Video: Foodies Without Borders
Our Mission
Foodies Without Borders is a non profit based in Boston, Massachusetts focusing on empowering young undeserved generations and their communities through travel, culinary arts and sustainable farming. We are committed to enhancing lives of teenagers and young adults who often face obstacles in their families, schools and communities. We work together with our youth partners in USA, Kenya, Africa & Beyond.
In Kenya, New England and the U.S. Virgin Islands, our organization partners with local food experts and facilitates local youth culinary workshops and programs that teach local communities aspects of commercial cooking, which include equipment orientation, sanitation, food storage techniques, food prep, plating techniques, and business math.
We believe that access to culinary etiquette, tools, and proper management is the key that will positively impact many lives in the New England Region, U.S. Virgin Islands, Kenya and beyond. By providing them applicable skills, we hope to provide youth and their families with a steady source of income and help teenagers further their education. In addition, we will set aside exclusive bespoke culinary and culture trips to Kenya, East Africa & Beyond for our supporters and volunteers to explore different African cultures and cuisines both traditional and modern fusions.
We also believe access to new sustainable farming techniques, equipment, tools and proper permaculture management is the key to our success and making our organization’s vision come to fruition which will positively impact many lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kenya and beyond.
Bios
Anthony Njigua is a Kenyan-American chef and founder of Foodies Without Borders. He is dedicated to empowering underserved youth and young adults in New England and Kenya. Anthony combats systemic poverty and crime by teaching vital skills in the culinary arts and sustainable agriculture.
BRIDGING THE GAP:
Growing up in Kenya, Anthony witnessed a stark contrast: a world-class safari and hospitality industry operating alongside massive gaps in local culinary training and sustainable farming. He found that proper training was often prohibitively expensive or inaccessible, which limited local career opportunities.
THE MISSION:
Through his nonprofit, Anthony seeks to alter this trajectory by providing pathways to employment for teenagers and young adults. By equipping them with valuable trades, his organization aims to protect vulnerable youth from turning to crime, drugs, and violence for survival.
OUR VISION:
Operating across Boston, Kenya, and beyond, Foodies Without Borders works to build a better future by uplifting local communities. True to the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child,” Anthony welcomes anyone with goodwill, ideas, or resources to support the mission and champion the next generation.
Njathi Kabui is an internationally celebrated organic chef, urban farmer, and food activist. He 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 and a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy Studies. 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.
Ben Ndirangu is a Certified Public Accountant who has worked for successful companies in his native Kenya and was also chief accountant with 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 American hotel chains and 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.
Donna Carrington brings great organizational skills to the Foodies Without Borders. She has worked in the mental health field for over a decade now and runs a day program in one of the largest mental health agencies in Massachusetts. Her compassion to the less fortunate is an attribute that we are very fortunate to have. Donna will help clarify our goals, ideas and requests to potential donors as well as assist in writing grants.