Anthony Njigua, Founder
Anthony Njigua attended North Shore Community College in Middleton, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2016 as a chef from the culinary arts program. He was born in Kenya, but is a United States citizen. He feels compelled to give something back to his native Kenya to improve the lives of youth. He has chosen culinary arts as one facet of this nonprofit because he has the skills needed and because tourism is the second largest industry in Kenya, with agriculture as the first. By impacting both areas, he hopes to create opportunities for improved lifestyles and inroads to employment for those we serve. Since his childhood in Kenya, Anthony has been fascinated by food from all over the world as he experienced Nairobi Kenya expand to a culinary hub of East Africa in the 1980's and 1990's.
“My mother was a very successful baker in her own right, she made me realize that making good food or pastry, people will always be willing to pay for it.”
However he always remembered how hard and diligently his Mom worked to perfect the customers' products, in spite of her lacking the proper and convenient kitchen wares and utensils, a problem that still persists today in Africa and beyond. Foodies Without Borders, Inc. is in part a lasting tribute to his late mother who inspired him to be the best host, chef, and model citizen he could be, one who will always give back to society and its underserved communities whenever a chance presents itself.
Having moved to Boston over a decade ago, Anthony has been going back to Kenya since 2013 and each year he has experienced a great void of proper culinary etiquette and sustainable farming practices in most of the country, yet there is a tremendous and new thriving dining and takeout business trend that is growing rapidly and one that has been getting quite a buzz within the international foodie scene.
"I believe there is a real potential of creating meaningful employment and self reliance opportunities for under served youth and girls through training of modern culinary skills and innovative farming techniques." ~ Anthony Njigua ~
Anthony Njigua attended North Shore Community College in Middleton, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2016 as a chef from the culinary arts program. He was born in Kenya, but is a United States citizen. He feels compelled to give something back to his native Kenya to improve the lives of youth. He has chosen culinary arts as one facet of this nonprofit because he has the skills needed and because tourism is the second largest industry in Kenya, with agriculture as the first. By impacting both areas, he hopes to create opportunities for improved lifestyles and inroads to employment for those we serve. Since his childhood in Kenya, Anthony has been fascinated by food from all over the world as he experienced Nairobi Kenya expand to a culinary hub of East Africa in the 1980's and 1990's.
“My mother was a very successful baker in her own right, she made me realize that making good food or pastry, people will always be willing to pay for it.”
However he always remembered how hard and diligently his Mom worked to perfect the customers' products, in spite of her lacking the proper and convenient kitchen wares and utensils, a problem that still persists today in Africa and beyond. Foodies Without Borders, Inc. is in part a lasting tribute to his late mother who inspired him to be the best host, chef, and model citizen he could be, one who will always give back to society and its underserved communities whenever a chance presents itself.
Having moved to Boston over a decade ago, Anthony has been going back to Kenya since 2013 and each year he has experienced a great void of proper culinary etiquette and sustainable farming practices in most of the country, yet there is a tremendous and new thriving dining and takeout business trend that is growing rapidly and one that has been getting quite a buzz within the international foodie scene.
"I believe there is a real potential of creating meaningful employment and self reliance opportunities for under served youth and girls through training of modern culinary skills and innovative farming techniques." ~ Anthony Njigua ~
Ben Ndirangu, Secretary
Ben has been a Certified Public Accountant most of his adult life. He has worked for successful companies in his native Kenya but was also chief accountant with other firms both in Uganda and Tanzania before moving to Boston ten years ago. In the past few years, Ben has developed an additional interest in the hospitality industry and has worked in various well known American hotel chains and also some of the finest boutique hotels in New England. He is co-founder and partner of Safari Gallery & Tours, Inc., an organization that arranges African adventures to interested parties here in the U. S. and beyond.
Ben has a passion for documentaries, farming, wildlife, organic foods, and African arts and crafts. Ben was pleased to be on the board of Foodies Without Borders, Inc. He is looking forward in contributing to the success and increased footprint of the organization around the world as we assist youth and underserved communities and help individuals to gain self-reliance.
Ben has been a Certified Public Accountant most of his adult life. He has worked for successful companies in his native Kenya but was also chief accountant with other firms both in Uganda and Tanzania before moving to Boston ten years ago. In the past few years, Ben has developed an additional interest in the hospitality industry and has worked in various well known American hotel chains and also some of the finest boutique hotels in New England. He is co-founder and partner of Safari Gallery & Tours, Inc., an organization that arranges African adventures to interested parties here in the U. S. and beyond.
Ben has a passion for documentaries, farming, wildlife, organic foods, and African arts and crafts. Ben was pleased to be on the board of Foodies Without Borders, Inc. He is looking forward in contributing to the success and increased footprint of the organization around the world as we assist youth and underserved communities and help individuals to gain self-reliance.
Donna Carrington, Board Member
Donna Carrington is a board member who brings great organizational skills to the organization. Donna has been working in the mental health field for over a decade now. Currently she is running a day program in one of the largest mental health agencies in Massachusetts. Donna's compassion to the less fortunate is an attribute that will be beneficial to Foodies Without Borders, Inc. as we move forward. Donna has great oratory skills, and combined with her passion for helping others, she will assist tremendously in explaining and clarifying our goals, ideas and requests to potential donors as well as assist in writing grants. We are excited that she accepted our invitation to join us and we look forward to growing together as a team.
Donna Carrington is a board member who brings great organizational skills to the organization. Donna has been working in the mental health field for over a decade now. Currently she is running a day program in one of the largest mental health agencies in Massachusetts. Donna's compassion to the less fortunate is an attribute that will be beneficial to Foodies Without Borders, Inc. as we move forward. Donna has great oratory skills, and combined with her passion for helping others, she will assist tremendously in explaining and clarifying our goals, ideas and requests to potential donors as well as assist in writing grants. We are excited that she accepted our invitation to join us and we look forward to growing together as a team.
Njathi Kabui, Chef Partner & Consultant
Njathi Kabui is an internationally celebrated organic chef, urban farmer, and food activist. He has partnered with us and we are very excited to all the knowledge and experience that he has extended to our organization as well as the new partnership that we have forged with him as our partner and consultant. We cannot thank him enough as we continue this journey together in educating young minds about healthy natural food and making it more accesible to all walks of life in Africa and beyond.
His work has been featured in interviews in the WUNC's "The State of Things," and in Kenya on Nation TV and INOORO FM. Listen to his perspective on famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia on WAMU's nationally syndicated NPR program "1A." Kabui has spoken most recently at live events at The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, UC-Berkeley, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Appalachian State University, Johnson C. Smith University, The North Carolina Museum of History's African American Heritage Festival, and internationally in Dubai, the Netherlands, and in Kenya on INOORO FM and Nation TV. Listen to his 2015 talk at Elon University, "Eating African Wisdom." You can find his essay "Eating as an Expression of Self-Worth" appears in the book "Mindful Eating," available for purchase this fall. You can find more of his writing here on the Chef's blog.
Kabui was born in rural Kenya to a coffee farmer mother and restaurant owner father, both of whom took an active role in the Kenyan independence movement. Immigrating to the United States at the age of 20, Chef Kabui earned Masters degrees in both Medical and Urban Anthropology at the University of Memphis and a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy Studies at the historically black LeMoyne-Owen College. He now leverages his rich legacy by sharing his extensive knowledge of farming, culinary skills, and food justice as he travels across America, Europe, and Africa. He is committed to changing the way society views food, justice, and sustainability.
In college, Kabui started speaking and doing community organizing work around issues of social justice. Early in his work as an activist, he advocated for fair housing and healthy eating. He spoke to urban elementary school students about achievements in African history and the importance of academic progress for African American youth. He also shared widely the effects of colonialism on Kenya and the traditions of his native Gikuyu indigenous group, connect struggles abroad to those happening in the U.S. He founded The Association of African Students at LeMoyne-Owen College, showcasing African culture during African History Month, a tradition that continues to this day. In 2004 he founded a youth empowerment and community organizing group in the NC Triangle area for cultural and intellectual development and to improve community interdependence and self-reliance.
Chef Kabui grows a great deal of the food that he eats and serves his friends and family, and has long been involved in training others to do the same. He led a community farming group that built food gardens for members to strengthen community ties and promote food sovereignty by working together to create sources of local food. He also ran a demonstration farms in Durham and Apex, NC to educate people on intensive urban agriculture. He now educates about farming from his intensive vegetable garden in Moncure, NC.
Njathi Kabui is an internationally celebrated organic chef, urban farmer, and food activist. He has partnered with us and we are very excited to all the knowledge and experience that he has extended to our organization as well as the new partnership that we have forged with him as our partner and consultant. We cannot thank him enough as we continue this journey together in educating young minds about healthy natural food and making it more accesible to all walks of life in Africa and beyond.
His work has been featured in interviews in the WUNC's "The State of Things," and in Kenya on Nation TV and INOORO FM. Listen to his perspective on famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia on WAMU's nationally syndicated NPR program "1A." Kabui has spoken most recently at live events at The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, UC-Berkeley, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Appalachian State University, Johnson C. Smith University, The North Carolina Museum of History's African American Heritage Festival, and internationally in Dubai, the Netherlands, and in Kenya on INOORO FM and Nation TV. Listen to his 2015 talk at Elon University, "Eating African Wisdom." You can find his essay "Eating as an Expression of Self-Worth" appears in the book "Mindful Eating," available for purchase this fall. You can find more of his writing here on the Chef's blog.
Kabui was born in rural Kenya to a coffee farmer mother and restaurant owner father, both of whom took an active role in the Kenyan independence movement. Immigrating to the United States at the age of 20, Chef Kabui earned Masters degrees in both Medical and Urban Anthropology at the University of Memphis and a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy Studies at the historically black LeMoyne-Owen College. He now leverages his rich legacy by sharing his extensive knowledge of farming, culinary skills, and food justice as he travels across America, Europe, and Africa. He is committed to changing the way society views food, justice, and sustainability.
In college, Kabui started speaking and doing community organizing work around issues of social justice. Early in his work as an activist, he advocated for fair housing and healthy eating. He spoke to urban elementary school students about achievements in African history and the importance of academic progress for African American youth. He also shared widely the effects of colonialism on Kenya and the traditions of his native Gikuyu indigenous group, connect struggles abroad to those happening in the U.S. He founded The Association of African Students at LeMoyne-Owen College, showcasing African culture during African History Month, a tradition that continues to this day. In 2004 he founded a youth empowerment and community organizing group in the NC Triangle area for cultural and intellectual development and to improve community interdependence and self-reliance.
Chef Kabui grows a great deal of the food that he eats and serves his friends and family, and has long been involved in training others to do the same. He led a community farming group that built food gardens for members to strengthen community ties and promote food sovereignty by working together to create sources of local food. He also ran a demonstration farms in Durham and Apex, NC to educate people on intensive urban agriculture. He now educates about farming from his intensive vegetable garden in Moncure, NC.