Our Team
UK Board of Mustard Seed Project
Rita Fowler
Rita is one of the founding trustees. She is the director/chair of Mustard Seed Project. Rita is a qualified nurse and midwife who later re-trained as a primary school teacher. Her Teaching skills have been of particular value providing in-service training to the hard-working committed staff. She has guided the headteacher from her role running a school with just 35 children to running a school with 300. She has also closely monitored the school. Rita spends two periods of one month each year working in Kenya with Geoff until Covid but now with different board members. Rita is also a member of the Kenyan board.
Geoff Fowler
1944 -2021
Geoff was one of the founding trustees. He started his career as a Civil Engineer working on small and large projects including being director of a large construction company before becoming a business consultant working with charities and not-for-profit organisations. His management and construction skills enabled him to oversee the construction of the school. His work in the community with the women and youth was inspirational and many young lives owe their success to his guidance and mentorship. Thank you Geoff for the difference you made.
Lynne Smith
Lynne joined the board in 2009 as our secretary. Lynne is a retired primary school teacher who has twice visited the school in Kenya 2011 and 2022. The school was quite small then but the staff she met are still at the school and she has a good understanding of the issues and offers excellent advice.
Mark Tilley
Mark joined the board in 2009 and is our treasurer. Mark is married to a Togoan, has visited Togo on a number of occasions and has a good understanding of the problems that are faced. As well as financial skills Mark works in IT and has been an invaluable support with the website.
Archana Gregory
Archana joined the board in 2011. Archana is a Kenyan who came to the UK in 2000 for education and stayed. Archana has family in Kenya whom she visits. In 2009 Archana spent six months in Kenya volunteering with our project. Whilst in Kenya we asked her to join the UK board and she agreed. Her understanding of Kenya and its culture have proved invaluable.
Julie Berry
Julie is a long-term supporter of Mustard Seed Project and has followed our progress with interest before joining the board in 2015. Julie is a qualified teacher who has good IT skills. She plans to visit Kenya soon.
Nicola Hinton
Nicki joined the board in 2016 having been a long-term supporter. Nicki is a clinical psychologist. She has visited the school three times and is able to give excellent advice.
Tess Wilkins
Tess recently retired from teaching languages at secondary level. She has worked for a UK charity and has extensive knowledge and experience of Africa. She joined the board in 2024
Anne Lees
Anne Lees is a long-term supporter of Mustard Seed Project and has followed our progress with interest from the beginning. Anne is a volunteer who does endless jobs for the charity. She prepares the financial accounts before Mark reviews it, writes articles for the press and does the filing. Anne is methodical and her support enables MSP to progress and be efficient.
Kenyan Board of Mustard Seed Project
Winnie
Winnie is the chairperson of the Kenyan board. Winnie is a nurse who was matron of a large hospital in Kenya. She obviously has a good understaning of the problems faced in our community. She has worked with both Geoff and Rita organising health training and business training for the women. Winnie worked with Flora in our clinic when it was first set up but has stepped back now to her role as chairperson.
Flora
Flora is also a qualified nurse and midwife who lives close to the community and is on call if there are any problems. She has worked closely with Winnie on all the projects and worked alongside her in the clinic. Flora has worked particularly with the older girls advising on contraception, sexual health and menstruation.
Joshua
Joshua joined the board in 2010. Joshua is a pastor with many churches. He is also the headteacher of a large primary school in Shanzu which is close by. This is another school owned by a UK charity. Joshua is the manager of our school and the person that Irene contacts in the first instance if she has problems. The school could not have grown as it has without Joshua's guidance to help us through the maze of Kenyan bureaucracy.
Joyce
Joyce joined the board in 2023. She has been a long-term supporter of Mustard Seed Project She lives within walking distance of the school and most of our volunteers stay at her house. Joyce lived in the UK for eight years which gives her a good understanding of both cultures.
Staff of Miche Bora Nursery and Primary School
Irene Changawa
Head teacher. Irene has been with us since 2009.
She has an ECD* diploma
She heads the leadership team.
Edward
Deputy headteacher. Edward has been with us since 2018. He was headteacher of another school before joining us.
He holds P1** certificate
He is part of the leadership team.
Sonery Kavere
Responsible for resources, upkeep of the school and liaising with contractors etc. Sonery has been with us since 2009 when we paid for her in-service teacher training.
She has an ECD certificate.
She is joint head of lower school and
she it part of the leadership team.
Amos
Responsible for Maths, Amos joined us in 2017 as a newly qualified teacher. He has exceptional maths ability having come top of his year at college.
He holds a P1 certificate.
He is head of upper school and is part of the leadership team.
Sophia
Sophia joined us in 2011 as a teaching assistant. We soon recognised her potential and paid for her to do in-service teacher training.
She has an ECD certificate.
She is joint head of lower school and part of the leadership team.
Caroline
Caroline joined us at the beginning of 2020.
She holds a P1 certificate
Leah
Responsible for English, Leah joined us in 2015 as a newly qualified teacher. She has made enormous progress and has trained and become a marker for the goverment.
She holds P1 certificate.
Mary
Mary came to us in 2019. Mary was a newly qualified teacher.
She holds a P1 certificate.
Joyce
Joyce joined us in 2011. She came as a mother helper with her profoundly deaf child. She then became a teaching assisant until we decided to pay for her to do in-service training. She is now one of our excellent teachers.
She has an ECD diploma.
Mercy
Mercy has been with us since 2010. She works with the younger children She has an ECD certificate
Noelina
Noelina is responsible for Special Needs. She joined us in 2011 and works with our youngest children aged between three and five years.
She is Montessori trained.
Aisha
Aisha joined us in 2017. She is responsible for Islamic Religious Education. She also teaches our youngest children.
She has an ECD certificate
Emmaculate
Wandia Wanjiru
Emaculate joined us in 2024. She teaches maths and science.
She has a B.Ed degree ***
Felista
Felista joined us in 2018 as a teaching assistant. She is now a senior teaching assistant with extra responsibilities.
Hawa
Hawa joined us in 2016 as a teaching assistant. She is now a senior teaching assistant with extra responsibilities. She is currently responsible for our nursery class
Bridget
Bridget has been with us since 2015 during which time she has had a number of roles
Hassan Abdhala
Hassan is a teaching assistant. He has had a permanent job with us since 2020. Before this time he taught poetry and went with children to the National Poetry competition. He now teaches IRE and is a scout leader.
Collins Kithome
Collins is our school Bursar. He joined us in 2016 in a secretarial role.
He does the school accounts, has excellent English and sends very good reports and accounts. We paid for him to attend night school and he is now a qualified accountant.
Mary Mwangi Njoki
Mary is our school secretary. She has been with us since 2018.
Munira
Munira is our caretaker. She has been with us since 2009
Siti Musa
Siti is our kitchen assistant. She has been associated with the school since 2010 as her children went through the school.
Jothan Oyamo Mbinji
Jothan has been with us as night a security guard since 2019. He was associated with the school a long before that as a parent.
Esther Dama Kitsao
Esther is one of our cooks. She has been with us since 2020
Zita
Zita is one of our cooks. She has been with us since 2014
Christine
Christine is one of our cooks. She has been with us since 2015
Dianne
Dianne is one of our cooks. She has been with us since 2016
Esther
Esther joined us as a cook in 2019.
*Early Childhood Development. This qualification enables teachers to teach three to eight year old children. The Certificate is a two year training and the Diploma is a three year training. This is sometimes undertaken full-time and sometimes undertaken as an in-service qualification.
** Primary 1. This qualification enables teachers to teach six to 14 year olds. This is a two year full-time qualification.
***B.Ed covers middle and upper school