Taragwiti Savings Club
An update from the Nuru CED Program Program Manager, Vivian Lu, at the Taragwiti Savings Club.
Nuru
To lead is to serve…
So, the wells are finished, the maize is harvested, the farmers have repaid their loans, and the first phase healthcare construction is complete. I have had a bit of a chance to sit back and breathe for a second this past week…kind of a calm before the storm. We have been driving really hard here …
U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Magazine Shipmate Magazine Features Nuru International
The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Magazine Shipmate, has featured Nuru International in the September/October 2009 issue. The article called Seeds of Change takes a look at how CEO Jake Harriman, a former U.S. Marine Force Recon Platoon Commander, developed his skills obtained in his military career and applied them to helping the poorest of the …
Join a Revolution
“Isire has just killed his brother. -Nelly” David Carreon (Nuru Healthcare Program Manger) stared in disbelief at the text he had just received from Nelly, the Kenyan Field Manager for all Nuru’s healthcare programs. He looked up at me with a bewildered look on his face, and just handed me the phone without saying a …
East of Eden…
“Isire has just killed his brother. -nelly” David Carreon (Nuru Healthcare Program Manger) stared in disbelief at the text he had just received from Nelly, the Kenyan Field Manager for all Nuru’s healthcare programs. He looked up at me with a bewildered look on his face, and just handed me the phone without saying a …
Local Leadership Development is Key to Hope of Kuria, Kenya
There are many things we take for granted. The thing I realized today is that we take opportunities for leadership and advancement totally for granted. In the US, almost every single job has some way to advance. If there’s no advancement in the job, then it’s seen as a stepping stone to some other job. …
Community Economic Development
So, I have received a lot of requests to do another blog entry. I have been working on several, but I often leave them half finished. After a day or so of sitting unfinished, they become dull to me, so I fear they we will be dull to others. I am never sure which portion …
Introducing the CED
The last few weeks have been busy for the Community Economic Development (CED) program, or as Jake calls it, the artist formerly known as Small Business Development. The name change was an effort to better reflect the program’s goals, not all of which are covered by small business development alone. During my time in Kuria …
Staff Development Day
Yesterday we held a staff development day at our house. The Community Development Chairmen (CDC) came over and we discussed everything from banking, to female empowerment, to maps. Philip Mohochi (our head chairman and community business guy) taught the rest of the CDC how to keep a budget and do their own books. The CDC …
Kuria, Kenya Interactive Google Map
Last week I spent most of my time roaming around the area with GPS and camera in hand to map and photograph as much of the area as possible. The original map I made didn’t have much in the way of location information and no pictures to associate with any of the structures. This time, …
Nuru Farmer’s Maize Performing Well
It’s amazing how providing access to simple information and resources can dramatically improve the lives of the extremely poor. In February, Nuru issued farmers in the Nyametaburo and Nyangiti communities a loan of maize seed and fertilizer. Why? Their soil was so depleted of nitrogen and phosphates (critical to crop growth and sustenance) that the …
We Did It! BH2O+ Recap
Eleven college campuses. Over 800 students participating. Hundreds of dollars raised by students, and thousands given by benevolent donors. “Be Hope to Her” is effecting change – real, lasting, sustainable change. This campaign began because Nuru noticed a need in Kuria, Kenya – a need that is an injustice; women and girls, sacrificing education and …
A Day [-] Water
I may be more naïve than the rest of us, but it wasn’t until I started getting involved in this clean water awareness campaign nicknamed BH2O+ (“Be Hope to Her”) that I actually considered what a dramatic impact water has on my life. Think about it. How many times do you come in contact with …
Words for The White House
I was recently encouraged by a close friend of mine (my brother-in-law) to do something that seemed at face value to be a little ridiculous in today’s world…to write a letter to the President of the United States. I laughed for a while at the notion when I first read his email, but over the …
Nuru Launches Farm Loan Program in Kuria, Kenya
Nuru’s farm loan program is a critical foothold program for us here in the community. The farm loan program involves Nuru purchasing high quality inputs (fertilizer and seed) so that famers can dramatically increase their crop yields (400%-500%). At harvest, the farmers repay the loan and have plenty left over to feed their families for …