Mercy Saumu Mwango’s earliest lessons in agriculture weren’t taught in a classroom.
They were learned working in the red soil of Soyosoyo Village, a sun-drenched corner of Kilifi County, Kenya, where she and her siblings helped their parents plant and harvest by hand.
“I started practicing agriculture at a tender age,” said Mwango, who shares the work ethic of farm kids around the globe. “Even as a child, I knew about the potential of agriculture to improve food security and livelihoods in my community.”
By the time Mwango was a teenager, she’d started her own fruit garden with bananas, mangoes, and sugarcane. She also experimented with coconut seedlings. With no borehole, she walked long distances for water during dry seasons, determined to keep her crops alive.
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Mercy Saumu Mwango works with the chickens on her farm
Now 25 years old, Mwango is one of many young agricultural entrepreneurs who’ve benefited from programs sponsored by Seeds of Change, a global nonprofit foundation established Jeff and Tammie Broin. One pillar of the Seeds of Change operation — the Mission Grow initiative — is transforming sub-subsistence farming into sustainable entrepreneurship for Mwango and millions of others in 17 African countries.
Mwango has flourished with the knowledge and techniques she’s learned through training and mentorship supported by Seeds of Change, as well as with seeds and fertilizer provided by the program. “It’s amazing to think where I was before the program and where I am now. The advances on my farm have been transformative,” she said. “The stability and security that the farm has brought my family has given us hope for a better future. We’re no longer worried about where our next meal will come from or whether we’ll be able to pay our bills.”
Planting knowledge, cultivating change
Seeds of Change was born in 2012 when POET CEO Jeff Broin, his wife, Tammie, and their children visited Kenya on a service trip. Shocked by the struggling crops and drought-scarred soil, Jeff — still a farm kid at heart — saw untapped potential. Returning home and realizing the impact they could have, the Broins formed Seeds of Change, which strives to transform the lives of individuals through education and agriculture.
What started with a simple realization — that farmers weren’t using their land to its full potential — has grown into something the family never could have imagined, said Miranda Broin, Vice President of the Seeds of Change board. It’s not just about teaching farmers better methods, but about creating an entire system that helps them thrive, she said. “We’re empowering individuals to grow their own opportunities from the ground up, and all of our program areas work in tandem to provide solutions that are truly sustainable for the long term,” said Miranda.
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Macy Kaiser with Seeds of Change-sponsored Village Based Advisors (VBAs)
Seeing their vision unfold in the last 13 years has been gratifying, said Tammie Broin. She has visited Kenya twice since the family’s initial trip. “It’s just heartwarming to see how much these programs mean to the individuals who participate. It’s going to change the dynamics of their lives and improve the futures of generations to come,” Tammie said. “Jeff has always said that you can only really change the world through agriculture, and we’re seeing that brought to life. It’s a privilege to be part of it.”
Seeds of Change is able to make such a profound difference through its partnership with and financial support of Farm Input Promotions Africa Ltd. (FIPS-Africa). FIPS is a Kenya-based organization that empowers individual farmers across Africa to boost food security and income through access to improved seed and fertilizer, education, and support. FIPS trains and supports self-employed Village Based Advisors (VBAs), local agricultural entrepreneurs who live in and serve their communities. VBAs guide their fellow farmers in techniques to improve their yields.
In partnership with FIPS-Africa, Seeds of Change has expanded from Kenya to 16 other African countries — and counting — and touched nearly 20 million lives through its training programs and VBA model. Across that footprint, farmers produce everything from avocado groves and maize fields to poultry farms and potato greenhouses.
“Connecting to farmers through our boots-on-the-ground partners is such an important part of our ag education initiative,” said Miranda. “It all starts with building trust and forming relationships. With the VBA model, community members are learning from their neighbors to improve their farm operations, and the results have been very effective.”
The tools and techniques used vary by location and have evolved alongside the program itself, but its foundation remains rooted in simple, effective agricultural practices. At its core, Mission Grow emphasizes enhancements such as improved seed varieties, proper tillage and planting methods, and fruit tree management. As farmers gain experience, they often adopt more advanced approaches, including animal husbandry, crop diversification, and grain storage. Today, many are even experimenting with fertilizers or practicing artificial insemination in cattle. The list of practices continues to expand, and as farmers master their craft and produce enough to both feed their families and earn a profit, their operations steadily grow and thrive — often achieving ten times their original yield in the first growing season.
From struggle to self-reliance
Mwango joined the program in December 2023 after meeting a FIPS-Africa youth officer. Drawn to the promise of self-reliance and the practical knowledge she could gain, she eagerly began applying new techniques like crop rotation, integrated pest management, drip irrigation, and the use of WonderGro fertilizer. The results were immediate.
Mwango used to struggle with pests and poor yields. “Now, my vegetables — okra, spinach, eggplant, kale, amaranth, and tomatoes — are healthier and more abundant. I’ve increased my profits by 30 percent. With the extra income, I was able to buy a water pump and storage tank.” This means she no longer walks long distances just to keep her crops alive.
Mwango also ventured into poultry farming in the winter of 2025 to ensure a steady income with the expectation that heavy rains could damage her vegetable farm. Her diversification stemmed in part from her desire to earn a bachelor’s degree in child care and protection at Pwani University. After she had to defer her second year of studies because her family couldn’t afford the fees, she was determined to make her farm more profitable. “I knew I had to find a way to support myself. That’s when I added poultry. Now, I can pay for my school and contribute to my family’s needs. Farming gave me options I didn’t have before.”
For Mwango, balancing university life and managing a growing farm hasn’t been easy. She commutes daily to campus, but every spare hour is dedicated to her land. “It’s a bit of a balancing act, juggling my academic responsibilities with managing the farm, but I’m managing to keep everything running smoothly.”
Growing legacy, growing impact
Mwango’s story is echoed by thousands of others across the continent, said Seeds of Change Executive Director Macy Kaiser. One farmer Macy met on a visit to Africa had put all four of his children through university thanks to his improved yields and the ability to sell at market. “Before this program, he told me they could only afford to send one child to school,” Kaiser said. “Now all four have graduated. That’s generational change, and that’s why we do what we do at Seeds of Change.”
Looking ahead, the Mission Grow initiative is focused on expanding and diversifying even further, investing in youth ag entrepreneurship, and building stronger markets for its farmers who continue to reap a greater harvest every season. Seeds of Change is also exploring curriculum partnerships with universities and training institutions to ensure young people can learn these practical, life-changing agricultural methods in the classroom.
The classroom model has begun to take off in Kenya in the form of “kitchen farms” that support the Seeds of Change feeding program. Launched in 2021 as a small project to feed 136 schoolchildren in one of Nairobi’s most impoverished slums, the program now feeds nearly 86,000 students daily. Seeds of Change has helped 26 of its partner schools implement kitchen farms that both provide food for the program and teach vital agricultural skills. Many young entrepreneurs have used the knowledge they’ve gained to start small farm plots at home, and over 700 mothers have done the same after volunteering at their children’s schools.
“We’re seeing more and more individuals, schools, and communities request our methods,” Kaiser said. “There’s a hunger for knowledge, and when you combine that with opportunity, the impact is exponential.”
Last summer, that impact came to life in the most personal way when Macy met Mercy in Kenya. “Her smile said everything,” Kaiser recalled. “She was so proud and so grateful that someone believed in her enough to invest in her future.” It was a moment that brought the Seeds of Change journey full circle — from one family’s mission trip to one young woman’s transformation.
“I remember going to Kenya the first time at 17 years old and thinking that if I could use the many resources my family had been blessed with to make life a little better for just one other person, it would have been a life worth living,” said Miranda. “To know that Seeds of Change has impacted not just one, but millions of lives — and that each of those individuals has a story like Mercy’s — is beyond words. It is my greatest honor to be a part of this legacy that my parents built: cultivating hope for a future where every person has a chance to thrive.”
