Grow Strong is a small team of those dedicated to village level food security and nutrition. Our experience and talents are diverse, representing local leadership of the lake region of Kenya.
Mary Ago Rombo – Farm Production Specialist
Mary has over 75 years experience with sustainable, local food systems and small scale farming operations. As a village elder, Mary provides lead consultation in traditional vegetables, bananas, sweet potatoes and other fruits, root crops and coffee production. Mary currently farms 20 acres of land in western Kenya, two seasons a year. She speaks fluent Luo and Swahili.
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Ayuaga Kidew – Director of Indigenous Practices & Cultural Heritage
Ayuaga has been an instrumental village leader in community food security establishment for over half a century. In his lifetime, he has been responsible for sustainable cultivation of 500 acres of land in western Kenya, Ayuaga Kidew is an expert in indigenous edible plants, hunting and wild food sources and Luo customs and culture regarding livelihoods. Ayuaga has trained more than 300 villagers to live responsibly on the land and currently consults Grow Strong in these practices.
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Amy Lint – CoFounder
For the past 2 ½ years, Amy has worked with the diverse international community of San Diego to facilitate livelihood and improved health opportunities by growing food locally. Overseeing the New Roots Community Farm Program with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Amy works with over 80 community members to establish and maintain a 2 acre urban farm and advocate for policy change that supports small scale farming and rebuilding the local food system. Amy has previously spent 5 years working with communities in rural Kenya, Kakuma Refugee Camp and Northern Cambodia. She has a MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University.
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Malaki Obado- CoFounder
Malaki was raised on a traditional farm in Kenya where he worked alongside his family and friends to produce food locally. His passion for working on land for sustenance has on several occasions inspired him to quit formal employment in the city to go back to his rural village in order to tap on numerous underused resources. He mobilized youth to form and was chairman of Nyakasumbi Self Help Group in Bondo district. The group focuses on food production and income generation through working together and has successfully established sericulture and apiculture projects. Malaki is currently implementing urban food production models in backyard gardens and aquaponics. He loves working with bees and runs"Asali" a humane bee removal service in San Diego. His knowledge gained from over 25 years hands on experience on rural farming in Kenya and urban agriculture in the USA naturally makes him an inspiration for sustainable development and food security in his neighborhood.
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