The NRCF Elimu hub houses a computer laboratory and library to provide learning activities and resources for its beneficiaries. The utilization of the hub is as follows:

1. Computer lab

Primary Students

• Weekly Computer Classes

There are many benefits of introducing computers to children at an early age. One of the main benefits is that it prepares them for future computer usage since many professional fields require these skills. This also increases their self-esteem, and self-confidence and boosts their problem-solving skills.

• Creative classes on Saturday i.e. Canvas & Coding

As part of the Saturday program, we are introducing creative computer classes where students are taught to use creative tools such as Canvas to create decorative posts for sponsors and basic coding skills.

Non-Nelson Mandela students will also take computer classes on top of the creative classes to be on the same level as the Nelson Mandela students.

• Internet – Web surfing and NRCF communication portal

The students are taught how to use the internet to do school research within their level and access and log in to their NRCF communication portals to write/reply to sponsor messages and access their photos and other resources in the portal.

Secondary students

• WordPress Training

The secondary students must attend mandatory computer classes during their holiday where they will be introduced to the WordPress course. At the end of the training, they are required to build their portfolios. 

The training also acts as a preparation for the three months training with Belmont College.

• Internet – Web surfing, NRCF Communication portal, and Google mail

The students are taught how to use the internet to do school research. Use of Gmail tools such as Email, Google docs, sheet, and saving documents in G-Drive. They are also taught to access and log in to their NRCF communication portals to write/reply to sponsor messages and access their photos and other resources in the portal.

Post-secondary students

• High school graduates computer training

The two-month training program by Belmont International College will be conducted in our computer lab, which is now equipped with new and fast desktops.

• Research space for students

The computer lab is accessible to all the beneficiaries of the foundation to access and conduct their research or do assignments. Students use the computers in the lab to access the student communication portals to send and receive emails to and from their sponsors.

2. Library

• School textbooks & revision materials.

The NRCF library with the help of the CBCT project leader is in the process of identifying school textbooks for primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels in relation to the new curriculum. Students are accessing these books either to read them within the library or borrow them for a specific period.

• Storybooks/novels

Currently, the library has various genres that students borrow and read within our premises. This activity continues in the new library with a plan of adding more.

The current library management system is also under improvement for a more effective book tracking experience. 

The librarian, with the help of primary and secondary case managers, ensures that each student borrows a book at least once every school term and provides a report at the end of the year to indicate how many books each student has read.
Each student also fills out a questionnaire upon returning the borrowed book to ensure that they read it. This exercise also encourages the student to read their storybooks to be able to fill out the report.

• KICD materials access

Five Endless OS computers are being installed in the library space for students to continue accessing the KICD materials

• CBC Utilization activities – Art and Design

Art and design stimulate creativity and imagination as it provides visual and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to issues. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, students can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life. 

By introducing art and design;

•  The students will have access to materials that they cannot access from home and are also limited at school. They will be able to showcase their artwork to sponsors eg in drawing, cardmaking, flower making using different materials, etc
• Students will be able to record from first-hand experience and imagination to select their ideas to use in their work. 
•  They will be able to develop creativity and imagination through a range of complex activities
•   This will increase their critical awareness and boost their confidence and have fun.
• Reading and study space

Most of our students’ homes are not conducive to studying. The library space is utilized by students during holidays and or weekends for reading, studying, and doing assignments. 

It will also be a space where students come and get assistance with their homework and assignments from the TechMates interns that will be at their disposal.

Students will also have read-aloud and around sessions, where they will be able to share lessons, terms, and group book reading.

Book club sessions for grades 5 and 6 students will resume

Lorine, sister to Emmanuel, was admitted to the program earlier than her brother. It was fortunate for both of them to have the same sponsor.

Lorine’s’ success story is inspiring and uplifting.  As a member of the Friends of Ngong Road family, Lorine started her academic journey at one of our focus elementary schools. She later did her secondary studies at a girl’s boarding school in Nairobi.

She is a certified Business Administrator and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a Finance focus from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Lorine has made steady progress in her professional life. She participated in the Ngong Road Youth Peer Provider and Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme, and she interned at Karibu Loo as an associate. She is currently employed by the British East African Tobacco Company as part of their finance team.

Emmanuel joined the program in 2010. Having to pay for his education as a child was a tremendous challenge for his family. Friends of Ngong Road gave Emmanuel a sponsor and enabled him to continue his academic career.

Emmanuel was transferred to one of our focus elementary schools immediately after being admitted to the program, which he considered a far better school than his previous school. After completing his primary education, he attended a boys boarding school in Nairobi, where he completed his secondary education and joined the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. His graduation was originally scheduled for November last year but was postponed to July this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emmanuel has a Business Administration Certificate and a University certification in Business Information Technology. Emmanuel is currently interning at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation as a tech intern.

In 2021, Ngong Road Children’s, and Friends of Ngong Road conducted a survey of our first 113 alumni and learned that 80% of alumni had one or more jobs between May 2020 – May 2021. This was an especially challenging time for employment due to the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on the Kenyan economy.  While encouraging to learn such a high percentage of alumni had had jobs, at the time of the survey, only 46% of respondents were employed. Among those employed 76% had a job in the formal economy. Among the unemployed, 90% had worked in the informal economy, and when COVID hit, their work disappeared.  

The new emphasis on employment, an updated mission statement

These results led our board of directors to conclude we must do better. Since our inception, we have understood that Kenya’s formal economy has very high unemployment levels (about 40%) and that this last stage of life transformation, employment,  would be most challenging.  We have now made “employment” a fourth program pillar in our overall strategy (along with Education, Student Health & Well-Being, and Supportive Community) and updated our mission statement to reflect our increased focus on helping graduates get and keep a job.  Our updated mission statement is:

We empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.

Programs to support employment objective 

We currently have several initiatives in place or in development that support our goal of ensuring 75% of the alumni are employed within six months of graduation.  Some of these programs begin in high schools, such as Life Skills training and learning about career options.  Other programs are focused on high school and post-secondary graduates, including:

• Job placement – through the support of the Kenyan Board of Directors who make referrals to organizations within their network.
• Karibu Loo Associate program – Karibu Loo (KL) is a portable sanitation business (owned by FoNR) that hires our graduates as part-time associates to help with the operations of the business, learning skills of organization, time management, and working as part of a team. Karibu Loo has also hired graduates for full-time roles in marketing and operations.  Since its inception, more than 120 graduates have been employed by Karibu Loo.
• Sales Academy – an intensive two-month sales training and six-month paid internship through a partnership with Yusudi Sales Academy. Two students will be joining this program in April as a pilot to see how successful it will be.
• TechMates Programme – A tech internship program where STEM Graduates are taken through an “on-the-job training” on digital marketing, website development, and management using WordPress, Google Ads, as well as advanced programming. The interns are later linked with external companies for contract jobs. 
• Entrepreneurship training – Targeting alumni who are interested in starting a small enterprise by providing basic business creation training and linking them to funding opportunities. 

We will update more information about the TechMates Programme.  In the next five years, we expect to launch more initiatives focused on helping graduates get jobs.  We know that when you begin life in extreme poverty the only way your life is truly transformed is if you get (and keep) a job.

Change of Saturday program field

We are happy to announce that we now have a bigger, and safer field for our Saturday program activities. Compared to our previous field, the current field has grass everywhere hence minimal chances of students getting hurt while playing. The location also favors students residing in Ng’ando as they can now comfortably work short distances to attend the Saturday program. This change has been in place since the beginning of January.

Expressive Art

To be able to provide better support for our students we need to connect with them emotionally. That is why NRCF in collaboration with Harambee Arts Kenya and Kenya Association of Professional Counselors (KAPC) organized an expressive art program, where our children are allowed to express their emotions such as happiness, appreciation, or even sadness through coloring. The activities are usually fun and at the very end, all our students learn that they are the stars of their own stories. Thank you Harambee Arts Kenya Association of Professional Counselors (KAPC).

Financial literacy

Students who learn to manage their finances early often become adults who are better equipped to live independently and that’s why we have embarked on teaching our kids to make good financial decisions. Our students love the financial lessons and they’ve already started making actual implementations from what they are taught

Braeburn donations

Braeburn primary and secondary school-Lavington is an international school in Nairobi Kenya that teaches children from age 3 to 18, following the National Curriculum of England and Wales. It is a member of the Braeburn Group of International Schools. We started partnering with Braeburn in 2016 when they gave towards our annual Christmas food aid appeal. They have been giving food aid packages since then. The relationship was developed through Leah Switzer who worked as a teacher at the school back then.    

Library books

Braeburn heard about our “Elimu Hub project” and committed to supporting us to furnish the library section with books where they donated over 4,000 books on 5th February 2022. The books comprise all genres (fiction and non-fiction books, Biographies, course work, African Literature, and Science & nature. The books have been stored awaiting completion of Elimu hub where they will be shelved for access by over 300 students in the program.

Food aid

Every year Braeburn also donates food staff to our students and their families and this year was no exception. We received a donation of 100 packages of food staff that were issued to our families. The support comes in handy for our families and as always they are always grateful.

We appreciate Braeburn Primary School manager (Joanna Garner) for the continued support over the years. Braeburn is helping transform lives here at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation.