpose? Dreaming of meeting the student you have sponsored and corresponded with for years? Join Friends of Ngong Road and Wilderness Inquiry for a trip that combines seeing Kenyan wildlife at its very best with the opportunity to visit students and their families whose lives are being transformed through Friends of Ngong Road.

Past travelers have said that the trip “blew their expectations” and was the “trip of a lifetime.” The majestic animals of Kenya are breathtaking, and the people are even better. Friends of Ngong Road believes in long-term, deep relationships with the students and families in the program. Because of this, you’ll get a unique, raw experience with Kenyan culture. You’ll learn about Kenyan history and what brought families to Nairobi and eventually the program. You’ll see how the program has made a difference, and you’ll form relationships with the amazing, genuine, resilient people of Kenya.

Learn more by visiting the Wilderness Inquiry website. 

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Adventure Series at Wilderness Inquiry

Join Friends of Ngong Road’s Development Director, Lacey Kraft, and sponsor, JoAnne Zachow, for stories and photos from their March group trip to Kenya with the Wilderness Inquiry.

This gathering is perfect for anyone considering traveling to Kenya or interested in learning about the country and program. You will hear stories of the first time sponsors met the students they had been sponsoring and corresponding with for years, of home visits where they met parents resiliently determined to give their children a better life, and about Maasai girls who ran away from their homes to avoid female genital mutilation and early marriage. Many memories and stories are to be shared.

You will see close-up photos of the big five animals, thanks to the wonderful guides with Wilderness Inquiry. A favorite series is of a water buffalo killed by lions that were scared off by hyenas only to have the lions return with a bigger pack. We have photos of a lion walking right up to one of the Wilderness Inquiry vans searching for shade – something the guides had never seen a lion do!

Appetizers and beverages were provided. All are welcome. Please RSVP to Wilderness Inquiry.

Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Place: Wilderness Inquiry, 808 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis

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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.