The Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) recently had the privilege of participating in the 4th Annual Youth Climate Summit and Festival, a two-day event organized by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). This event aimed to engage and empower Africa’s youth population to take meaningful action on climate change. The summit featured a range of objectives, including amplifying the voices of communities, highlighting young people as climate resilience ambassadors, and strategically developing pathways to influence sustainable climate change and development through collaboration with government agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other industry players.

One of the highlights of our participation in this important summit was the involvement of our very own Employment Programs Officer, Martha Atieno, who is also an alumna of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Martha had the honor of being one of the panelists in discussions centered around the role of youth in addressing climate change. Her insights and expertise added a valuable perspective to the dialogue and emphasized the importance of involving young leaders in the fight against climate change.

Additionally, NRCF had the opportunity to be among the exhibitors at the event, where we showcased our organization’s mission to empower and transform lives through education. Our presence at the summit allowed us to connect with attendees, share information through brochures, and exchange ideas with those interested in supporting our mission. We were heartened to see the enthusiasm and interest of attendees at the summit who were eager to support our cause. Some individuals expressed a willingness to donate and contribute to our mission. To facilitate this support, we provided them with the necessary means to make contributions. We also emphasized the importance of collaboration in tackling climate change and its interconnected challenges, including education and poverty alleviation. We hope that this engagement will lead to lasting partnerships and increased support for our initiatives.

Participating in the 4th Annual Youth Climate Summit and Festival was a significant milestone for the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation. It provided us with a platform to engage with like-minded organizations, share our mission, and garner support for our educational initiatives. The event also allowed us to contribute to important discussions on climate change and youth empowerment. We are committed to building on these connections and collaborations to further our mission of empowering and transforming lives through education, while also actively participating in the global effort to combat climate change.

Our mission at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation is to ensure that we transform the lives of our students. In order to achieve this, we ensure that we provide quality education and provide the necessary resources to smoothen this process. In our quest to get more computers for our Blockchain Lab and the Computer Lab, we applied for computer donations at Safaricom Foundation through the ‘Ndoto Zetu“ which translates to ‘Our Dreams“ initiative. 

The Safaricom Foundation through the “Ndoto Zetu” initiative partners with different organizations and communities and support them in transforming lives by providing them with the needed resources and opportunities. They have worked with communities across all 47 counties in Kenya to provide solutions on Education, Health, Economic Empowerment, Water, Environmental Conservation, and Disaster Response, which are key sectors in empowering and providing relief for communities. We were honored when our application was considered and we received the computer donation. 

On Thursday, the 3rd of May we had a handover ceremony for the computer donation. The event was held at the NRCF offices and we had representatives from the Safaricom Foundation and our programs manager, our employment programs officer and some of our TechMates were also in attendance. The event’s purpose was to acknowledge and appreciate the donation and celebrate the positive impact it would have on our students’ education.

NRCF thanks the Safaricom Foundation for its donations and for joining us at the handover ceremony. The computer contribution will allow TechMates and high school grads participating in the coding bootcamp to efficiently study and enhance their talents, which will undoubtedly help them get better prospects in the future. We have also been able to equip the computer lab at the Elimu Hub with extra computers for our children to utilize, and we feel that by working together, we will be able to build a brighter future for our students via the use of technology. 

By Sallyanne Atieno

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the Kenyan education calendar for over a year. Normalcy in the school calendar has been restored since the beginning of this year. According to the revised school dates, mid-term break for all students began on March 16th and will end on March 19th, giving students a three-day break.

This means that both our primary and secondary students will be at home. We have a number of activities for the students to keep them engaged. First, both primary and secondary students will be writing letters to their sponsors. Students will visit the newly constructed Elimu Hub, where they will have access to a computer and can log in to their portals to update their sponsors on their school and family progress.

Second, we have our regular Saturday program schedule. We will have a variety of activities planned for them, including yoga and light exercises, rock paper scissors relays, brain teasers, puzzle and crossword puzzles, and trivia debates, and have lunch together among other things. The Saturday program will also allow the staff to interact with the students one on one. The Elimu Hub will also allow students to complete their assignments in the library. They can obtain educational reference materials as well as a quiet location to work on personal projects.

When the mid-term break ends, we will provide basic necessities as well as transportation funds to the primary and secondary boarding students. We hope that the students will make the most of their three-day midterm break.

Support our fill a trunk campaign for our high school and some primary students that are in boarding school.