Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) is delighted to express its heartfelt appreciation to Bimeda Ltd for its continued commitment to transforming young lives through education. After successfully sponsoring four students for approximately ten years—guiding them from childhood through to becoming self-reliant alumni—Bimeda Ltd has once again stepped forward to support another cohort of four students, ensuring they receive quality education and life-changing opportunities.

This remarkable long-term commitment underscores Bimeda Ltd’s belief in the power of education to break the cycle of poverty. Their sponsorship provides not only financial assistance for school fees but also essential support services that equip students with skills for future employment. Thanks to such steadfast support, the previously sponsored students have now completed their education and embarked on independent promising careers.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Bimeda Ltd for making this significant investment in the future of these young learners. A special thank you goes to Chris for her outstanding stewardship in nurturing this partnership over the years. Your dedication and generosity continue to make a lasting impact, giving hope and a brighter future to deserving children.

At NRCF, we are honored to partner with organizations like Bimeda Ltd that believe in the potential of young minds. Together, we are building a better future—one student at a time.

Thank you, Bimeda Ltd!

The DirectEd Development Foundation, in collaboration with the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, is working to provide free training in software development to promising but under-resourced students in Africa. This initiative bridges the gap between high school and university, offering students an opportunity to explore the fascinating world of Python programming. The one-week introductory course is vital for students aspiring to join the main boot camp, ensuring they gain foundational knowledge through comprehensive lessons and a final exam.

Thirteen students from the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation registered for this rigorous course, competing alongside peers from esteemed institutions such as Alliance High School, Maryhill Girls High School, and Mang’u High School. Resource links, primarily hosted on Notion, were shared with the participants to facilitate their learning journey.

The program officially commenced on January 6, 2025, with an inaugural Zoom session. During this session, students received guidance on accessing course materials through platforms like Notion and Piazza and successfully installed Python on their desktop computers. The schedule included daily check-ins via Zoom, which served as a platform for tracking attendance, sharing updates, and conducting computer science workshops. Students accessed modules, videos, and feedback forms through Notion and submitted assignments via Tally forms.

Over the week, participants tackled eight modules comprising 44 exercises. These modules spanned topics such as Python setup, user input and conditional statements, data structures, functions, exceptions, libraries, unit testing, and object-oriented programming. The course also featured workshops, including a session on effective learning and time management led by Simon, the CEO of DirectEd Development Foundation, and another on online financial safety.

The course ended in an examination on January 13, 2025, which tested students through multiple-choice questions and programming tasks. Of the 13 registered students, 10 undertook the exam. The gender balance among participants was evenly distributed, with boys and girls each making up 50% of the cohort.

The week concluded with a virtual closing ceremony where students signed up for the DirectEd developer portal to access additional resources and complete surveys about their experience. DirectEd plans to run two more introductory courses before the main boot camp, which is set to begin in late April 2025. Successful candidates will be notified in early April, paving the way for their deeper engagement in software development training.

This initiative marks a significant step in empowering under-resourced students with valuable software development skills. By equipping them with foundational knowledge and fostering a competitive yet supportive learning environment, the program not only opens doors to future educational and professional opportunities but also inspires students to envision and pursue a brighter future in the tech industry. 

Join us in transforming the lives of underprivileged students. 

The NRCF STEM Camp 2024 was a transformative, two-week journey that introduced 7th and 8th-grade students to the dynamic world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Hosted at the NRCF Elimu Hub Center in partnership with Science Mill and Friends of Ngong Road, the camp aimed to inspire curiosity, nurture problem-solving skills, and open doors to exciting career opportunities in STEM.

A Two-Week Overview

Week 1: Biomimicry-Inspired Projects (Grade 7)
Students explored biomimicry, applying nature’s designs to solve real-world challenges. Projects included:

• Smart Bin: An accessible, touch-free bin inspired by animal reflexes.
• Rescue Kingfisher: A robotic bird for underwater rescue operations.
• Jitterbug: A stress-relieving device modeled after a butterfly.

Week 2: Biomimicry-Inspired Projects (Grade 8)
Building on the previous week, Grade 8 students tackled advanced challenges with bio-inspired engineering. Highlights included:

• Whale Robot: A water-cleaning robot based on a whale’s filtration system.
• Security Sunflower: A solar-powered motion-sensing camera system.
• Anglerfish Vessel: A deep-sea exploration vessel mimicking the anglerfish’s bioluminescence.

Hands-On Learning and STEM Career Exploration

Throughout the camp, students engaged in interactive lessons and activities designed to bridge the gap between classroom concepts and real-world applications:

• Robotics and Coding: Using Micro: bit and Hummingbird kits, students created “battle bots” and tackled engineering challenges.
• Renewable Energy: Teams designed wind turbines and explored careers in energy engineering.
• Food Science: Activities like making edible water balls and ice cream highlighted the intersection of science, creativity, and technology.

Career discussions introduced participants to diverse fields, from molecular gastronomy and robotics to ecology and renewable energy, igniting aspirations for future STEM roles.

Graduation Celebration

The camp concluded with a memorable graduation ceremony, celebrating the participants’ creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

• Project Presentations: Students showcased their biomimicry-inspired projects to an impressed audience of peers, facilitators, and guests.
• Certificates of Achievement: Each participant received a personalized certificate, recognizing their dedication and accomplishments.
• A Sweet Finale: The event ended with a celebratory cake-cutting, leaving students with lasting memories of their STEM journey.

The NRCF STEM Camp 2024 was a resounding success, empowering 73 young minds with STEM knowledge, creativity, and confidence. This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners, facilitators, and volunteers.

We aim to expand the program to reach more students, incorporating diverse venues like research centers and nature reserves to enhance hands-on learning experiences. We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors, donors, and partners, including the Science Mill and Friends of Ngong Road, whose generous support made this camp possible. Your contributions empowered these young minds to explore their potential and inspired a new generation of problem-solvers and innovators. A special thank you to the facilitators, mentors, and volunteers whose dedication ensured the program’s success. Together, we can continue to spark innovation and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers.