About Us
Mission
The primary goal of the Maragoli Community Development Foundation is to assist the Maragoli people of Western Kenya in improving their quality of life through the funding of sustainable development projects that they themselves conceive and implement.
Our work is guided by several important principles, including a commitment to a holistic approach to development. We focus on a small geographic area and support multiple and complementary initiatives. Our projects seek to improve access to quality education and health care, the protection of the environment, the improvement of agricultural productivity, the support of local enterprises, and other endeavors that will benefit the daily lives of community members.
We believe in the effectiveness of small-scale, locally-adapted projects. Small projects that are generated from within the community and that are compatible with existing cultural practices have a better chance of success than large-scale, one-size-fits-all interventions. We try to respond to locally perceived needs and to harness existing community organizations (such as women's groups, mutual aid societies, the elder's council, schools, and churches) wherever possible.
In light of the growing socioeconomic gap in small villages and towns throughout the Maragoli region, we give preference to projects that increase equity through poverty reduction. We seek to fund projects that have broad community support and that will benefit those who have been disadvantaged by poverty, illness, or misfortune. We especially encourage projects that involve both men and women.
In addition, we support sustainable development proposals that demonstrate steps already taken to raise a portion of the necessary funds. We also encourage proposals that will use seed money to create self-sufficiency rather than projects that assume a long-term dependency on outside support.
Financial accountability and transparency are the final governing principles of the organization. We take seriously our fiduciary responsibilities as stewards of donor funds, and we have numerous financial safeguards in place to ensure that donations are spent properly. We believe in keeping overhead costs low, and our board members and project coordinator trustworthiness and deep commitment to rural development.
People
The Maragoli Community Development Foundation has developed a two-tiered, collaborative organizational structure to coordinate our work. An on-site local board of governors makes recommendations for project funding and monitors and evaluates implementation. An international board of trustees, whose members have all lived in Vihiga, is largely responsible for fund-raising. Through our project coordinator, the trustees maintain an ongoing dialogue with local board members about the direction and impact of our projects.
Use the links to learn about the people who make our work possible …
Local Board of Governors
Chairperson: Samuel Amukono Kidini
Samuel Kidini is a retired district education officer who worked for 25 years in schools in Vihiga and surrounding areas. From 1976 to 1984 he served as teacher, deputy headmaster and headmaster of three different primary schools in Nandi District. He was then promoted to divisional primary school inspector before ending his career as a secondary schools administrator and district public examinations officer. Mr. Kidini's experience as both a teacher and administrator at the primary and secondary levels has given him a very broad view of educational needs and a sense of pragmatism about program implementation. Now a small-scale farmer, Mr. Kidini remains active as a senior educational lecturer and trusted adviser on community development.
Project Coordinator: Joyce Adisa Bunyoli
Joyce Bunyoli completed her O-levels at Butere Girls High School and then took a diploma course at the Kobujoi Social Training Center, focusing on agriculture, health, education and social work. Ms. Bunyoli then joined the Kenya Volunteer Development Association on cultural exchange programs in Tanzania, Germany, The Netherlands and Denmark. She has been a leader of several local women's groups and a facilitator for the Kenya Union for the Blind.
Treasurer: Elkana Buhiru Okwaro
Elkana Okwaro is a retired accountant who worked from 1992-2007 as secretary/coordinator of the Vihiga Constituency Development Fund. A graduate of St. Edwards Secondary School in 1961 and the Kenya School of Accountancy and Further Studies in 1965, he worked as Accountant and Chief Accountant for Szlapak’s Group of Companies for 18 years. Having grown up in Vigina Village and attended Vigina Elementary School, Mr. Okwaro is deeply committed to using his broad repertoire of life experiences and knowledge to benefit the community.
Board Member: Malova Beatrice Khasandi
Beatrice Khasandi is a trained social worker who serves as divisional social development assistant and clerk of the Vihiga County Council. A 1982 graduate of Eregi Girls High School, she attained her social worker certificate from Kubojoi Social Work Institution in 1986 and then went on to receive certificates in agriculture, dairy farming, health care, and extension work. Over the past 20 years, she has served in a variety of capacities for the Kakamega and Vihiga County Councils and has held numerous leadership positions in self-help groups and school boards.
Board Member: Esther Mucheneke
Esther Mucheneke is a retired teacher from Vigina Primary School . Visually handicapped from birth, she attended Thika School for the Blind and then studied privately in order to obtain her O-level and teacher training certificates. She has been teaching at Vigina Primary School for over 20 years and has been an active member of the Kenya Union for the Blind.
Board Member: Nebert Isambe
Nebert Isambe is a teacher at Vigina Secondary School and has served as vice secretary of the Vihiga Branch of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). A graduate of Nyangori High School, he received a B. Ed. Arts degree with honors from Moi University in 1998 and taught at several other secondary schools before coming to Vigina in 2009.
Board Member: Francis Ludire
Francis Ludire is a pastor who currently serves as a variety of duties at the village and district level. After graduating from Chavavo Secondary School in 1990, he received a certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies from Friends College Vihiga in 1996, as well as certificates in rural service (2001) and computer applications/internet (2004). He currently serves as chaplain for Gavalagi Friends School and as computer assistant for the Vihiga Yearly Meeting, among other responsibilities.
Board of Trustees
President: Jan Kees den Bakker
Jan Kees den Bakker is the Head of the Human Resources Department at Cordaid, the largest Dutch development agency. After receiving his university degree in psychology, he served as a teacher and headmaster at Vigina Secondary School for nearly two years. He then studied in the U.S. at the Earlham College School of Religion for a year before moving to the Middle East, where he taught English for three years. After that he worked ten years in Amsterdam providing assistance to drug users and in-service education on drug abuse to educational and social service personnel. Jan Kees currently lives in Almere, The Netherlands, with his wife Martha and three children.
Jan Kees den Bakker: mageebakker@hetnet.nl
Vice President: Karen Amisi
Karen Amisi is an adjunct professor of biology at Grand Valley State University and holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture from The Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Egerton University in Njoro, Kenya in 1995 and received her Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 2000. Karen hails from North Maragoli in Western Kenya and currently lives in Michigan with her husband, Sango, and three children.
Karen Amisi Janila-Sango: kjanila@hotmail.com
Secretary-Treasurer: David McConnell
David McConnell is Professor of Anthropology at The College of Wooster in Wooster, OH. A 1982 graduate of Earlham College, he went on to complete an M.A. degree in anthropology and a Ph.D. in education from Stanford University. He was a Fulbright scholar in Japan from 1988-90 and a postdoctoral research fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University from 1991-92. In addition to serving as headmaster of Vigina Secondary School from 1980-81, he has returned to the Maragoli region several times over the past two decades as part of an ongoing research project on social and educational change in rural Kenya. David currently lives in Wooster, Ohio, with his wife Cathy and two children.
David McConnell: dmcconnell@wooster.edu
Kristy Davis
Kristy Davis is the University Industrial Hygienist and Laser Safety Officer at the University of Virginia , where she evaluates and controls environmental and workplace conditions that may cause impaired health among students, faculty and staff. After growing up in Japan , Kristy came to the U.S. and spent two years studying at Earlham College . A year spent teaching in Vihiga in 1981 instilled a desire to work in the applied sciences, where she could have a direct impact on improving people's living and working conditions. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Pest Management from UC-Berkeley, she worked for several years in the San Joaquin Valley in California as an integrated pest management (IPM) consultant. She then volunteered in Egypt with a USAID project, assisting grape growers in reducing chemical pesticide use and introducing them to the concepts of IPM. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in Occupational/Environmental Health. Kristy currently lives in Earlysville, Virginia , with her husband, Will, and their two sons.
Kristy Davis: kad4t@virginia.edu
Stephen Jackson
A former auditor for the State of Arizona, Stephen Jackson is currently a Senoir Consultant for Deloitt Consulting, LLP. He graduated from Earlham College in 1996 and participated in the 1995 Earlham College Kenya Program. While there, he lived in Kaimosi conducting ethnographic research and became particularly concerned with the spread of HIV/AIDS, the relative absence of health education and medical resources, and the lack of economic development opportunities in the area. He went on to earn a Master's degree in Public Affairs with a Policy Analysis concentration in 2001. Steve currently lives with his wife, Andrea, and a daughter in the Boston area.
Stephen Jackson: stemjackson@hotmail.com
Matt McElrath
Matt McElrath is the Chief Human Resources Officer at USC Hospital Systems. Prior to his move to USC, he was the senior executive in Human Resources at The Mayo Clinic in Arizona for nearly twelve years. A 1982 graduate of Earlham College, he went on to complete a Master's degree in Organizational Management from the University of Colorado. His first extended visit to Kenya came in 1980, when he served as deputy headmaster of Vigina Secondary School for two terms. He returned to Western Province in 1982 as co-leader of Earlham College's study abroad program in Kenya. Matt currently resides in the Los Angeles area, with his wife Inez and a blended family of five.
Matt McElrath: matthew.mcelrath@asu.edu
Martha Magee
Martha Magee is an English teacher at ROC Flevolands, a junior college near Amsterdam. The daughter of missionaries, she grew up in Hokkaido, Japan, and completed high school in Japan. After attending one year of college in the U.S., she traveled to Kenya, where she taught at Vigina Secondary School for a year. After graduation, she worked in the Middle East as an English teacher for three years. Fluent in Japanese, Dutch, and English, and conversational in Kiswahili and Arabic, Martha has spent the majority of her life assisting people in navigating and benefiting from intercultural encounters. She lives with her husband Jan Kees and three children in Almere, The Netherlands.
Martha Magee: mageebakker@hetnet.nl
Brooks Wilkerson Moore
A native South Carolinian, Brooks is Assistant District Counsel with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville, Florida. After graduating from Davidson College and before attending University of South Carolina School of Law, Brooks was a teacher at Vigina Secondary School for a year. Her legal background includes private litigation as well as federal regulatory experience with the Environmental Protection in Washington, DC. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Environmental Law (LL.M.) from George Washington University, and her practice focuses on environmental law with an emphasis on issues related to Everglades restoration. Brooks enjoys living in Jacksonville with her husband and two daughters.
Brooks Wilkerson Moore: brookswilkersonmoore@yahoo.com
Sango Otieno
Sango Otieno is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan . He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics (1990) and a Master of Science degree in Statistics (1994) from Egerton University in Njoro, Kenya . He taught for two years in the Department of Mathematics at Egerton University, and then left for graduate studies in the U.S. Upon completing his Ph.D. in Statistics at Virginia Tech in August, 2002, he taught for one year in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at The College of Wooster. Sango attended Vihiga High School from 1981-1984. He lives with his wife, Karen, and three children in Allendale, Michigan.
Sango Otiento: sangootieno@gvsu.edu
Yumiko Yokozeki
Yumiko Yokozeki is senior education adviser for UNICEF. Based in Dakar, Senegal, she travels extensively throughout Africa advising on the formation, implementation and evaluation of education projects. Before moving to UNICEF, she worked as an education adviser for JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), the official aid agency of the Japanese government. A graduate of Earlham College, Yumiko taught at Vigina Secondary School in 1981. She also taught at rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe as a member of a Catholic NGO from 1982 to 1985 and then worked for UNICEF Zimbabwe until 1989. Her further education includes an M.Ed. in International Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in Education from the Institute of Education at the University of London. Her husband, Paul, teaches African Christianity at the University of London.
Yumiko Yokozeki: yokozeki.yumiko@gmail.com
General Contact Information
Address
PO Box 1391, Wooster, OH 44691
PO Box 40, Vihiga, Kenya