FRIENDS OF NGONG ROAD — APRIL 2026

IMPACT UPDATE

A LOOK AT

Along Ngong Road

Every day on Ngong Road, students move through a city full of motion, possibility, and constraint. Some are on a clear path toward opportunity; many are not. We exist to change that trajectory.

When a young person gains consistent access to education, mentorship, and stability, the outcome is not abstract. It is visible, measurable, and lasting.

A student stays in school. A family begins to shift. A future opens that was previously closed. This is our work: closing the gap between potential and opportunity, and doing it with precision, care, and long-term commitment. 

WELCOMING 100 NEW STUDENTS INTO THE PROGRAM

One hundred futures

For two decades, students joined the program essentially one at a time. This year, we’re changing that. The first cohort of 50 students joined us in January and 50 more will join this April.
It’s a shift that puts us on a path towards growth; one made possible thanks to the generosity of our friends.

A NOTE FROM KELVIN

Thriving Together

Kelvin Thuku

Program Director

This progress has unfolded alongside significant hardship. Nairobi experienced severe flooding following heavier-than-usual rains, resulting in loss of life and widespread damage. Several families were directly affected. In response, our team mobilized quickly, providing relocation support, food, bedding, and other essentials—ensuring that, even in crisis, our students and their families were not alone.

This April we bring another 50 students into the program, making 2026 the largest year of growth in our twenty-year history—a milestone that reflects both increasing demand and a deepening commitment to meet it.

Watching them grow into confident, capable young adults has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Their stories are not exceptions—they are evidence. With a youth employment rate of 70%—compared to a national average of 30%—our alumni are thriving in a country where many young people struggle to find work.

The first quarter of the year has been both impactful and dynamic for Ngong Road, marked by meaningful growth alongside real challenges on the ground. We welcomed 50 new students into the program—children who had been waiting for the opportunity to learn, grow, and imagine a different future. Yet even as we celebrate this progress, the need continues to rise. Over the same period, our waiting list has doubled—a reminder of both the scale of the challenge and the urgency of our work.

Across the program, students are advancing in ways that reflect both their ambition and the strength of the support around them. Thirty-four students transitioned into senior school this quarter, pursuing pathways in STEM, social sciences, and the arts. Notably, 56% have chosen STEM fields, reflecting the growing impact of our STEM immersion efforts. At the same time, 18 graduates from the Class of 2025 have moved on to tertiary education, now including a two-month community service component that cultivates leadership and a spirit of giving back.

A NOTE FROM DAN

Closing the gap

After my first trip to Kenya last August, I found myself returning to this question: what did I see on the faces of our students? The initial answer was clear—determination, resilience, and a kind of joy you recognize instantly.

And yet, the joy that’s visible on the surface often tells only part of the story. For many students in Kenya, challenges are very real. While joy is sometimes easy for students to find, the opportunity to realize their potential is not.

That gap between potential and opportunity is exactly what we’re working to close. This year, our 20th Anniversary, we’ll welcome 100 new students. It’s an ambitious move, made possible in part by the momentum building across our work. In just six months, multi-year commitments have reached $3 million—a reflection of our longtime and now growing belief that closing this gap is possible, thanks to our locally-led team and approach.

At the center of it all is our team in Kenya, whose consistency, care, and commitment continue to drive remarkable outcomes as we shared in our 2025 Outcomes Report. Our locally-led work to place students in schools and surround them with support is a model that works.

Thank you for being a Friend.

Dan Fernelius

President

January - April 2026 Management Report

The first quarter of 2026 has seen wonderful programmatic successes, including launching 100 new students into the program, 34 entering senior school, and 18 entering post-secondary education.

380+

ACTIVE STUDENTS

210

FAMILIES SERVED WITH FOOD AID

258

ACTIVE ALUMNI

174

HOME VISITS

In addition to these programmatic milestones, momentum is growing across our Friends based in the United States, with $1.1M raised YTD and multi-year commitments totaling $3M.

34

STUDENTS ENTERING SENIOR SCHOOL

2,250

MEALS SERVED DURING APRIL PROGRAMMING

18

STUDENTS ENTERING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

250+

NEW STUDENTS 
ON THE WAITLIST

100

NEW STUDENTS

298

SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS
FRIENDS FEATURE: CHRIS ADAMS

Being a Friend

What began as a driver’s quiet detour to visit his daughter at work became a seed that flourished into ten years of walking hand-in-hand with six students from shy Grade 4 kids to confident, degree-holding adults.

BY CHRIS ADAMS

September 2012: vacationing in Nairobi from Ireland whilst Ronan, my husband & CEO Bimeda AMEA, attended meetings, something enchanting happened. Ronan’s driver Emmanuel Gatimu, tasked with showing me around Nairobi, after all the usual sights asked me to visit his daughter Anne at work.

She was the IT Teacher in Ngong Road Children’s Association. In the tiniest of rooms, Anne was showing eight very cramped but enthusiastic primary school kids how to navigate around two or three ancient laptops. I was hooked and Gatimu was happy…he had successfully sown the seed!

After excitedly recounting the whole experience to Ronan that night, the seed was growing. Emmanuel orchestrated a meeting with Paula, the founder of Ngong Road, Ronan, and himself.

That year, 2012, Bimeda sponsored six students—three boys and three girls. In 2014, we moved to Nairobi fulltime and the normal course of email communication from a distance changed to become a wonderful, firsthand, interactive experience.

Chris Adams with her students Willis, Fidel, Faith, and Caroline in 2015.

Since 2014, I have had the benefit of proximity to really walk hand-in-hand with them through the highs and lows of their primary, secondary, and third level journeys. Five are now third level graduates—one Certificate, three Diplomas, and one Degree! I feel very privileged as a sponsor to have watched them grow from quite shy kids in Grade 4 to become the confident, mature adults they are today.

The experience has been such a positive one that in 2025 we commenced sponsorship of “Generation 2”—namely four more eager primary school students with hopes and dreams of their own. Our adventure starts again. Thank you Gatimu for arranging that ‘little visit to Anne’… that chance encounter has enriched my life here in Nairobi for over ten years, and most importantly, it has and will continue to lead to changing many kids’ lives through the fabulous work of NRCF.

Chris with Castro (from Bimeda), Fidel, Gatimu, Willis, and Susan today.

CASE MANAGER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Norah & Wence

Being a locally-led organization, our case managers are the backbone of the program’s success. They walk hand in hand with our students throughout their educational journeys, making sure they have the support and guidance they need to achieve their dreams. 

Norah joined the organization in 2011 as an intern and has held various roles, including volunteer case Manager, librarian, secondary case manager, and, most recently, senior case manager in the primary department. This position has allowed her to truly make a difference in the lives of students and their families. She values the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with them, particularly during challenging times, and to engage closely with children and families while understanding their needs. 

She finds immense satisfaction in witnessing the positive transformations in the lives of those she helps. By engaging closely with the families, she can offer guidance and support that helps them move forward with hope. Norah believes that working for the organization is truly a blessing as she is witnessing many lives change for the better.

Wence was a beneficiary of our program and joined in 2009. He has always been active in all of the organization’s programs. While at college, he frequently volunteered to attend Saturday programs to play with the kids and offer mentorship to them. In 2018, when the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) program was launched, he quickly joined as a Youth Peer Provider (YPP) and has been facilitating SRH talks with all our students.

In 2017, he was driven to pursue a career in social work and community development and completed his internship at our organization. His passion, determination, and desire to help others secured his employment immediately after completing his internship. He currently serves as a case manager in the primary department, overseeing 62 students directly while managing enrichment programs - including the Saturday program and SRH initiatives that engage over 200 young people.

Having once been a beneficiary himself, Wence has a personal understanding of how opportunities and mentorship can transform lives. His lived experience allows him to connect with students authentically, guiding them with empathy, understanding, and hope. Reflecting on his journey, Wence says: 

“This organization has shaped the person I am today. Beyond education, it instilled in me the belief that we all have a responsibility to lift others as we rise. The mentorship, guidance, and opportunities I received inspired me to guide others. Through academic follow-up, structured programs, and simply being present, I strive to help young people grow, discover their strengths, and realize that they, too, can achieve great things.”

Since 2006, Friends of Ngong Road has been dedicated to empowering locally-led work to close the education gap for students living in Nairobi, Kenya.

Learn more at ngongroad.org

Thank you for being a Friend

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