Together, we can change the world
Just One Africa’s vision is to inspire the individual to effect change, resulting in thriving communities with access to clean water and with the capability of providing for their basic needs.
MISSION STATEMENT
Just One Africa cares for orphans and children in vulnerable situations in Kenya by providing access to clean water and by partnering with local leaders to provide sustainable solutions that create hope through care, education, and community development.
Who We Help
We focus on local leaders, their surrounding communities, and the children directly in their care.
Investing in the vision of local leaders through on-the-ground involvement, good planning, and regular reporting creates a ripple effect, producing a significant impact that changes communities for good.
Coming alongside high-capacity leaders with great vision and resourcing them builds lasting transformation that impacts generations.
How We Help
For over a decade, we have worked hard to build deep, trusting relationships with local leaders and their communities, applying the most effective methods to create reliable, clean water and sustainable programs.
This includes distributing water filters, creating jobs through our Beads For Water project, and caring for children from vulnerable situations through local partners like Hope Beyond Transitional Center and Valley Light Home.
Because of your help, thousands of individuals have been reached with life-changing solutions, and whole communities have been transformed.
Why We Help
People. We believe people matter a lot. We believe that each person is created on purpose for a purpose. We believe that each person can affect change right where they are.
We believe it takes JUST ONE person to make a difference, and we believe JUST ONE person is worth making a difference for.
We have seen what happens when people come together for a common purpose; the world changes JUST ONE person at a time. We believe you want to see this kind of change too.
Meet our team
Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.
Ryunosuke Satoro
The Board
Clay Churchill
Executive Director
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Clay is dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives and inspiring hope. As the co-founder and Executive Director of Just One Africa, Clay, alongside his wife, Amy Churchill, established the nonprofit organization in 2012. Their joint efforts have been focused on creating sustainable solutions for their partners and have distributed over ten thousand water filters to families in rural Kenyan communities.
From 2012 to 2021, Clay selflessly served as Just One Africa’s Executive Director while working full-time as a project manager at LexisNexis. However, in January 2021, Clay made the courageous decision to resign from his full-time role at LexisNexis to fully concentrate on advancing the mission of Just One Africa.
Maureen Starr
Board Member
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Maureen Starr is a Kenyan native who currently serves as Director of Giver Services for Georgia National Christian Foundation. In her role, she enjoys helping generous families create giving strategies and be wise stewards of what they have been entrusted with to experience the greater joy of generosity.
Maureen was born and grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, until moving to the USA in 1999 at the age of 19. She graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Early on, Maureen knew that she wanted to live her life making a difference in the lives of others and being an agent of positive change.
Maureen is dedicated to giving back to her people in a way that truly makes a difference and is sustainable. Maureen is solution-minded and considers it a privilege and a blessing to serve on the board of Just One Africa. Maureen places a high priority on family and is grateful for the opportunity to have seen Just One Africa’s work in Kenya several times with her husband, Tito, and their teenage daughter.
Nelson Guzman
Board Member
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Nelson and his wife, Ashley, have been big supporters of Just One Africa from the beginning. Nelson traveled with Clay on the first official Just One Africa trip to western Kenya in 2012. After seeing first-hand the fruits of what Just One Africa has been doing in the local communities of Kenya, he knew he wanted to get involved more. Nelson has always believed in giving back and helping others. As a Malpractice Insurance Broker in business, Nelson helps Doctors determine the best Insurance Coverage for their Medical Practice so they can serve their patients and focus on the best care they can provide. As a Husband of over 20 years, to his amazing wife, and father to their three young adults, Nelson is continually striving for the opportunity to show his family and those around him how making a change, whether big or small, is possible for each of us. Nelson and Ashley brought their entire family to Kenya in 2024 to visit JOA’s partners, visit their sponsored students, and learn more about the impact firsthand.
Becky Livingston
Board Member
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Becky is a Relationship Manager and Generosity Ambassador with NCF Georgia, where she serves individuals, families, advisors, and charities by helping them maximize their charitable impact through biblical stewardship and generosity.
A lifelong resident of Southeast Georgia, Becky has more than 40 years of leadership experience in healthcare, law, and nonprofit management. She practiced law for 16 years before serving for 24 years as Chief Executive Officer of Bethany, a faith-based senior living community dedicated to serving older adults.
Becky is passionate about encouraging generosity and Kingdom impact. She facilitates Journeys of Generosity retreats and has been recognized as a member of the Generous Giving Circle of Champions. Her commitment to serving others is deeply influenced by her personal faith and life experiences, including the loss of her husband, which strengthened her calling to support widows, women, and families.
She views her role with Just One Africa as a continuation of her lifelong calling: helping others experience the joy of living in God’s Kingdom through generosity and the grace of Jesus Christ.
Gregg Vickery
Board Member
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Gregg brings extensive financial leadership to the Just One Africa board, drawing on key finance roles with The Home Depot and then for the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and offices. He oversaw financial reporting, accounting, tax, budgeting, forecasting and various banking relationships for the Blank family’s philanthropic, ranching, and private investment entities, while also serving as a financial liaison to the sports entities.
Guided by his faith and a deep commitment to community, Gregg retired in 2023 and is now focused on family and ministry. Gregg and his wife Janet are active members and volunteers at Stonecreek Church. After meeting Clay and Amy and learning about their mission in Kenya and the problems facing the people there, Gregg was inspired to help and was honored to join the board.
Gregg and his wife, Janet, live in Milton, Georgia. They have a blended family of six adult children and two grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys family time and playing golf.
Our Partners
John & Dorcus Parit
Lenkai Christian School & Hope Beyond Center, Kimana, Kenya
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John and Dorcus Parit founded Lenkai Christian School, based in Kimana, Kenya. This private Christian school began in 2013 and now educates over 400+ students yearly, ranging from Pre-School to High School. The Parit’s vision offers holistic and trauma-informed education to the children in their local community, developing their potential while molding them into future leaders.
They are also the founders of Hope Beyond Transitional Center, which rescues and cares for children from vulnerable situations such as (FGM) female genital mutilation, child marriage, child neglect, forced labor, human trafficking, and other abusive realities.
The Center supports orphans and other needy cases, such as Albinism, within the neighboring community. Hope Beyond provides trauma-informed care and counseling for these precious children.
John Parit Ole Sing’aru is a bishop and visionary leader renowned for his compassionate guidance and transformative impact. Dorcus has over ten years of leadership experience in children’s rights, gender issues, education, and women’s socio-economic empowerment.
In addition to all the children they help raise, they have five exceptional children of their own: three girls and two boys.
John & Leah Njoroge
Valley Light Home & Pisgah Heights Academy, Maai Mahiu, Kenya
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John and Leah Njoroge are the founders and directors of Valley Light Home and Pisgah Heights Academy. They have three children and an additional 39 formally abandoned children at Valley Light.
Leah earned a Master’s degree in education at Cairn University and a PhD also in education at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in California.
John Njoroge speaks frequently on university campuses, business and leadership forums, and conferences around the world. His passion is to help clear the fog between faith and culture by making the case for the credibility of the Christian faith in a way that people can understand.
John graduated with highest honors from Talbot School of Theology where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy, a master’s degree in New Testament studies, and a Master of Theology (ThM). While at Talbot, he also served as a graduate teaching assistant and an adjunct faculty member. Dr. Njoroge also holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Georgia.
Amy Back
Grain of Rice Academy, Nanyuki, Kenya
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Amy Back co-founded Grain of Rice Project and Grain of Rice Academy. She first came to Kenya in 2008, where she had the experience of living and serving with a Kenyan family for eight months. After many more trips back to Kenya and ten years working as an art teacher in the U.S., Amy eventually moved full-time to Kenya in 2021 to launch Grain of Rice Academy.
She believes in partnering with Kenyans to train and develop educational programs that empower students to become community leaders. In her free time, Amy loves to travel, drink great coffee, try new food, and make art.
Grain of Rice Academy is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of leaders by providing a comprehensive education beyond the classroom. Their unique approach combines hands-on learning experiences in literacy and the arts, all within a Christian context that fosters spiritual growth and development.
By empowering students to explore their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, they are equipping them to become confident, compassionate, and courageous leaders who will positively impact their communities and beyond.
The Founders
Clay and Amy Churchill
Clay and Amy are a devoted couple with over 29 years of marriage, nurturing a deep passion for serving others within their family. Their love for people worldwide was ignited in their youth, and today, their adult children carry this same value in their work worldwide.
Clay had several transformative experiences during college, where he traveled with a team to India and Central Africa, profoundly shaping his worldview. Witnessing gifted local leaders serve their communities and effect change with the resources they had greatly inspired him. He listened as these leaders shared their struggles and how they worked to find solutions for the many challenges they faced. These experiences and relationships ignited a fire within Clay, fueling his desire to create meaningful change.
Amy has always had a heart for serving others. Learning about other cultures where especially women and girls are marginalized and oppressed, she grew a deep desire to do what she could for the one in front of her. Reflecting on what life would have been like for herself or her daughters moved her to come alongside other incredible leaders doing the hard and holy work of rescuing and caring for those in various vulnerable situations.
As the founders of Just One Africa, their vision is clear: people are at the heart of every initiative. From building deep cross-cultural relationships to growing sustainability projects to distributing water filters, their focus remains on equipping individuals so they can transform their own lives.
Clay and Amy’s vision is to foster lasting change, not just temporary solutions. They believe every person possesses inherent value, purpose, and the potential to make a significant impact. By inspiring and equipping others to realize their potential, they seek to create a ripple effect of change, JUST ONE person at a time.
CLEAN WATER SAVES LIVES
Access to clean, safe water is a catalyst for change and the first step to elevating communities from a cycle of sickness and poverty to one of health and hope.
Imagine a world where everyone has unrestricted access to safe water regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic status. A world where mothers can confidently provide safe drinking water to their children, freeing them from the constant fear of waterborne illnesses.
Envision communities where children can thrive, grow, and learn without the burden of preventable diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Where sickness no longer steals away their education, childhood, and future potential. Where schools are filled with vibrant, healthy students eager to learn and pursue their dreams.
Picture families where financial resources are spent nourishing minds and bodies rather than treating avoidable illnesses. Where parents can allocate their hard-earned income towards education, nutritious food, and economic opportunities, breaking the cycle of poverty.
Imagine a world where parents are healthy enough to work, provide for their loved ones, and contribute to their community’s growth. Where communities are well-equipped to drive positive change, foster economic development, and build a brighter future.
A world where clean water is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. Where every person can live with dignity, hope, and the opportunity to reach their full potential, this is the world we envision, and with your support, we can make it a reality together.
Global Goals
sustainable development
On September 25, 2015, 193 world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals and to achieve these extraordinary things in the next 15 years. End extreme poverty. Fight inequality & injustice. Protect our planet. The United Nation’s Global Goals for sustainable development could get these things done. In all countries. For all people.
Just One Africa is focused on the first six goals because we believe the world changes when we all take action.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
We ensure the vulnerable children we support are educated, breaking the poverty chain and allowing these children to thrive as they grow into responsible members of society. Our sustainable projects are led and run by our Kenyan partners, providing needed resources and reducing their dependencies on outside donations. These partner projects have created jobs in the community, provided income, and crucial food for the children. (SDG1)
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Our sustainable farming projects continue to flourish and expand. Working with our partners, innovative and effective farming techniques are being used, and organic fertilizers, pest control, and drip irrigation are used, increasing the harvest and income from the excess crops. The goal is to have our partners reduce out-of-pocket expenses and have a sustainable source of nutritious food and income. These sustainable farming programs are also a learning center for the community. (SDG2)
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Healthy lives start with access to clean water, wholesome diets, warm clothes, and good shelter. We believe that a safe trauma-informed environment, including quality education and a place of belonging, is critical to promoting the well-being of children. Children need personalized love, daily care, and hope to flourish. The children we support are provided good medical attention. Maintaining good health is critical for children as they grow. (SDG3)
Ensure quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
We believe every child should have access to quality education. We partner with schools, rescue centers, and orphanages to provide a higher level of education and to ensure each of the children we support receives the best education possible. Education is the key to ending poverty. We bring quality school supplies and teaching materials to resource our partner’s schools. We connect teachers in the United States with teachers in Kenya to provide new and innovative teaching methods. Students in our music program have even performed for Margaret Kenyatta. (SDG4)
Achieve gender equality and empower all women & girls.
We believe girls should have access to education, safety, and dignity. For young ladies, we have distributed thousands of sustainable feminine hygiene kits to girls, giving them dignity and the opportunity to continue in school. It is not right girls have to miss a week of school each month because of their monthly cycle. We believe the poverty cycle can be broken when girls stay in school. We are partnering with local leaders leading the fight against the illegal practice of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). Scholarship programs provide for girls in need, opening the door for them to receive a quality education. (SDG5)
Ensure availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all.
Over ten thousand water filters have been distributed throughout Kenya, and the recipients have been trained on WASH (Wash, Sanitation, and Hygiene) best practices to keep families healthy. Our filter follow-up program collects data showing a 96% reduction in disease. Money is now spent on food and necessities rather than medicine or medical care. Entire villages see the benefits of having clean water, and hope for a healthy future is expanding. Four deep water wells have been dug, creating access for needy communities. Sanitation facilities have been built for schools, orphanages, rescue centers, and homesteads. (SDG6)
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. The new Goals are unique in that they call for action by all poor, rich, and middle-income countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address various social needs, including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
Read more about the Sustainable Development Goals on the UN website.
People matter. Every individual has purpose and the power to create change. Together, we can transform the world – Just one person at a time.
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