Meet our Leadership Team
Kioko Mwangangi
Founder & President
Kioko Mwangangi serves as a Church leader in a rural community in Eastern Kenya. He is a pastor who oversees 31 churches, and also works as a small-scale farmer. His farm project includes a small orchard, a tree nursery and an apiary. The proceeds from the farm have supplied for his family’s needs and they have used their excess to help others. He’s lead a men’s Bible Study meeting for 20 years where he has discipled, equipped, and empowered young men to serve their community at large. They had the vision to start a demonstration farm that would be managed by youth members of the church. Kioko Mwangangi works very close with the farm leadership and the two advisory boards (the US and the Kenyan Local County Government). He is happily married to Damaris and has three lovely children: Muema, Mawiia and Mumo.
Aaron Ndisya Muthini
Aaron is a Kenyan citizen, born in the lower eastern Makueni County and is a devoted Christian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Meru university of Science and Technology. He has been married to Dorcas for two years and blessed by one beautiful daughter Michelle. He has worked as a volunteer at MYDF since 2012. He provides agronomical expertise and teaches workshops of farming best practices. He has worked with different agrochemical companies after graduation. Currently, he is working as agricultural Technician with Chilean based NGO, teaching single women new farming practices.
Isaac Mweleva Kioko
Isaac is a Kenyan Citizen, born in the lower eastern Makueni County and a staunch Christian. He holds a diploma in Agriculture from Meru University of Science and technology. He has been married to Catherine for six years and is blessed by one son Jayden. He has worked as a volunteer at MYDF since 2012 and provides agronomical expertise and assistance to the community. He has worked with six agrochemical companies after graduating. Currently he’s working on heling young growing farmers in the village on learning new farming methods.
Joseph Mwambi
Joseph Mwambi Kiio is an Agronomist who lives in Malooi area of Makueni County. He is a Christian and has a certificate in general Agriculture from Lukenya University in Science and Technology. He has been married to Dorcus for eight years and been blessed with four handsome sons: Brian, Allan, Joshua and Caleb. He has worked as a volunteer at MYDF farm since 2009 until present day. After graduating college in 2020 he began to give agricultural advice and assistance to other farmers.
Francis Mukemba Mwau
John Mwanthi
John is a newly established local farmer in the Malooi village. His property borders the Malooi Youth Demo farm. He holds a degree in Mass Communications and graduated from East Africa School of Studies in 2010. Due to not securing full-time employment in journalism, he resorted to farming in the village. Outside of farming, he also serves in the local church (AIC Malooi) as a church elder along side being a Sunday school teacher. John is married to Stella Ndinda and blessed with a son name Dylan Kalvin.
Onesmus Maithya Kiio
Demonstration Farm Staff
Sylvester Kyumwa Musyoka
Selvester is a Kenyan citizen from the Eastern part of Kenya, Makueni County. Sylvester is married to his wife, Rose, and is blessed with a daughter named Hope. Sylvester works at the Malooi Youth Demonstration Farm and is a staff member of the farm. Sylvester manages the tree nursery and sells them to the community. He also takes care of many different types of vegetables, and pioneered the farm’s use of biochar. He now trains others in the use of biochar. He has a passion for learning new kinds of farming methods and technologies, and hopes to apply them to his own personal farm too. In his free time, he likes travelling, watching movies, and having fun with his family.
Dennis Mwikya
Dennis is 23 years old and lives with his family, which has 5 members. He comes from a single parent household and lives at home to assist his family in farming. He could not afford to join college, but earlier this year he received an opportunity to work at Malooi Demonstration Farm where he serves on staff. He has been working hard in the demo farm to make it better. Coordinating with church leaders, he has planted 500 seedlings tress. He also makes biochar, which he applies to the crops. His hobbies include watching movies and playing soccer.
Meet our Advisory Team
Dave Williams
Dave is a retired Professor and Head of the Department of Horticulture, Auburn University, Alabama. He met Kioko during a week long class at ECHO in Ft. Myers, Florida. During the training, they spent time together talking about different concerns of life and missions. Dave has been married to Angie for 34 years. They have two married daughters, one in Birmingham, Alabama, the other in Delray Beach, Florida. Dave is a member of First Baptist Church of Opelika where he serves as a deacon and teaches an adult Sunday school class.
Caralee Elson
Caralee and her husband Rich attend a Hill City Church in Oneonta, New York. Caralee serves on the missions board at her church and has grown to love their missionaries and be challenged by the needs of the Global Church. Her late mother’s involvement in Pastor Kioko’s vision for the youth at Malooi has become part of her life’s passion and she wants to do whatever she is able to for the demonstration farm. She loves the Malooi community and has several Facebook friends among the youth.
Jack Burden
Jack brings over 30 years of development, construction mediation, and project management experience to the Malooi Youth Demonstration Farm team. Jack’s love for farming includes bioremediation of agricultural wastewater, bio-augmentation of soil, and bio-digesters for gardening efforts in Florida. As owner of RD Cisterns, Jack organized design charrettes leading to new ordinances for green building systems. Mr. Burden holds a MS degree in International Development Education from Florida International University.
Abigail Reese
Abigail works for a global consulting firm in Minneapolis called Protiviti. She became friends with Kioko while at Wheaton College and later visited Kenya. She has a heart for using Business as a Mission to help communities be transformed by the Gospel. She graduated from Wheaton College in 2015 with a double major in Economics & Spanish with a minor in Communication. She founded the first-ever Economic Development club at Wheaton College called SEED: Sustainable Enterprise and Economic Development.
Richard Gieser
Richard is an Ophthalmogist and a Clinical Professor Emeritus at Loyola University Medical Center. He makes several international trips every year to teach in medical schools. Richard loves ministering to international students at Wheaton College. He leads a Sunday morning jog with several international students. Afterwards they read the Psalm together, pray for one another and enjoy a breakfast meal in his house.
Blake Carlson
Blake is a farmer in California. He has visited Kioko’s farm in Kenya and understands agriculture. He also visited the proposed demonstration farm and planted an avocado tree. Kioko visited his farm in August 2015. Four years ago, together with his friends, he sent drip irrigation pipes that Kioko has been using in his farm to grow vegetables.
Rebecka Mozes
Rebecka holds a Master of Public Health degree in community health promotion from The George Washington University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Her professional background includes implementing health initiatives in underserved populations, chronic and infectious disease data surveillance, and research. Her approach to promoting health includes addressing underlying social determinants that contribute to health inequities, such as poverty and unequal access to care.
Karl Cassel
Karl is a Chicagoland native & Wheaton College graduate, now living outside Minneapolis with his wife, Allie. He works in technology sales & consulting. Karl was introduced to Kioko through his grandfather, Dr. Richard Gieser, during Kioko’s time in Wheaton. He later spent a month in Kioko’s home in Kenya, learning from the local community, church, & Demonstration Farm. Karl continues to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, pursuing relationships, investment, & involvement globally.
Todd Hart
Todd Hart is our newest board member to join the team. He is a believer and strong supporter of international missions. His hope is to assist other professionals to achieve the same success and accomplishments that he works for every day. His career has been hallmarked by always doing the right thing. He currently serves as the Facilities Manager for MyCredit Union and enjoys being involved in his local church.
Current Projects
4
Funded Projects
2
Raised
$29k