It seems like only yesterday that Thomas and I were passing the blog torch. In reality, it was about a year and a half ago that I assumed the role of Education Program Manager here in Kenya. The time has come for me to head back to the States and for a new Program Manager …
In Nuru, we embrace a model of leadership called “servant leadership.” This style of leadership stands in contrast to many conventional leadership paradigms, because it characterizes leadership as a position of responsibility and service, not a symbol of privilege and power. In this month’s blog, a member of Nuru’s Kenyan Training Team, Francis Magige, gives …
All over the world, inequalities exist. In the US, the typical white family has 20 times the wealth of the median black family. People like Troy Davis face the death penalty even when facts are hazy. Where Nuru works in Kenya, people can still go to bed hungry, children do not always go to school, …
How should we determine when the appropriate time for the western staff to leave Kenya is? We know that the western staff will leave Kenya, and we know that our goal is to have that happen after five years. We also know, though, that there will need to be some monitoring and evaluation efforts to …
When mentioning micro loans in the development field, it is assumed you are talking about all small loans given to those in poverty. Although the majority of microfinance institutions (MFIs) prescribes to similar dogmas and offers comparable loan programs to clients, there is a lot of variety and specificity in the field. Organizations like Village …
If you’ve been following this blog, you already know that Nuru’s water and sanitation program staff members are developing a safe, low-cost latrine product here in Kuria, Kenya. Here’s a quick snapshot of where we are now: We’ve selected our design. We’ve built a house-like “superstructure” with timbers and corrugated metal on a 1-by-1.5 meter “slab” …
As children donned their backpacks and prepared to head back to school for a new term, the Nuru education team prepared to resume outreach efforts; unbeknownst to us the Kenya National Union of Teachers quietly prepared to launch a countrywide strike. September 5th, teachers mounted a strike demanding the government respond to issues of understaffing …
Every time I am in a Kurian home, I enjoy looking at the plethora of calendars decorating the walls. These calendars range from English football teams to bus company advertisements to pictures of babies with hearts surrounding them. Once a calendar is hung on someone’s wall, it usually stays there until it falls apart. I’ve …
As board chairman, I’ve had the privilege of being involved with Nuru International from the very beginning. However, it wasn’t until August 2011 that I was able to see Nuru’s impact first-hand. My trip to Kenya was nothing short of amazing. I’d like to share my thoughts and reflections. Upon arriving in Kenya, my first …
Gazing across the rural Kurian countryside, you see houses scattered miles apart from each other, hills rolling, and no major roads but rather tiny, winding walking paths that stretch through fields of maize, over streams without bridges, and over the horizon out of sight. To perform a survey in this landscape is trying – because …
The stairs leading up to the leadership training room are precarious – a thin layer of cement over rebar – no railing. At the top is a landing with large double doors that pull open to a wide, cool space. I pause outside, looking in: a room under construction. Cement walls, no paint. The ceiling …
This has been a very busy couple of weeks for us here on the M&E team. It’s fun, though, when there is a variety of work to do as opposed to one major piece of work to focus on and worry about. I like variety. I like switching from one thing to the next in …
When I was a kid, I remember my dad routinely encouraging me in the midst of failure as I grew up. “It doesn’t matter so much that you failed,” he would say. “What matters most is that you learn from this failure and don’t repeat the same mistakes that led you here in the future.” …
Since opening, attendance at the learning center has steadily hovered around 300 – 350 youth. Schools are preparing to reopen in September, and they have just opened their doors to offer students remedial attention in the form of “ tuition.” This week many of the kids from the learning center returned to school for tuition, leaving us …
Although Nuru’s healthcare program focuses primarily on maternal and child health, we think it’s extremely important to involve men in all of our programming. In Kuria, Kenya, men are traditionally the primary decision makers. This still holds true in most households. Before getting married, a man has to pay a dowry in cows to his potential …