49 year-old Josphat Mokami Maroa lives in Nyangiti, Kenya. Anyone who has met him knows to never mistake his soft-spokenness for timidity. Even from the rhythm of his gait, you sense a palpable determination. Josphat is surrounded by the fruits of his labor: nine healthy children all in school living among three rooms on three arable …
Joshua Makira Chacha is from Ihore Kenya. He’s been farming with Nuru for the last three years, and his story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Heartbreaking because no one should have to go through the challenges he and his family had. They did not have enough food to eat. How heartbreaking would it be to …
For Veterans Day, Alex Martin shares his story of how he found a fulfilling career – and happiness – working as a humanitarian in Kenya after leaving the Marines. The following entry originally appeared on ONE.org. Just before leaving the Marine Corps in 2011, I wrote a brief reflection on what I’d learned. I wrote it …
The harvest season has arrived in Kuria West. As farmers across the district work hard to bring their crops in from the field, Nuru is happy to share these photos of the abundant maize harvest. A Nuru farmer uses oxen to carry maize from his farm to his house. Once the maize arrives at …
From June 18th to 20th a group of organizations convened for the Mulago Foundation Agriculture Summit. Representation included COMACO, Farm Shop, Innovations for Poverty Action, Juhudi Kilimo, KickStart, KOMAZA, Mountain Hazelnuts, Mulago Foundation, MyAgro, Nuru International, One Acre Fund, Proximity Design, Rainer Arnhold Fellows, Root Capital, Sanergy, Working Villages International, Praekelt Foundation, FarmForce, Center for …
As the rainy season draws to a close the Nuru Kenya Agriculture (NK Ag) team is preparing for a busy and fruitful harvest season. The 2014 long rains season was a fresh start for the NK Ag team after the challenges of 2013. It was also a season of firsts as Nuru introduced farmers to …
Crops shine a healthy dark green as they grow tall, bear flowers, shed pollen and are forming grain on Nuru farmer fields in Kenya and Ethiopia. Harvest season is on the horizon and the outlook is bright. This mid-season update reviews the activities of Nuru International’s Agriculture Program and provides an overview of the state …
After several months of good rain, Nuru Kenya is happy to share these photos of Nuru farmers’ crop progress. The Agriculture team and Nuru farmers are excited as they anticipate good harvests from this first year of planting diversified crop packages. A farmer stands among his sorghum field, which will be ready to harvest …
As Nuru International’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, I recently had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the 7th International Biannual African Evaluation Conference sponsored by the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA). AfrEA seeks to increase Africa’s leadership in evaluating development policies. This year’s conference, “Evaluation for Development: From Analysis to Impact”, took place in …
In June 2007, Nuru was a vision that hadn’t found a home. After spending that summer in Kenya and meeting Philip Mohochi who would later become Chairman of Nuru Kenya, I felt alive knowing that he and I would work together to make our shared vision a reality, starting in Kuria, Kenya. It is with …
We would like to say thanks to all the mothers around the world tirelessly working to give their children a healthy happy life this Mother’s Day. A special thanks to all the Nuru Farmer mothers in Kenya for their dedication and commitment to our next generation. You can see some of these mothers in the …
Nuru International’s goal is to end extreme poverty in remote rural areas across the globe. The challenge of ending extreme poverty is colossal in scope, complexity and scale. To achieve this goal, we cannot and should not work alone. We form strategic partnerships – relationships of cooperation and collaboration oriented to a common goal. With …
The Nuru Kenya Agriculture Team is excited to share the beginnings of the 2014 long rains growing season through photographs. As these farmers continue to diligently work on their shambas (farms), we will share their progress. So, check back soon! A farmer group works together planting maize following receiving planting training from their …
Nuru’s Agriculture Programs in Kenya and Ethiopia have launched crop operations in 2014 holding crop diversification as a central element. What is crop diversification? What are its pros and cons? How is it being deployed in Nuru? Crop diversification is the practice of producing a variety of crops in a farm enterprise or system. Diversification …
Sustainability is a complex word with multiple meanings. In the agricultural sector, it is important to consider how to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner. My colleague, Matt Lineal, wrote this blog on the environmental sustainability of Nuru’s Agriculture Program back in May 2013. Another important type of sustainability is financial sustainability. Nuru uses its Social …