Carole joined Friends of Ngong Road as the inaugural Executive Director in 2022 and was elected to the NRCF board in January 2023 to provide cross-organizational input to the Board since FoNR is the fundraising organization while NRCF is the implementer of the programs.  Carole’s background is in international education and development which includes volunteer and professional roles with the University of Michigan’s Office of Overseas Opportunities, Fund for African Relief and Education and PLAN International in Senegal, French immersion education, Concordia Language Villages, refugee resettlement, and fifteen years in fundraising at Books For Africa. Carole holds a BA in French and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan and the University Gaston-Berger in Senegal. In her free time, Carole likes to support charitable initiatives, feed people, read historical fiction, chase two Olde English Bulldogs, and win at ping pong

Responsibilities at NRCF

Role: Carole Chairs the Local Fundraising and Marketing Committee that assists the NRCF Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility concerning local fundraising and the visibility of the organization. The Committee provides a monthly review of the local fundraising plan, achievement against the target, and marketing strategy to meet the target of local fundraising set in the budget.

Carole also serves in the NRCF Operating Committee which provides oversight and guidance to the secretariat on the implementation of the annual plan and policy changes 

Why she is involved  in NRCF

Carole is passionate about the unique child sponsorship model as a way to preserve a child’s emotional attachment to their caregiver and provide encouragement and support in a culturally appropriate setting.

Paul Dalizu was elected to the board in July 2023. He commands a wealth of experience of almost two decades in leadership, board advisory, people & culture and corporate communication, helping leaders build capacity so that they can make a difference with more impact, influence, and affluence in the market place with his expertise in leadership and governance and fundraising, both in the private and non-profit sectors in 10+ countries. He holds a Masters in Organizational Leadership from International Leadership University and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management from Kenyatta University. He is an accredited
full member of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) and a certified human resource practitioner. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Philosophy, leadership, and Governance at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Paul is an Adjunct lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology on business, strategy, human resources, and leadership topics. He is also a consultant on talent management performance and reward, learning and development, employee relations, transformation and change management, public speaking, capacity building, and executive leadership coaching, among others, at G-tambue.

Responsibilities at NRCF
Role: Local Fundraising and Marketing Committee that assists the NRCF Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility with respect to local fundraising and the visibility of the organization. The Committee provides a monthly review of the local fundraising plan, achievement against target, and marketing strategy in order to meet the target of local fundraising set in the budget.

Why he is involved in NRCF
Paul is passionate about youth development and leadership. He wants to ensure the organization is more sustainable in the long run by leveraging his network to build a local fundraising infrastructure that will be self-sufficient and self-reliant. He also aspires to bring up the next generation of leaders by nurturing and
mentoring the youth in the program as they transition into the labor market.

Geoffrey Nthiga (Jeff) joined NRCF in January 2023 as a member. He holds a Master of Business Administration ( Strategic Management) from the University of Nairobi and a B.SC. in International Business Administration (Accounting option) from the United States International University-Nairobi  

Jeff is currently working as a Director at Greenyard Group of Schools Ltd since 2001. He is also serving as a Board Member of the Old Cambrian Society. He previously served as the Chairman of the Kenya Private Schools Association in Kajiado County         

Responsibilities at NRCF

Role: Programme and Education Committee Chair in charge of program implementation oversight as well as reviewing education program structure and partnerships. The committee reviews the performance analysis of students at the primary and secondary level vis vee the general performance of the focus school and gives recommendations regarding the school to continue the partnership with. The Committee also evaluates the effectiveness of NRCF programs (life skills, Sexual Reproductive Health, Camp, Saturday Child Development program) and recommends changes to the programs to maximize their impacts.

Why he is involved  in NRCF

Jeff is passionate about community transformation through education sponsorship. He also provides sponsorship for needy students at his school and therefore NRCF’s mission aligns with his desires. He believes that he will be able to share insight that will improve NCRF education and program management to ensure we achieve the ultimate goal of transforming lives. 

 

Neena joined the board in January 2023. She is a Chartered Accountant by profession and holds a BA (Econs) (Honors) in Accounting and Finance. Currently, she is working as Group Financial Controller and Head of internal Aiudt for Wasoko (sokowatch) an e-commerce platform dealing with household consumables. 

Responsibilities at NRCF

Neena’s main responsibilities are to ensure the financial controls and processes are in line with best practices. She participates in monthly financial review meetings to understand the financials and provide support where required. She is also a member of the NRCF Audit Committee of the Board responsible for supporting the Board to fulfill its fiduciary role as it relates to financial reporting. 

Why she is involved  in NRCF

Neena believes that she is at the point in her life where she would want to have an impact in the community through education and NRCF provides a good opportunity for her to give back to the impoverished through her skills and expertise in financial management. Her aim is also to transfer the business skills learned in the corporate world to NRCF

Aruna Varsani joined NRCF in April 2019 as a Board Member. She has been part of Amref Health Africa in Kenya, Nairobi Cooking Club. She is currently The Director of Montessori Plus Center Kindergarten and college, located in Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya.

She is trained in Early Childhood teaching and care from Gems School of Management and Montessori Plus Center.

Responsibilities at NRCF

Aruna serves as a board member in the NRCF board with the responsibility of planning out activities with the board members, reviewing project reports and policies.

She is also in charge of the education program and gives policy guidelines and recommendations on how to maximize the educational opportunity we are offering the sponsored children.

Why she is involved  in NRCF

Aruna is motivated to work for NRCF and it has always been her pleasure to work for and help the needy ones. Seeing people deprived of facilities and resources due to poverty really motivated her to help and care for people around her.  Her interest is mainly in children’s education.  Her goal is to see that all children are given equal rights in education and have a future whereby they can sustain themselves.