FOUNDER

Marie first met the girls of Nyandoche Ibere in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she was making Harry Potter–themed masks and selling them to raise money for families in need, donating the proceeds to her church. Along the way, she connected with the girls by creating a video that showed them how to sew their own cloth masks, something small that could help them earn money and keep their families safe.

That first connection has stayed with Marie ever since. Now that she’s older, she sees more clearly the struggles these girls face every day, struggles that go far beyond the pandemic. She wants to do everything she can to help them, not just because of the bond they formed years ago, but because she truly believes every one of them deserves the chance to learn, to dream, and to build the future they imagine for themselves. Through Ibere Girls Thrive, Marie hopes to walk alongside them on that journey and open the doors of education to hundreds of girls who are ready to thrive.

COMMUNITY LIAISON

Alloys has a Master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, USA. Additionally, at Loyola, he received the Kairos Award in May 2019. The Kairos award is given to a class or students by Loyola University. Recipients have demonstrated Loyola’s core values of academic excellence and recognizing those who stand up for marginalized or oppressed communities. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religious Studies from Kenyatta University, Kenya. He believes that human beings were created to be in solidarity with one another. He is a dedicated community leader committed to improving the lives of vulnerable families through grassroots initiatives. Passionate about women’s empowerment, he supports kitchen garden projects that enhance household nutrition and income. He champions access to clean drinking water, provides food support for school children, and creates opportunities that empower both young girls and boys to thrive. Through these efforts, he continues to inspire hope and drive sustainable change in the community. His work can be summed up with the Ugandan proverb, “One hand washes the other hand.”

COUNSEL

In 2019, Alloys asked Clyde to serve on the board of Emmah’s Garden. Clyde had met Alloys through a mutual friend who was devoting his life to serving in Kenya as a Maryknoll missioner. He gladly accepted the invitation and soon met with board chair and president Caleb Wolfe, who shared the story of how the project to help a small village in Western Kenya—Nyandoche Ibere—first began.

Caleb had been visiting his aunt in New Orleans when he struck up a conversation with a young man working in her garden. That young man was Alloys, who at the time was studying for a master’s degree in ministry. His sister, Emmah, was completing a degree in agribusiness, with hopes of using her skills to help the people of her village improve their farms.

That was the beginning of Emmah’s Garden. Another board member, Gary Horsman, later created the organization’s website, while Clyde handled the corporate legal work to establish Garden for Emmah, Inc. as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

COMMUNITY LIAISON

Emmah is a young Kenyan woman passionate about community development and sustainable agriculture. She holds a degree in Agriculture education and extension and hails from Nyandoche Ibere — a vibrant village of about 2,300 people where her family has farmed for generations. As the Kenyan Coordinator at Emmah’s Garden, she leads initiatives that promote innovative farming and environmental sustainability. Deeply devoted to improving rural livelihoods, she is committed to empowering young girls beyond agricultural work, nurturing their confidence and inspiring them to become leaders and changemakers within their communities.