We finalize the series of articles introducing our Pod Advisors with the profile of Joshua Machinga from Common Ground for Africa, Kenya. Joshua Machinga earned his degree in agronomy at Manor House Agricultural College in Kitale. After a stint at the World Bank, he founded Common Ground for Africa with the intention of teaching women in his region of Western Kenya organic farming, This led to an internship at Ecology Action in California where he learned the principles and practice of BioIntensive farming from the renowned John Jeavons.  Returning to Kenya, community leaders persuaded Joshua to start a K-8 Primary...[ Read More ]

In 2021, Pangea committed to gaining greater perspective and depth to our grantmaking process through identifying trusted leaders from our alumni partners and known local experts. This commitment has coalesced into our new pod advisers program, through which we have identified three wonderful leaders and long-time friends of Pangea to help us think through our grant making, serve as our eyes on the ground as we support current partners and help provide context for the latest developments in the regions where we fund. In July, we welcomed Elvia Raquec, Programs Director for Women's Justice Initiative, as our first pod adviser....[ Read More ]

Stories from individuals who benefit from our funding are powerful and this one is no exception. A student from Lenana Girls High School, a boarding school in rural Kenya, speaks of the urgent need for climate change adaptation and the importance of education. The school is the brainchild of our long-time strategic partner, Common Ground, in Kiminini, Kenya. Pangea Giving members have supported Common Ground’s Biointensive Farming Programs and Lenana students over many years. Right now humans are cutting off the branch they are sitting on. April 22, 2019 was Earth Day, a day on which we no longer have resources to...[ Read More ]

My long-held dream of visiting East Africa – and more importantly, meeting and learning about the people who live there – came to fruition during a recent Pangea Giving site visit. For 3 weeks our team of four immersed ourselves in the social, environmental, cultural and economic realities of rural life in Kenya, Uganda and Burundi. I returned home profoundly impacted and humbled. A few examples: Who would have the courage to build a desperately needed maternity center in a rural village with no access to a reliable water source? Under the leadership of Wendo Aszed, Dandelion Africa is months...[ Read More ]

Pangea Giving co-founder, Allan Paulson, recently returned from 15 days in Kenya visiting four of our current partners, two for the first time, and ‘interviewing’ a couple of other prospective partner organizations. Following are his impressions:  I arrived in Nairobi a few days after the end of the terrorist siege at Westgate Mall, not without misgivings. But I was met by a familiar face, Raphael Okumu, a long-time Pangea partner and iLEAP fellow. Raphael accompanied me on all the site visits and he opened his home to me in Nakuru. His insights were invaluable. Since I have been to Kenya four...[ Read More ]