The 2015 planting season activities are in full swing for both Nuru Ethiopia and Nuru Kenya!
A farmer in Zefine Menuka, Ethiopia prepares his land in anticipation of the onset of the rainy season. This is one of seven new areas and ten total operational areas for the Nuru Ethiopia Agriculture Program in 2015. The program partners with communities in its approach to offer farm inputs on loan, technical training, extension services and market linkages through cooperatives.The Agriculture Team and cooperative leadership provide training on input loans outside the Nuru Ethiopia warehouse. Members eagerly await the opportunity to take a farm input loan for the production of maize, beans, wheat and teff (a staple grain used to make injera, a spongy flatbread, in Ethiopia).Inside the warehouse, Nigussie of the Nuru Ethiopia Agriculture Program trains and advises the cooperative storekeeper and leadership on the distribution of farm inputs such as maize seed, bean seed and fertilizers. The approach focuses on providing farmers access to quality farm inputs to improve their farm business for food security and income, while also establishing community owned agricultural cooperatives that operate profitable and sustainable input loan and grain marketing businesses. This dual approach ensures that farmers are successful, food secure and profitable, and that they are able to access productive loans and fair markets through a cooperative based in their own community.At the input distribution site, Nuru Ethiopia farmers queue to receive their seed and fertilizer input loans.In Nuru Kenya’s work area of southwest Kenya, the season rains arrive over a month earlier than in southwest Ethiopia. The Nuru Kenya Agriculture staff is closely supervising planting. In the background, a new Nuru farmer followed technical trainings well, planting in weed-free rows with the correct spacing. In the foreground, a farmer not working with Nuru has planted maize without the correct spacing and poor weed control. Nuru tends to recruit early adopters and model farmers in the initial year in a new area. Other farmers observe the practical experience of these early adopters, and tend to follow suit after seeing the success realized with good agricultural practices.
Chief Program Officer — Matt received his BA in Government and Spanish from Lawrence University and a MS in Forest Sciences from Colorado State University, and began his international service career in rural Honduras, first as a Peace Corps Volunteer and later with The Nature Conservancy. Over several years punctuated by severe challenges for Hondurans, his experiences were eye opening as to how people navigate the complexities of rural life. Matt was drawn to Nuru International in 2011 with the resolve to take on tough challenges and has been humbled and amazed to be part of the transformational impact of local leaders. As Nuru’s Chief Program Officer, Matt continues to promote the agency of rural communities as the foundation of meaningful positive change.
