When Miranda Broin took a service trip to Kenya in 2014 with her siblings and parents, Tammie and Jeff Broin, the CEO and founder of POET, she admits that she thought it would be a one-time trip — a bucket-list item to cross off.

But during that first visit to Kenya’s Kakuswi Special School for the Deaf, the Broins fell in love with the country and its people; more importantly, they saw a need and felt called to do more.

In particular, Jeff Broin noticed the dismal state of local farmers’ crops and knew that many of them struggled to feed their families. With his extensive background in agriculture, he knew there had to be something he could do. Upon returning home, the Broins began supporting farming efforts of Kenyans and education for Kenyan youths in addition to creating a similar annual service trip for POET team members and their families.