Meet George Opiyo:
From Rural Kenya to Weimar, California,
New ASI Member George Opiyo Joins ASI with a Mission to “Fortify a Generation” through True Education
When attendees arrive at the ASI National Convention in Orlando in July, they will meet one of the organization’s newest members: George Opiyo, a chemistry professor whose life was changed by education.
Born and raised in poverty in rural Kenya, Opiyo spent eight long years completing the four-year Kenyan high-school curriculum, repeatedly pausing his studies to work odd jobs so he could help his family. “Unfortunately, this has remained the story for many children in my local community to this day,” says Opiyo. Today, he and his wife, Nasarine, and their daughter, Sharlet, make their home at Weimar University in Northern California, where he teaches chemistry and serves as an elder in the campus church.
Opiyo’s philosophy is anchored in the writings of Ellen G. White. He cites two lines from Education:
“In the highest sense, the work of education and the work of redemption are one,” and “True education…prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.”
Conviction and life experience led George and Nasarine to found Nasarine Junior School in 2014. The preschool and lower-primary institution now serves 257 Kenyan children in their rural home district, many of whom would otherwise have no access to formal schooling. Seventeen staff members—teachers, cooks, and support workers—share daily worship, academic lessons, and practical skills with the students. The campus, however, sits on rented property already at capacity, and enrollment requests continue to climb.
To meet the additional demand for true education, Opiyo established FORT Education Africa in 2024 as a U.S.-based 501(c)(3). “Our prayer is to see a fortified generation—young people who know Christ and stand firm for truth,” Opiyo says. “God opened doors for me,” he says. “I believe He will open doors again.”
Opiyo first learned of ASI through online resources and began following convention reports, project stories, and member testimonies, and will attend his first convention in person this July. “I am strongly convinced that the Gospel work will only be finished when the church of God is united in mission by bringing together various arms of evangelism into action for Christ.” He is already exploring ways FORT Education Africa might collaborate with established ASI ministries. “Child sponsorship, volunteer placement, school construction—each one benefits from partners who share a common philosophy of mission,” he says. “ASI provides the platform where those partnerships are born.”
With campus expansion plans on the drawing board and dozens of children already waiting for sponsorship, FORT Education Africa has plenty of work ahead, yet Opiyo remains prayerful and optimistic.
Those interested in learning more can connect with George at the convention or visit the website: FORT Africa
