Our History
NewVines International, Inc. had its beginning in 2012 when two men from the United States were roommates on a church mission trip to Kenya. Tom Blumberg and Virgil Hughes, both businessmen in the U.S., saw the opportunity that even small amounts of capital and training could provide. Mr. Hughes met with a small group of villagers on that trip to discuss micro-lending. Over the next few years the two men informally helped with the establishment of four savings cooperatives in western Kenya.
In 2014, Mr. Hughes began to sense a calling to set up a non-profit to bring more focused help to western Kenya.
In November of 2015, NVI was chartered as a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation, with Mr. Hughes and Mr. Blumberg two of its three founding Board Members. The IRS granted tax-exempt status to NewVines International, Inc. in March 2017.
In 2014, Mr. Hughes began to sense a calling to set up a non-profit to bring more focused help to western Kenya.
In November of 2015, NVI was chartered as a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation, with Mr. Hughes and Mr. Blumberg two of its three founding Board Members. The IRS granted tax-exempt status to NewVines International, Inc. in March 2017.
