As Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Program Manager for Nuru Kenya, I consistently work with my team to build up different strengths that enable us to objectively monitor and evaluate Nuru Kenya’s impact programs. I want to share my experience building a credible and sustainable M&E system in Kenya. Below are the five critical stages our …
2015 was a big year for Nuru Kenya. In June, our whole expatriate (expat) team living in Kenya packed up our suitcases, said our goodbyes, and headed out of town. Our Kenyan colleagues had already been running operations for a year and were well prepared to continue in our absence. Yet, this was a big …
In the fight against terrorism, Jimmy Leak ’12 isn’t a typical soldier. Instead of military training, he has a Ph.D. in educational policy & social context. And instead of drone strikes, he relies on poems and storybooks. Leak works for Nuru International, a nonprofit founded by an ex-Marine who sees poverty and hopelessness as fertile …
Foreword by Jimmy Leak, PhD: I first met George in June of 2012. He had just been promoted to Field Manager because he is smart and innovative, but he wasn’t managing anyone. Everyone could see his talent, but he was shy and a bit timid. In the years since, George has emerged as one of Nuru …
The world is wrestling with some very difficult challenges after this year. Global Challenges ISIS, Al Qaeda and their affiliates are daily growing in strength and number by preying on the desperation of impoverished nations and disenfranchisement of restless youth who are fed up with the world that has been handed down to them. In …
PHILADELPHIA—On December 10, 2015, the Travis Manion Foundation hosted its 4th Annual “If Not Me, Then Who…” Gala at the historic Union League of Philadelphia. This black tie event, which is a national recognition of character and leadership, had attendees from across the country who were being honored for their dedication to selfless service within …
In 2015, the Nuru Healthcare team was relentlessly devoted to helping farmer families prevent illness and move toward better health through positive behavior change. Nuru Healthcare is operating in remote, rural communities in two countries: Kenya, where we have operated for several years, and Ethiopia, where our program has just gotten under way. In Ethiopia, …
The first annual and much-awaited Nuru Kenya Servant Leadership Summit finally kicked off on Sunday, the 22nd of November. Being a non-working day, it was a great sacrifice and a show of eagerness by the Nuru Kenya leaders to learn more about servant leadership. The summit participants included all of Nuru Kenya’s program managers and their …
The past year has been a year of growth, iteration and achievement for Nuru Education. Nuru Kenya Education began completed its fourth year of outreach, while Nuru Ethiopia Education completed the Program Planning Process in July and launched its program in October. There were many highlights in both countries throughout the year. Nuru Kenya Nuru …
Across vast regions of Ethiopia, the belg (spring) rains, normally expected to start in February, mostly failed. El Niño has disrupted normal weather conditions and crop production in many parts of the world and across East Africa. This global weather phenomenon is creating warmer than average waters in the Pacific Ocean and affecting global climates. …
After a very successful Training of Trainers (ToT) with woreda (district) education officials, school directors, cluster supervisors and language department heads in October, the Nuru Ethiopia Education team and these school officials conducted the first in a series of seven teacher training sessions on Friday, November 13th and Saturday November 14th. The first part of the …
The heart of the Thanksgiving holiday and living out servant leadership walk hand in hand in my mind: both are a posture of gratitude helping us remember what we are thankful for and to put the needs of others above our own. Servant leadership was a focus at the recent joint Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nuru Ethiopia …
Today around the US, many of us are traveling to the households of friends and family in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. We’re carving turkeys and enjoying delicious sweet potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Millions are gathering around the television or in our communities to watch Thanksgiving parades, college football and the …
Most of the expectant mothers in the highlands of rural Ethiopia have to walk to get to a health center to give birth with a skilled birth attendant. The walk is not on flat sidewalks. It is more what we might think of as a hike, on dirt roads and paths up and down hills …
Improving income and food security for small-scale maize farmers in Kenya requires addressing challenges along the entire value chain–from planting all the way through the sale of surplus yield. Nuru Kenya (NK) ensures farmers have everything needed for planting by providing input loans. Support from NK continues throughout the growing season as farmers receive training …