Hi, and thanks for stopping by. My name is Gitau Mbure and I am the founder of SANEWOPA.
In 2017, I was visiting farmers in Zimbabwe as an agriculture development technician working for an international NGO. On the visit, we asked one of our lead farmers how come his neighbor had not adopted the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices he was promoting.
After pausing for a minute, the lead farmer explained how his neighbor’s land was owned by someone who lived in the city. The neighbor was an absentee landlord who leased out his land to peasant farmers on a seasonal basis. Because they did not own the land and had no guarantee how long they would be leasing it, the peasant farmers were not willing to risk investing in CSA practices that take a long time to pay off.
Having encountered numerous such scenarios over the years, it became increasingly clear that we are missing a significant segment of farmers who live in cities but own land in rural areas, only visiting their farms occasionally, which means they are unlikely to make contact with agriculture extension advisors.
What began as a curious observation became a quest to figure out how we can cater to farmers who live in the city and remotely manage their farms in rural areas. It has taken several years and many twists and turns to get here but this is how the idea of SANEWOPA was born.
SANEWOPA is a newly established social enterprise that is registered as an international non-governmental organization in Kenya.
Established in 2023, the initiative is a bold vision that is just getting started. SANEWOPA has two parts to it. On one hand, SANEWOPA is a continental body with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
On the other hand, SANEWOPA is a network of national chapters, each operating as an autonomous legal entity, but affiliated and aligned in Mission with SANEWOPA Continental.
SANEWOPA is pioneering in Malawi as the first of an envisioned network of national chapters across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Each national chapter of SANEWOPA is a member-based organization that brings together working professionals who engage in farming as a side hustle. National chapters are designed to be a platform for facilitating peer-to-peer networking, capacity building, market linkages, and research and advocacy.
The long-term goal of SANEWOPA Continental is to establish national chapters and help them become financially self-dependent.
As the network of national chapters grows, SANEWOPA Continental will evolve to become a Secretariat, responsible for coordinating SANEWOPA’s mission across national chapters while championing the collective interests of SANEWOPA as a continental body.
Gitau Mbure
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Jane Doe
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Gitau Mbure
Founder & CEO
Gitau is an agricultural economist by training. He has over 20 years working in international development specializing in inclusive economic growth, food security and program management. Gitau is deeply passionate about sustainable agripreneurship and believes the future is African. In his spare time, Gitau enjoys spending time with family, road biking and mountain hiking.
Shadreck Zhou
Co-Founder & Program-Ops Director
Shadreck is an economic development expert with over two decades of experience in multi-sectorial research and socio-economic programming. A marketer by training, Shadreck, is a certified Master Trainer of the ILO’s “Start and Improve Your Business” curriculum. Shadreck is also the co-owner of a commercial sweet potato farm in the outskirts of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, which he runs with his wife.
Chizi Jana
Co-Founder & Finance Director
Chizi is an accountant by training and has worked with numerous international organizations specializing in administration, financial reporting, and logistics. Outside of work, Chizi enjoys traveling and spending time on her farm as a weekend farmer. Through SANEWOPA, she aspires to grow her farming enterprise into a sustainable commercial venture by the time she retires.
Esther Kiura
Research & Learning Advisor
Esther is an agriculture development professional with over 8 years of experience in multi-disciplinary research, communications and marketing. She is passionate about agriprenuership and is an avid champion for youth and women inclusion in agriculture as the pathway to prosperity in Africa. When not working, Esther enjoys reading, cooking and motherhood.
Mark Castellino
Board Chair
Mark Castellino is an international development executive and agricultural economist. With 24 years of experience in the sector, he has led public sector business development and program delivery for non-profit and for-profit organizations in the U.S. and U.K.
Mark currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Government Services at Opportunity International where he has established the organization’s U.S. Government business line and built a portfolio of funding from key clients including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During his tenure public sector revenues have increased tenfold, cementing the organization’s position in the federal marketplace.
Prior to joining Opportunity, he led the business development team at Fintrac, an agricultural development consulting firm that provides technical assistance to USAID. Previously, Mark led business development at the global non-profit ADRA International, winning funding from USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for food security, economic growth and emergency response activities globally. Mark also worked with ADRA in the U.K., managing funding from the U.K. government and the European Commission.
Earlier in his career, Mark spent several years implementing USAID and USDA projects in Azerbaijan. He has extensive experience in humanitarian relief, with posts responding to humanitarian crises in Albania (Kosovo War) Sri Lanka (2004 Indian Ocean tsunami), Myanmar (2008 Cyclone Nargis), and Haiti (2010 earthquake.
Sheila Komen Keino
1st Vice Chair
Sheila is an international agricultural development executive, management and partnerships leader. She leads various programs in Sub-Saharan Africa supporting smallholder farmers and has held regional leading roles in various international institutions.
Sheila has extensive experience in African agriculture having led in the development and implementation of programs across 18 African countries, with vast field and board room experience. She has worked across a number of sectors including banking and finance, humanitarian support, agribusiness, and agricultural research and development. She is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi.
Dr. Jimmiel Mandima
2nd Vice Chair
Dr. Jimmiel J. Mandima has worked in wildlife and landscape conservation for close to 30 years, engaging with governments, civil society, local communities, and the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jimmiel currently serves as IFAW’s Vice President for Global Programs and Institutional Giving, leading the organization’s Conservation and Rescue program efforts across 40 countries. He is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and its Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group.
Jimmiel is an alumnus of the University of Zimbabwe, and the University of Eastern Finland.
Alice Mugo
Board Secretary
Alice is a seasoned commercial and corporate lawyer with over nine years of post-qualified experience. She practices under Alice Mugo & Associates, a boutique law firm based in Nairobi, Kenya that specializes in supporting corporates and individual investors as well as non-profits in de-risking their transactions and operations. Her primary focus is on structuring, compliance, and legal risk management.
Alice holds an LLB degree from Moi University, an LLM degree from the University of Nairobi, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She is an active member of the Law Society of Kenya and the East Africa Law Society.
Jill Obuchunju Barasa
Vice Secretary
Jill is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and an experienced legal practitioner with 10 years of experience in legal research, data protection, risk management, regulatory compliance, donor compliance, training and development, dispute resolution, mediation, corporate governance, policy drafting, client care, and legal drafting.
Jill is passionate about mental wellness, mentorship, leadership, and giving back to society. She loves mentoring and thrives in being a freedom advocate for those who are seeking to find their purposes. She is a certified public secretary and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Sharon Waithaka Nganda
Board Treasurer
Sharon is an accomplished professional with over a decade of experience in the field of accounting, specializing in Financial Reporting, Statutory Compliance among other critical financial management functions. Throughout her career, Sharon has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate complex financial landscapes and ensure compliance with stringent regulations.
Her dedication to accuracy and precision, coupled with her strategic thinking, has contributed significantly to the success of the organizations she has served. Sharon is a graduate of Chandaria School of Business at USIU, Nairobi.
Roger Ngong
Vice Treasurer
Roger is an entrepreneurial and results-oriented professional. He has over 20 years of experience in audit, finance, and compliance management with large complex organizations and small businesses. Roger has extensive experience leading complex audits in multiple sectors including financial services, non-profit organizations, and government-funded projects.
Roger has an in-depth understanding of Internal Controls, Internal Auditing, Fraud Risks, Business Process Mapping and re-engineering, COSO Enterprise Risk Management framework, GAAP, GAAS, GAGAS, Grants and contracts, SOX, and International Financial Reporting Standards.
SANEWOPA Continental Offices
Office 9A
Taj Heights
Sports Road
Westlands, Nairobi
P. O. Box 263, Parklands, Nairobi
Phone: +254 780 14 0477
SANEWOPA Chapter in Malawi
C/o NXTGEN LABS
Plot # 47/1189
Mchinji Road
Area 47, Lilongwe
P. O. Box 76, Crossroads, Lilongwe
Phone: +265 988 63 9044
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