Will You Help Make My Birthday Extra Special This Year?

This time last year, I was able to meet face-to-face for the first time with the Chairman of Nuru Kenya, Mr. Philip Mohochi. To learn more about his story, click here. 

This time last year, I was on the ground in Kuria, Kenya witnessing first-hand the impact Nuru has had on the ground since 2008. I said goodbye to my dad, and my then fiancée Jamie at the Pittsburgh airport, and then flew to Detroit, Amsterdam, and finally landed in Nairobi late Saturday night. It was there that I first met one of Nuru Kenya’s staff and now a great friend, Julius Nyamohanga. Julius and I sat in Jomo Kenyatta airport sharing stories and waiting for a few others to arrive before leaving for a quick night of sleep in a small simple apartment in Nairobi before awaking at 400AM to prepare for a long bus ride to Isibania.

It would take a lot to capture all that I experienced during that week, but I tried to capture some of it in my blog last year while I was there. Here’s a few links to posts that I wrote during my stay. Among other things, for the first time, I celebrated my birthday in another country. It was absolutely amazing. Let me tell you about what happened on my birthday last year.  I witnessed 165 people make commitments to join savings clubs with Nuru’s CED program (similar meetings were held in other communities, and over 465 people joined savings clubs in one day).

One of the things that struck me about the meeting—which was a 45 minute drive from the nearest town of any size, was that 165 people were gathered and ready for the meeting 10 minutes before it started. They had walked 45 minutes to an hour to gather for this meeting which told me that they believed it was worth the time commitment it took them to be there. It is absolutely mind-blowing when I step back to think about the step I watched people take that day.

And since that time, Nuru has continued to grow. There are now roughly 15,000 people who are benefitting from Nuru’s programs in Kuria, Kenya. And all of that has been made possible because of passionate people like you and me who are willing to support these programs.

That’s why this year on my birthday, I’m proud to be the among the first to use a brand new tool Nuru is introducing. The tool allows people to raise funds and awareness for Nuru’s work by creating their own fundraising campaign online. For my birthday this year, I want to ask you to check out the page, give me your feedback about what you like/dislike about the tool, and consider making a donation. On the occasion of my birthday, I’m trying to raise $1000 to support Nuru’s work, and thanks to the generosity of others, I’m already halfway there. Will you check out my page and make a donation?

Thanks for taking time to give your feedback, and if you like the tool, consider using it as create your own unique way to spread the word about all the good Nuru is doing. Thanks for reading, and thanks for being Nuru!