Co-builders, Malawi
Good Soil Partners in Malawi and North America are united in faith and a shared commitment to serve.
Good Soil Partners Malawi-based team members bring decades of educational expertise in addition to first hand knowledge of the challenges faced by students from generationally impoverished homes.
Wambula Saka,
Chief Operations
Director
Wambula is our Chief Operations Director whose passion is to make significant contributions towards transforming thousands of young men and women through the power of education, Leadership & Entrepreneurship.
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Wambula holds a Degree in Education obtained from University of Malawi, Chancellor College. Upon graduating, Wambula taught in several secondary schools, including the prestigious St Mary’s Girls in Zomba, which is renowned for its high student academic performance. His dedication to teaching underscored his commitment to nurturing young minds. Wambula transitioned to a role as an Education Development Specialist with World Vision International, where he contributed over six years to the advancement of educational initiatives, impacting communities and fostering sustainable development. He worked with both World Vision New Zealand and World Vision America. Wambula Saka is a certified facilitator, trainer, and coach affiliated with the Maxwell Leadership Team based in the USA, which is known for its focus on transformational leadership. The Maxwell Leadership Team, founded by John C. Maxwell, emphasizes the development of leaders who can inspire and influence others positively. This affiliation indicates that Wambula has undergone rigorous training in leadership principles and practices that are designed to foster personal growth and effective leadership.
In addition to his Certification with the Maxwell Leadership Team, Wambula is also a certified trainer and coach in entrepreneurship through Nehemiah International which is also based in USA. This organization specializes in equipping individuals with the necessary skills to start and grow their businesses while emphasizing biblical principles of stewardship and entrepreneurship. As such Wambula possesses a solid foundation in entrepreneurial strategies, business development, and capacity building.
Wambula is very focused on transformational leadership, strategy development, and capacity building. Skilled in fostering partnerships, driving innovation, and steering institutional growth in complex environments. Wambula loves connecting with young adults and his motivation is that he sees a future generation that needs support and is committed to come alongside them.
Bertha Munthali,
Principal
Bertha is the Principal for Good Soil Academy with a passion for education that transforms the lives of young people physically, spiritually, and intellectually. Bertha designed and implemented lesson plans aligned with curriculum objectives, providing personalized student support and fostering academic and personal growth.
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Bertha is also experienced in psychometrics and has conducted academic assessments for over 20 years. Apart from teaching, Bertha has done several Continuous Professional Development Programs (CPD) such as Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Education (SMASSE). Through SMASSE, she has been a Divisional trainer for over 13 years, training teachers in the many ways they can enhance their teaching methods. Bertha is also a lesson study expert trained in the improvement of the quality of education through a program called Knowledge Co-Creation (KCCP) gaining expertise in Japan & and the Netherlands. Through these Professional Development Programs, Bertha has been collaborating with colleagues from within Malawi and outside Malawi to find ways of improving learner’s performance. Bertha is a graduate of Mukuba University in Zambia and the University of Malawi and has worked in the Ministry of Education as a secondary school teacher for 20 years.
Andrew
English teacher & Head of
Humanities Department
Ambukeghe (A.K.)
Math & Chemistry
Bakhita
Bible Knowledge
& Chichewa
Ruth
Computer Science
& Soccer Coach
Grace
Geography
Veronica
Computer Science
& Physics
Patricia
School Nurse
& Dorm Matron
James
History & Soccer Coach
Good Soil Academy matches teacher salary to the Malawian Education Department pay scale and provides retirement benefits.
Board Members
U.S. & International
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Mr. Chartier and his brother grew a one vehicle plumbing and heating business to one of the largest full-service plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical companies in the New England region of the United States. Today he provides coaching & consulting in business growth and leadership while also serving on the board of directors for Good Soil Partners. Steve and his wife Cindy are the founders of Good Soil Partners, Inc. Steve is passionate about bringing Christ-centered leadership and entrepreneurship training to young women and men throughout Malawi.
Cindy Chartier, Founder &
Treasurer
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Dean is a Senior Partner in the 125 year old law firm of Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, PLLC. For the past 38 years Dean has provided legal support to school administrators and school districts throughout the State of New Hampshire. He has authored over fifty publications on the intersection between the law and public education. He speaks locally, regionally and nationally on education-related topics. Dean served as general counsel for the largest school district in the State of New Hampshire and now heads an Education Law Department of seven lawyers. He has been selected twice by US News and World Report as the Best Education Lawyer in the State of New Hampshire.
For 6 years Dean served as Board Member and Chairman of a private school, Concord Christian School. He has served for over 15 years as a church elder and has served with Good Soil Partners since its formation. Dean graduated from Wheaton College, in the State of Illinois and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
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Solomon is a Mathematics teacher for the Portland Public Schools in Maine and has been teaching for 8 years. Prior to working with Portland schools, Solomon served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Maine from where he graduated with Masters in Public Policy & Management and Masters of Science in Statistics respectively. He also served as a study centers coordinator for the Portland Housing Authority. Throughout college and graduate school Solomon worked as a tutor, teaching and research assistant. Solomon continues research work some of which has been published and presented at International conference.
Solomon grew up in Kang'oma village, Malawi and has worked in various capacities of educational empowerment initiatives, such as a volunteer tutor since his high school years, coordinator for the School of H.O.P.E. projects and currently serve as a Board member for Good Soil Partners. Solomon is married to his wife Frida which whom is blessed with three daughters and enjoys spending time with family. Aside from the professional world, Solomon serves as a Deacon in his church and enjoys ministering to members of the congregation and others in the community in various areas of charitable activities.
Kary Faber
Board Member
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Linda brings over thirty years of educational experience to the team. Her experiences include teaching from elementary to college levels in diverse and inclusive environments across a wide variety of subject areas, direct student service provision, and education administration. Linda served as the Student Services Director for the Contoocook Valley Regional School District overseeing the outline and delivery of all student-oriented services provided by the district across eleven schools, including special education services and teacher and service provider supervision, performance evaluation, and assessment. She has also served as Chairman of the School Board in Harrisville, New Hampshire. Since her retirement from public education and administration, Linda has provided consultation and professional development to educators in the areas of behavior management, providing appropriate student services, and specialized instruction.
Linda is a graduate of Keene State College, part of the University System of the State of New Hampshire, obtaining both a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education and a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership. She has served with Good Soil Partners since its inception and serves as both a Board Member and Secretary of the Board. She is a strong advocate of student-centered instructional methodologies which ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to access and master curriculum.
Teamwork
We aim to create life-long partnerships with each student, team member, volunteer and like-minded organizations. We embrace the philosophy that two are better than one, we can not do it alone, and we need the talents and special gifts of all people to succeed as an organization.
Support Team
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Ishmael Mussa, GSA Finance Officer
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Tony Emmanuel, GSA Logistics & Property Manager
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Jamie Utz, GSP Financial Operations
The Good Soil Partners story began in 2010 when a group of people from the United States traveled to Malawi to assist at an orphanage.
Upon arrival in Malawi, the group was diverted from the orphanage for three days. During this time, the group experienced the harsh realities of life in a Malawian village. Both a burden and a vision to help the youth of Malawi was born—a new non-profit organization was created to carry out this mission.
After 14 years of providing access to education through scholarships, In September 2025, we launched Good Soil Academy, a Christian secondary boarding school for girls that strives for excellence. Our mission is to nurture the lives of young women throughout Malawi by offering opportunities for spiritual growth, Bible-centered leadership training, biblical entrepreneurship training, academic achievement, and skills acquisition. Each graduating student will be empowered to recognize her potential, honor God, live generously, add value to others, and consistently do the right thing.
Good Soil Partners is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in the United States working hand-in-hand with Good Soil Partners in Malawi, which is registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Malawi. Our goal is to eradicate poverty by educating the youth of Malawi and empowering them to grow into leaders in their community to build a better, stronger future. Good Soil Partners is more than a name — it’s a way of being, it’s a way of leading, and it directly ties to our overall purpose and vision.
Steven & Cindy Chartier
Good soil partners CoFounders
Steven & Cindy Chartier have served as the core leadership team for the organization for the past 12 years. They are following the calling they’ve received from God to help the young men & women in Malawi reach their potential by giving them a choice. They believe that the young people of Malawi are the future of the country and just need the right support for them to become self-sustained.
Steven and Cindy serve as full-time volunteers, traveling to Malawi four times a year to work with the Good Soil Partners Team on the ground. They help children improve their education, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills.
When they are at home in the United States, they work to establish partners who will help fund the necessary work in Malawi. Daily Zoom calls keep them connected with the team in Malawi.
Steven and Cindy are blessed to have adopted three children from the country and have many more that call them Mom & Dad.
Select Partners
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Heritage Helps Foundation
The Heritage Helps Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation founded by the owners of Heritage Home Service for the purpose of helping to meet the need within our local and global communities by partnering with 501c3 non-profit organizations focused on enriching the lives of children and families, especially the at-risk and disadvantaged. When the Heritage Helps Foundation was made aware of Good Soil Partners efforts in Malawi, and specifically its mission to meet the needs of the clinic in Kang’oma Village, partnering with Good Soil Partners seemed a perfect match. Their work in Malawi directly impacts families and children, which aligns perfectly with the mission of the Heritage Helps Foundation.
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Heritage Home Services
One of the core values of Heritage is giving back to the communities that we serve in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. After witnessing the living conditions of the children of Malawi, it became clear that the “community” needed to be global. Good Soil Partners is invested in meeting the needs of the global community, so partnering with this organization was an easy decision to make.
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Heckman Financial
Servant’s Heart is one of our core values and speaks to our dedication to serve others both as individuals and as a team. We see the passion, support the mission, and are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner alongside Good Soil Partners as they empower the youth of Malawi.
“There is nothing more powerful than a humble person with a servant’s heart and a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose.”
–Jon Gordon”
Transparency Is Seeing What We See
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