Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF), formerly Ngong Road Children Association (NRCA), is a registered Non-Governmental Organization operating in Nairobi, Kenya. We hold a deep belief in the value of education and the hope it can bring to young lives. Our mission is to “Empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.”
Our History
In 2006, Paula Meyer was traveling to Kenya with her family where she visited some homes and saw the devastation that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has caused – especially for children. Peter Ndungu, the late co-founder, asked if she knew people who would sponsor children in Kenya. On the flight home, she decided to found an organization dedicated to finding people who would sponsor children so they could have hope for their future. She realized that there were tens of thousands of orphans with no access to education or hope for a better life. The program started in June 2006, the pair co-founded two organizations Ngong Road Children Association (recently renamed Ngong Road Children’s Foundation) to oversee operations in Kenya and Friends of Ngong Road, a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) in the U.S to find sponsors and donors. The mission was to provide education to the devastated children and help them transform their lives.
What We Do
Our program seeks out children who have the ability to succeed. The program’s selection criteria has grown consistently more rigorous and students in the program are required to attend schools we select. Although we don’t own or operate any schools, we partner with schools that have a demonstrated track record of delivering strong academic outcomes.
The program offers children support in three key areas:
Education – We select students with strong academic potential for primary, secondary, college /university and support them by providing school fees, school supplies, uniform, school books, shoes, and feeding program.
Safety and well-being – While our main purpose is education, we know that nutrition, good health, and a safe living environment are important to learning. To maximize students’ success, our program provides breakfast and lunch on school days, lunch on Saturdays, meals during school holidays and family food aid as well as basic health care.
Supportive community – Which includes case worker support, Saturday Programme, August Camp, access to a free lending library and courses in our own computer lab.
Our Values are:
- Respect … We value each individual regardless of background, religious beliefs, nationality or gender
- Integrity …We do what we say, we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in all we do
- Professionalism …We have a culture of excellence, teamwork and commitment
Our Principles…guide our decision-making and operations:
- Accountability – Ensure donor investment and trust is well-placed and drives measurable outcomes
- Leverage – Collaborate with existing schools and family structures and organizations in Kenya. Build partnerships and operate through volunteers whenever possible
- Relationships – Foster strong relationships between the child and sponsor and between sponsors/donors and the organizations. Join with other organizations to achieve our mission