Meet The Team - African Future Farmers

Espoir Tomenou

Founder & Member

Espoir founded African Future Farmers in 2017 in Mint Hill, NC, USA with a couple of his friends. The initial mission at the time was to promote physical health through sustainable farming education and support.

In 2021, after Espoir visited one of the remote villages in Benin Republic, he learned how a lack of safe and reliable water stands in the way of hope. To honor God and love others, Espoir decided to raise money and complete one water project after hearing of the specific need in that specific remote village in Benin Republic. In 2023, Espoir was fortunate to have Antonio and Tim as AFF board members and the mission was then fine-tuned.

Espoir is convinced that meeting people’s physical needs is the most natural and humble expression of faith that teaches us to love God and serve those who are in need. Espoir is now on the journey of reconciliation with God, self, and others.

Espoir finds his greatest joy hanging out with his life partner, two boys, a few chickens, and a dog.

Jose Antonio Emes

Board Member

Jose Antonio Emes is a Hispanic pastor in Charlotte, North Carolina. Originally from Nicaragua; he is married to Marley and has two daughters Alice and Natalia.

Jose was a fervent and close collaborator of two international retired missionaries in his home church “Providence Baptist church in Harrisburg, NC.” that helped him to discover how to multiply churches and disciples through the biblical principles in the book of Acts. Jose became a local missionary in his city and started to plant simple churches in houses, he felt the Lord calling him to the Ministry and he became a Church Planting missionary.

Jose is actively working to reach the unreached in Charlotte and beyond. He felt the call to help non-believers experience Christ for the first time, and to gather these individuals into new church communities that can multiply themselves over time maximizing the number of people he can collectively reach for the Kingdom.

His goal is to expand God’s Kingdom in cities and nations all over the world.

Tim Younts

Board Member

Tim has been married to his wife Lou Anne for forty-two years. They have two children, daughter Michelle (husband Jon) and son David, and two grandchildren Parker and Salem.

He worked in
manufacturing industries for over forty years as Finance Manager. Tim resides in Concord, North
Carolina.

Tim is active in his home church, Providence Baptist in Harrisburg, NC. He is currently serving as a deacon, grow group leader and active on various other committees.

His passion is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least and lost, along with bringing the Good News of the Gospel to all people everywhere.

Augustin Bamidele Laourou

Program Officer

Augustin Bamidele Laourou holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Information. At an early age, he understood the importance of agricultural development in developing countries. Augustin is a member of AgribusinessTV, an organization aimed at promoting youth agribusiness entrepreneurs.

Florence Kouwanou

Office & Accounts Assistant

Florence has over 5 years of experience providing guidance and leadership to employees in small to mid-size organizations. Her broad experience includes benefits and payroll management, employee relations, talent acquisition and management.

Abigail Scott

Web Administrator

Abigail is an IT Specialist/Web Design who designs and manages websites. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina Charlotte(UNCC). Her consistent passion for technology and innovation has produced a wide skill set in both Back-End and Front-End Web Development.

Mr. Ray Kowalski

Advisor

“Man of Many Colors”
International Manufacturing & Operations Executive

“Let’s provide the living water to the living so they might live.”