As the world celebrates World Book and Copyright Day on Saturday, April 23rd, members of the Nuru Education team reflect on what books influenced them as children and why books are important to us all. What was your favorite book or series when you were a child? “My favorite storybook growing up was Things Fall …
Nuru prioritizes feedback. In 2015, the UN ratified the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals which defined 17 specific goals for ending poverty. The goal that relates most to the Nuru Leadership Program is number 16, which focuses on promoting “peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development…at all levels.” Nuru’s training on “the importance of feedback” is applicable …
From the perspective of a Nuru farmer in Kenya, it may seem like International Women’s Day has nothing to do with her. In rural areas, limited economy, poor infrastructure and low education levels contribute to communities having limited or no access to social media to follow @WomensDay or #IWD2016. Despite the swell of online conversation, she …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Rose Wangoia is a 28-year-old mother of a 5-month-old child. She is a wife to Paul Mwita who is a Nuru farmer and they are blessed with four kids. James, a Nuru Kenya Healthcare Field Officer, visits her home on a monthly basis to promote adoption and maintenance of key healthy behaviours such as drinking …
Can growing corn in Kenya fight terrorism? One veteran says it can. By Robert L. Strauss BY HIS OWN RECKONING, Jake Harriman has told the same story more than 500 times. It is early morning in April 2003. The fog is lifting along Highway 7 in southern Iraq. A small car blazes up the road. …
By Robert L. Strauss IF JAKE HARRIMAN’S EPIPHANY about war and peace came in 2003 along Highway 7 in southern Iraq, then Alex Martin’s arrived aboard the Magellan Star, a German-owned cargo ship pirated off the coast of Somalia in 2010. Martin, a major in the Marine Corps reserve who co-directed Nuru’s operations in Kenya …
Involving key stakeholders when initiating a project in a new community is essential to the success of any intervention. If a community is involved from the start, it is more likely that the community will accept the programs, become active decision-makers and ultimately advocates and ambassadors for the program. Nuru Kenya takes great care to …