Nampa Nonprofits Making Impact Around the World

Mission Aviation Fellowship

Mission Aviation Fellowship is a name that could ring a bell for many but can still be hard to place. That’s because the agency, often called MAF, does its mission work quietly – unless a national crisis happens to pull it into the spotlight.

A recent example is the headline-grabbing arrest and detention of pilot and missionary Ryan Koher in Mozambique in late 2022. The MAF-affiliated missionary assigned to the region is still awaiting a final decision on his case.

Meanwhile, brave MAF pilots continue the work with support from a 200-person crew at headquarters on an airstrip near Nampa. MAF has been in operation 78 years after being founded by former World War II military aviators who wanted to help relieve suffering and bring the message of Christ around the world, says Brad Hoagland, director of corporate communications for the organization.

Disaster response, humanitarian assistance and relief flights to remote areas such as New Guiana, South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo are routine for the 100 or so pilots who volunteer with MAF.

As often as possible, the visits to isolated areas include supporting the formation of Christian congregations in those countries, Hoagland says.

The agency got its start in Redland, California, and relocated to Nampa in 2006 for the chance to expand its campus and be nearer to its pilot training grounds. Through the years, MAF has constructed a runway, airplane hangars, residential apartments, and a maintenance hub and made other improvements on the Nampa property. Jobs at the headquarters support the work through administration, airplane maintenance and pilot training. The organization also has branches in England and Australia.

Shoes for Children

Another Nampa nonprofit with a global reach is Because International. This agency – known for its “shoe that grows” – was founded after Idaho resident and former CEO Kenton Lee visited Nairobi, Kenya, after college and saw children wearing outgrown shoes. Without proper shoes, he thought, the children were not only uncomfortable but would be exposed to diseases and parasites.

Once home, he dedicated more than six years to creating his prototype of a shoe that grows five sizes and is intended to last a child five years. Today, the shoe, with a compressed rubber sole, antibacterial upper and adjustable straps, are donated by individuals and groups and worn by children around the world.

In the company’s 2022 annual report, Lee said 100,000 pairs of the shoes were distributed in the past two years alone, along with 1,500 jobs created using the proceeds.

“Each pair distributed brings joy into the life of a child struggling with poverty and makes their daily life a bit easier,” Lee wrote.