Learning exchanges among Nuru Collective members are crucial for continued growth.

In September 2023, the Nuru Burkina Faso team traveled to Kenya for a learning exchange with their fellow collective member, Nuru Kenya. During this time, Nuru Burkina Faso was able to immerse itself in Nuru Kenya’s lessons learned over the last 15 years of operating. Nuru Burkina Faso is the newest member of the Nuru Collective. Nuru Kenya is the oldest member. With well-documented successes and learnings throughout its history, it is well-positioned to build the capacities of other collective members.

Nuru Collective Summit 2023 

Steve Amodio, Nuru International Scaling Advisor, with the Nuru Burkina Faso team

Nuru Burkina Faso’s visit to Nuru Kenya followed the Nuru Collective Summit, where Nuru Collective team members from seven different countries came together in Kenya. During the summit, member organizations shared ideas and strategized for the future. Additionally, they collaborated on work and discussed both the challenges and successes of the last year. The Nuru Burkina Faso team participated in workshops focused on cultivating women’s agency in farmer cooperatives, utilizing technology and various internal communications tools to prepare for growth, and building partnerships for scaling operations. 

“This trip enabled us to meet local cooperatives and gain a better understanding of the efficient way in which NK supports them.  This has enabled us to improve our approach to working with cooperatives in Burkina Faso.” – Joseph, Nuru Burkina Faso Agricultural Development Manager

Nuru Kenya Hosts Nuru Burkina Faso

Nuru Burkina Faso and Nuru Kenya team members visiting a farm in Kenya together

The Nuru Burkina Faso was hosted by Nuru Kenya at its headquarters in Isebania. Team members had an opportunity to meet local tomato farmers’ cooperatives. Nuru Kenya farmers were eager to share about their successes, including a vital adaptation to climate change, an irrigation system that allows farmers to cultivate tomatoes all throughout the year. The Burkina Faso team was impressed by the demonstration plot sites facilitated by farmer cooperatives. These sites focus on training small groups of farmers close to their home locations. This ensures training is as accessible to farmers as possible, and it decreases the risk that farmers will miss critical teaching that can equip them to increase their crop yields and improve soil health. 

Tisinya Farmer Cooperative

At Tisinya Cooperative, the Burkina Faso team had an opportunity to see the impact of Nuru Kenya’s dairy livelihoods program–an effort that has successfully increased farmers’ incomes through dairy interventions over the last six years. Tisinya Cooperative has successfully supported farmers in building their income through milk sales. Tisinya collects milk from the farmers, ensures high quality processing,  and then makes the milk available for purchase through a refrigerated vending machine. As Nuru Burkina Faso continues building the capacities of the farmer cooperatives it serves, it saw valuable lessons in the Tisinya Cooperative and its creative approach to supporting its farmer members. Tisinya is just one of the more than 50 farmer cooperatives receiving support from Nuru Kenya. 

The Ripple Effect of Learning 

Nuru Kenya staff member Emmah Kinara with Nuru Burkina Faso team at demonstration plot

Learning exchanges like this and the exchange visit between Nuru Burkina Faso and Nuru Nigeria  are important in continuing to build a cohesive Nuru Collective. Visiting established Nuru Collective member organizations provides newer organizations with a new perspective on the challenges they face in establishing their local operations. Additionally, these organizations can also catch a glimpse of what future success can look like. Furthermore, when local leaders are given the chance to share their insights with each other, their impact is multiplied across geographies.