After the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, we enabled food aid support for our parents because the majority of them had lost their jobs. In addition, most people had to stay at home due to the enforced restrictions. The majority of the food assistance at the time came from different partners and donors. The entire undertaking was referred to as “food from friends.”

The economy has not yet fully returned to normalcy two years after the epidemic, so most of our parents are still unemployed or unable to earn enough money to support their families. As a result, NRCF is continuing to provide food assistance to these parents as well as any other program parents who are struggling to put a meal on the table due to other factors like illness or other hardships.

After COVID-19 loosened up back in 2022, we ceased food aid support for all our parents but we kept track of the parents who still needed it. This was done per department. All case managers were required to identify several parents in their caseload that needed food assistance and support them accordingly. Each case manager is given a fixed number of packages to distribute to parents each month from the food that is allocated to them individually.

This will be the norm in 2023 too as we continue to support struggling parents. The food aid program has so far helped more than 130 parents in the first quarter of 2023. Our aim is to be able to assist all NRCF parents who are having a hard time feeding their families.

We call upon well-wishers to help us continue offering this support to our parents. 

By Sallyanne Atieno

My name is Clare, and I am 17 years old. My name means “shining or bright,” and I was told that it was given to me by my mother because she knew I would be a bright girl in school, and she also wanted me to have a bright future. She died when I was young, so I was raised by my grandmother. I have four other siblings with whom I share my home, but growing up was not easy. My grandmother does not have a consistent source of income, making it difficult for her to care for us and pay our school fees on time.

Thankfully, she learned of a sponsorship opportunity at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation and requested assistance there right away. After passing my interview, I was given the opportunity to join the program in 2014, when I was in grade three. Jagiet Academy, one of the program’s focal schools, accepted me. While I was in grades 6 and 7, I was appointed as the class prefect for the corresponding classes, and I thoroughly enjoyed expressing my leadership abilities. In 2019, I finished elementary school and took my national examinations.

I then enrolled in Chogoria Girls High School, a national-level girls’ high school in Chogoria, Tharaka Nithi county. I was overjoyed when I entered the school since it is one of the few institutions in the country that consistently achieves high marks in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) tests, and I knew it would keep me on my toes academically. My favorite subjects have been mathematics, English, and biology, and I’ve done well in my overall academic performance. Apart from academics, I am a member of the school’s football team, debate club, and the Young Catholic Society’s organizing secretary (YCS).

I am now in my senior year of high school and am hopeful that I will graduate with honors and be able to pursue a bachelor’s degree program in aeronautical engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I hope to continue my education and pursue a master’s degree at Oxford University in England.

I work hard not just to create opportunities for myself, but also to express my appreciation to my sponsor and the NRCF program for believing in me and guiding me through my schooling to where I am today. NRCF is actually impacting young people’s lives, and I am pleased to be a part of this life-changing program.

By Sallyanne Atieno

Yusuf enrolled in the NRCF program in 2018 when he was in fourth grade. In the Kawangware area, he lives with his mother,  two brothers, uncle, and a cousin. His mother was and still is a casual laborer, doing odd jobs like washing clothes or cleaning other people’s houses to make ends meet. This makes meeting even basic needs for the family of six difficult. This made it difficult to cover Yusuf’s school fees, and he was frequently sent home.

Yusuf enrolled at Jagiet Academy after joining the program. He was a hardworking student, as evidenced by his academic performance. He received 339 points out of a possible 500 on his KCPE exams in 2022. This performance earned him a spot at St.John Tala High School, a boys high school in Machakos County. He started high school this year and has already raved about it. He describes it as a very good school with hardworking students and eager teachers who are ready to assist the students .

His favorite subject is Mathematics, and he aspires to be the school president before graduating from high school in 2026. He also wishes to study engineering or architecture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. As part of his extracurricular activities, he has joined a dance group and the school tennis team.

Yusuf is optimistic about getting good grades in high school and is looking forward to meeting new people and making the most of his four years there.

Transform a life today

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. 

By Sallyanne Atieno

I am Latifah, an 18 years old Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF) 2022 high school graduate. I was born and raised in the Ngando area where I still live up to date. I grew up with my 3 siblings and we were privileged enough to be raised by both parents as most children in my neighborhood are either raised by a single parent or a guardian. However, life growing up was challenging. My parents were casual laborers thus making it almost impossible for them to give us a comfortable life, let alone provide basic needs.

Luckily, I got the opportunity to join the NRCF program in 2012 while I was in grade 2. I was schooling at Nelson Mandela before joining the program and so once I joined, I did not have to change schools. Nonetheless, there was a huge difference then because I could stay in school throughout without having to be sent home due to lack of school fees. Every school need was also being catered for and so my academic grades really improved. In 2012, I was elected as the school head girl, a position I held until my final year in primary school. I was a disciplined student as well as hardworking which made me a good fit for the position. I really loved being a head girl as I got the opportunity to exercise good leadership skills towards other students and lead them by example.

After sitting for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), I scored 383 out of 500 marks. This earned me a slot at St. Joseph Girls High School, an extra-county girls boarding school in Kitale. I was excited to join high school especially because it was a new environment for me since I had not schooled outside of Nairobi county. While in high school, I also had 2 leadership positions; I was a dining hall captain and also an entertainment captain. I am really good at dancing and so it was easy for me to get the entertainment captains’ position. Apart from the leadership positions, I was also involved in a co-curricular activity. I was part of the drama club and part of the team that represented my school in different competition levels. 

I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2022 and when the results came out, I had scored a B plain! This made me the top-performing female student for the high school class of 2022 in the program. I aspire to join the University of Nairobi and take a Bachelors degree course in Law. I have always had an interest in law studies since I was in primary school. I would also like to venture into arts and graphic design when I am done with my course.

I would like to thank my sponsor Chris for sponsoring me and giving me the chance to pursue my education and NRCF for making sure that I maximize the opportunity. I hope to succeed in my university studies, get a job and transform my life and that of my family.     

Transform a life today