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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Terminology

School

TermDescription
PrimaryElementary school grade levels 1-6
Primary BoardingLive-in elementary school grade levels 1-6
Junior SecondaryMiddle school grade levels 7-9
Senior SecondaryHigh school grade levels 10-12 at boarding school
SecondaryHigh school grade levels 9-12 at boarding school
Post-Secondary (PS)Schooling after Secondary; anything from a trade college to a university
School MarksGrade scores
Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC)The name of the changes to schooling in Kenya from a test/memory-based curriculum to more analytical, critical thinking, as well as practical skills
KCPE or KCSEKenya Certificate for Primary Education or Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education this is the final exam for 8th graders and 12th graders which determines which high schools and post-secondary schools they will be allowed to join. Similar to the ACT, SAT, and MAP tests in the US. 
KPSEA Kenya Primary School Educational Assessment for grade 6 which assesses students’ ability at the primary level
Form 1, 2, 3, 4Form 1 (Freshman year), Form 2 (Sophomore year), Form 3 (Junior year), Form 4 (Senior year) of high school
AttachmentThe equivalent of a work-study program in the US that is required for a students diploma in certain programs
InternshipThe equivalent of a college/university internship in the USA that is required for a students diploma in certain programs

Kenya/Swahili

TermDescription
DagorettiThe slum where most of our students live. There are districts or neighborhoods within the slum that have additional names which the students and case managers use to give more accurate directions. The population of the entire Dagoretti slum is about 240,000. 
SlumA squalid and overcrowded urban street or district inhabited by very poor people. A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. Often those living in the slums do not have access to running water, clean water, electricity, consistent food, or medical care
Ngong RoadOne of the major roads in Nairobi which links the city and a neighboring county (Kajiado-Maasai land) and has a number of slums adjacent to it including Kibera and Dagoretti. All of our students live off Ngong road where NRCF is located. It is named after the Ngong Hills which are located behind the road. Ngong means “knuckles” in Swahili and the Ngong Hills look like knuckles
UgaliA cornmeal and water mixture that Kenyans use as their primary staple food. They take a chunk of it with their hands and mix it with the other items on their plates. Similar to the role of bread in the US, pasta in Italy, and rice in Asia
ShillingCurrency of Kenya
Wet season/dry seasonSince Kenya is close to the equator, they only have two seasons. The ‘long rains’ season is March to May, the ‘short rains’ season is October to December, and the rest of the year is dry and sunny
MaasaiThe Maasai are an ethnic group and tribe in Kenya. They are among the best-known local populations internationally due to their residence near the many game parks such as the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya
UpcountryRegions outside the City of Nairobi and away from the Coast. mostly considered rural areas where economic activities are mainly farming and there are few towns and people 
KaribuMeans ‘welcome’ in Swahili 
JamboMeans ‘hello’ in Swahili
Asante SanaMeans ‘thank you’ in Swahili

Ngong Road

TermDescription
FONRFriends of Ngong Road is our organization based in the USA, we raise money for the students enrolled in our program in Kenya
NRCFNgong Road Children Foundation is the name of our program in Kenya
KLLKaribu Loo Limited is a portable toilet business started in Kenya that hires out portable toilets and the profits from the business go back into paying for programming. It also hires our students to give them employment experience 
Elimu Hub“Elimu” means “education” in Swahili, and “Hub” is the center of learning activities and resources on our NRCF campus. Elimu Hub houses our computer lab and library. 
Saturday ProgramA weekly child development program held in a field near our campus where our students participate in fun activities, including sports, games, and clubs such as taekwondo and music. Our students eat lunch and have access to a nurse at the program as well
CampIs a chance for our students to spend time out of the slums in a healthy, stimulating environment focused on learning and fun. Camp is described as the students’ favorite activity. Camp is used as a reward for students and they need to meet specific requirements in order to go camping. There are different types of camps for different ages of students ranging from little kids camp for grades 2-4, Grammar Camp for grades 5-8, Senior camp for grades 9-12, Career Camp for post-secondary students, and Alumni camp for graduates.

Sponsorship

TermDescription
PortalThe online platform that sponsors and students use to write and send videos to each other 
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Friends of Ngong Road
100 1st St S #581308
Minneapolis, MN 55458
(612) 568-4211 | info@ngongroad.org

EIN: 20-4690846

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