About

Mustard Seed Africa is a community development initiative that focuses on socio-economic empowerment for women at grassroots level in Swaziland, Zimbabwe and other areas in Africa. We believe that those in impoverished areas need a hand up, not a hand out. Our motto is, ‘invest in a woman, invest in a community,’ because the women receiving money from their work use their earnings to improve standards of living within their communities. Mustard Seed Africa concentrates on income generating activities for women that include handcraft and entrepreneurship.

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Mission and Vision

Mission

Mustard Seed Africa coordinates sustainable community development initiatives targeted at women at the grassroots level to ensure income generation and improved livelihoods through handcraft, entrepreneurship and social empowerment.

Vision

To share the stories of remarkable African artisans and the importance of handcraft as a tool for poverty alleviation. Mustard Seed Africa aims to create a platform for buyers, designers and stakeholders to showcase the best of handcraft and textile design in Africa. We aim to inspire and encourage young aspiring designers and students to take an interest in handcraft development, as well as socio-economic projects.

Our Commitment

Transparency with the management of resources entrusted
Professionalism in the implementation of projects
Tangible and sustainable development solutions
Evaluation and feedback to our sponsors and stakeholders
Partnership with women artisans in handcraft development throughout the entire value chain

Gail Mawocha

Founder and Director

Mustard Seed has a network of consultants with distinctive expertise in product development, finance, marketing, business, and social development. Gail Mawocha, founder and director of Mustard Seed Africa, has a Masters Degree in International Development from Eastern University (Philadelphia, USA) as well as a Marketing Management degree. She has extensive experience in community development, marketing, branding, event planning and fund raising.

Gail Masondo

Board of Directors

Gail Masondo is a woman of immense talent and diversity. This coupled with her tremendous passion for public service has made her a remarkable ambassador in what she would describe as the ‘mission in the field of life’.

She is an accomplished songwriter, executive producer, entrepreneur, chaplain, Life in Recovery coach/counsellor and author. She is the author of inspirational book, “Now this Feels like Home”, which led to the production of bookmarks from women’s empowerment group in Swaziland who now rely on the sale of books as a means of earning an income. (See More)

Jacky Jackson

Board of Directors

U.S.A. born John (Jacky) Jackson is a native of a Washington, D.C. Jacky went on to serve in the United States Army for a period of 24 years then retired as a Master Sergeant. It was in the military that Jacky attend college and later acquired his Bachelors of Science Degree in Computer Science from Saint Leo’s University, Tampa Florida. Also, during his time in the military Jacky served in several positions of increased responsibility such as, Senior Drill Instructor, Director for Personnel & Community Activities (responsible for the welfare and morale of 4,500 people), and later as an advisor that aided in reports that were sent to the U.S. Congress pertaining to U.S. Reserve forces augmenting the active forces. (See More)

Iwani Zoë Mawocha

Founder and Administrator

Iwani Mawocha is a young composer, photographer and award-winning videographer. In 2012 she placed second in the United Nations Environment Programme OzonAction video competition, and the Green IS Award by the Girls Impact the World Film Festival and the Ian Somerhalder Foundation in 2014. She has twice received scholarships from the International Baccalaureate to attend World Student Conferences in Canada (2012) and Hong Kong (2013). (See more)

Patricia Okeyo

Board of Directors

Dr Patricia Onyango-Okeyo is a skilled General Obstetrician Gynaecologist with over 12 years experience, including teaching in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology-University of Witwatersrand and running a private practice in Johannesburg. Her responsibilities in the state hospital included teaching undergraduates and postgraduates, setting up and running of an antiretroviral antenatal clinic, managing and running a infertility clinic, consultant in charge of the rape and domestic violence cases that the hospital would get on occasion, co-consultant in the oncology unit and in the laparoscopic/endoscopic unit. (See More)

Brian Holmes

Board of Directors

Zimbabwean born Brian Anthony Holmes is a family man, married with two children. He is the Managing Director of CFA Mozambique S.ABrian is one of the founding shareholders of CFA Mozambique S.A. an aviation company that was formed in 2006 to service the needs for transfers from the mainland to islands and other remote locations in Mozambique. The company has since grown to be the largest private aviation company in Mozambique with a fleet of 9 aircraft operational in the country. (See More)