Board & Staff

BOARD

DEBRA HOPKINS – BOARD CHAIR

Debra Hopkins

Debra became interested in Mission With A Vision in 2006 when her daughter volunteered at the Safe House.

Impressed with the difference Mission With A Vision makes in the lives of children and girls she has been proud to be a part of the organization.

Debra lives in Colorado in the United States.

GILL NEALE- VICE CHAIR

Gill Neale

Gill lives in a medium sized town in the UK. She works as a matron in a junior boarding school and is a barista and cake baker two days a week. She has a passion for travel and has been fortunate to visit 6 out of 7 continents so far.

Gill is a member of a tiny charity called TURF which stands for Team Up Reach Forward. They mainly raise funds through property development and include the local community in our projects.

GILL PIPER – BOARD MEMBER

Gill Piper

Gill Piper lives in the U.K. Gill worked for an international NGO for 17 years, providing humanitarian assistance to communities around the world, and now is involved in dementia awareness. But she admits that something changed her life greatly, when during a work trip to Kenya a colleague suggested she take a trip to Maasai Mara. Since that visit in 1998 she has been involved in doing what she can to support the girls find a positive path away from the threat of FGM.

Gill is thrilled how far Mission With A Vision has come, with the leadership of Patrick, Gill realizes donor assistance is necessary to help keep this marvelous program alive, and hopefully become totally self-sufficient in the future.

JOSEPHINE ROTIKEN- BOARD MEMBER

Josephine Rotiken

Josephine graduated from Kabarak university with a degree in Law.
She has started on her pupillage in a law firm in Narok. Her target at the moment is to start a school mentorship program.

Josephine joins the Board as a representative of the girls, having been rescued from forced early marriage in 2008. She has shown a passion for assisting other girls, and is the leader of the girls at the Safe House.

RACHEL HORNER – BOARD MEMBER

Rachel Horner

Rachel Horner is a freelance journalist and anti-fgm campaigner. She became interested in Mission With A Vision in 2014 when volunteering on a joint project with MWV and the UK charity, Mission Direct.

Rachel says: “What impressed me so much about Mission with a Vision is the focus of the organization – committed to rescuing girls from fgm, giving them a safe place to live and helping them through their education.

Patrick and his family’s efforts, given with such joy and love, have created a home for girls at what must be a very sad and scary time for them – it cannot be easy to leave behind your family and village, not knowing if you will ever be able to return – and they have become surrogate parents to hundreds over the years.”

To read some of Rachel’s campaigning journalism, click
here and here.

BARBARA “Bibi” PICKETT – BOARD MEMBER

“Bibi” Pickett

Barbara “Bibi” Pickett began her career working as a nurse in a leprosorium in Ethiopia. She has over 25 years of experience managing international programs primarily in Africa and holds a B.S. in Nursing and an M.A. in International Development. She met Patrick in 1999 when she was managing a Peace Corps training program in Naivasha.Over the years has watched MWV grown from just a few girls to a vibrant organization making a big difference in the lives of nomadic girls.

CATHERINE MUNAI – BOARD MEMBER

Catherine Munai

Catherine is a registered nurse working at Kenyatta National hospital. She has a diploma in Nursing from Kenya medical training college. She has a passion for girls education and has been assisting on many occasion. Catherine was one of the first girls to be supported by mission with a vision and decided to join the board and continue giving support to more girls.

JOHN Z. EANES – BOARD MEMBER

John Eanes

John Z. Eanes moved to Galveston after he graduated from Texas State Technical Institute opening his own business, Galveston Automotive Professionals in 1992.

John took his first mission trip to Kenya in 2018. Mission With A Vision was looking to increase their economic self-sufficiency through farming. John became involved as the group sought to secure a farming tractor for the Narok school. With his mechanical expertise, John was a natural fit to assist with this project.

With the tractor purchase the girls not only could plow and plant their own fields, they could plow and plant for others, increasing the income that help to subsidize the living and education of the girls. He saw many happy faces of young girls whose lives were dramatically changed by living and attending school at the Narok school.

John believes passionately in the work of Mission With A Vision and tells the story of his experiences with the children of the Narok school, to all who will listen.

DAN COLLINS – BOARD MEMBER

Dan Collins

Daniel is based in Britain, Cambridge and is a Osteopath working across London and Thetford. He’s also on the board of the Institute of Osteopathy and is a Army Reservist in the London Regiment.Daniel has been a keen supporter and sponsor of Mission with a Vision since 2016 when he saw the charity firsthand on a missionary trip. He is extremely proud of the much-needed female empowerment work the charity performs in Kenya.

STAFF

PATRICK K. NGIGI- PROGRAM FOUNDER AND NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Patrick Ngigi – Director

Patrick K. Ngigi is the founder and CEO of Mission With A Vision. He went to Kamandura primary school in Limuru. He later joined to Ngenia High School. After high school he joined Machakos Teachers Training College. He studied Theology at Ngoibe Create College. He holds a Bachelors of Education degree from Kenyatta University. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Psychology degree at Egerton University. Patrick is married and has a daughter, and a son.

Personal Statement

“In my work I was touched by the pain that girls have to go through while undergoing circumcision (FGM). I was also saddened that the girls were married off at a very tender age of as early as fourteen. I spoke against it as a teacher in meetings. When I became a head teacher in 1997 I realized that I could now do more in helping the girls. I started the support program. The first sponsor was Mrs. Genell S. Sharp from New York. From that day there was no turning back. With the help of the police we have been able to put children back into school. With the help of the sponsors we have been able to meet their needs and to bring back a smile on their faces. It has not been smooth. From the start I have received threats on my life. Despite the risk I have seen it as a worthy cause. Most of those who threaten me have returned to apologize after realizing what I am doing is for the good of their children and the society.

With your support we will bring back hope to many more. I believe no matter how little your contribution is it matters a lot. It might be little to you but to us it it a lot.

Thank you,

ASANTE SANA

JOSEPHINE PASIANY- GENERAL MANAGER

Josephine Pasiany

Josephine holds a degree in education from Nairobi University and is pursuing a masters in management and administration in Mount Kenya university. Like other Maasai girls she knows the pain of going through FGM. She joined Mission With A Vision in 2008 and has worked very hard to give hope to girls escaping FGM and forced early marriage. Josephine believes women have the power to change the outdated tradition of FGM and forced early marriage. Her hope is that FGM and forced early marriage can be eradicated within the next decade.

JACINTA NAISIMOI- FINANCE OFFICER

Jacinta Naisimoi

Jancinta has a bachelor of business administration (finance Option from Bondo university. She is currently pursuing a masters in the same line at Mount Kenya university. Jacinta was supported by mission with a vision in her schooling and later after graduation join us as a staff member. she has a passion to support other and apart from being our finance office is in-charger of our farm and helps supervise in food production at the farm.

EMILY SADERA – PROGRAM OFFICER

Emily Sadera

Emily Sadera was supported by Mission With A Vision to achieve her education dream. After she graduated from college, with a degree in computer studies, she expressed a desire to work with us. She joined us in 2017 as our program officer. She is very dedicated to serving the girls. Her shared experience with the girls is an asset to the program.