You can take the villager out of the village, but you can't take the village out of the villager. Charles and Truphena Choti, a Kenyan couple now living in the United States, are the perfect embodiment of this saying.
Based in Poolesville, Maryland, USA, Prof. Choti and his wife have brought an authentic taste of Africa to the US.
Through their venture, AfriThrive Cultural Farm, they grow a wide variety of traditional African vegetables, preserving their heritage while nourishing a community far from home.
The farm is a vibrant agricultural haven, growing all kinds of African vegetables, including managu (African nightshade), mrenda (jute mallow), Kunde (cowpea leaves), terere (amaranth), sagaa (spider plant) and misheveve (pumpkin leaves). These vegetables are renowned in Kenya for their medicinal properties and as tasty accompaniments to meals.
Their farm is about more than just growing food; it's also about sharing the African legacy on another continent.
Due to the unique value they offer, their farm attracts thousands of people, not just Kenyans, but other Africans too, who want to experience a taste of home far from home.
Through their vegetables, the Chotis help Africans to reconnect with their roots and regain a sense of belonging. With every vegetable, they create memories.
Their initiative has attracted the attention of Kenya's former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, who is in the US. Gachagua took the time to visit the farm and was impressed by how the family is carrying on Africa's legacy.
Gachagua congratulated the Choti's in their endeavor, more so, the former DP acknowledged the Kenyan spirit to thrive anywhere in the world.
"I am very proud of the Kenyan spirit of thriving anywhere in the world and placing our culture and traditional practices at the global stage. I was excited to refresh my memory that the black jack (bidens pilosa), which, while elsewhere believed to be a wild weed, is indeed a delicious and medicinal vegetable," wrote Gachagua in part.
The former DP challenged Kenyans and other Africans in the US to patronize Choti's and be part of the cultural shift.
"My people, Our dear people in the States take advantage of this farm and consume the kunde, murenda, managu, okra, terere, and the black jack grown right here by Prof. Choti," Gachagua continued.
The Choti’s story is a testament to how immigrants contribute to the economy and cultural richness. By turning farmland in Maryland into a thriving hub of African agriculture, the Chotis continue to preserve the Kenyan, or rather African culture in a foreign continent.
