Relfections On An Image Sent By Derek Roberts

So my buddy Derek sent me this photo on Wednesday August 5 with a note attached that said, "The Beginning." And it got me thinking, a lot, about the last seven years. Back in 2008, when the above photo was taken, Nuru International was an idea. My friends Jake Harriman, John Hancox, Andy Cogar, Trey Dunham, and I had been in conversations for about a year while Jake was at grad school at Stanford working on the concept of Nuru with about 30 of his classmates and a half dozen professors.

At the time of this photo we were in a coffee house in Morgantown West Virginia called so.zo, and we were meeting and dreaming about changing lives in a place called Kuria, Kenya. We had not placed our first team on the ground yet. And seven years later, thanks to the help of many of you who read this blog, more than 80,000 people in Kenya and Ethiopia have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty for good!

And as I write and reflect on that day seven years ago when Jake and I met with a passionate group of volunteers in Morgantown who helped us spread the word about this idea in its nascent state, I am filled with gratitude for the way this idea has spread and grown. It has grown because people like you have chosen to do something instead of choosing to do nothing. Either one is truly a choice. And because you chose to do something, thousands of our global neighbors are lifting themselves out of extreme poverty for good.

It's kind of wild to be reflecting on these last seven years, because as I write this, I'm sitting in the Pittsburgh airport en route to meet up with Jake and witness first hand just what has happened over the last seven years. I'll be in both Kenya and Ethiopia, and I'll have an opportunity to meet some of the brave Kenyan and Ethiopian men and women who are leading their communities out of extreme poverty together with Nuru. I'm excited and a bit emotional as I think about what the next few days may have in store.

My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to serve. Gratitude for the transformation I've been able to be part of, together with you. Gratitude for an opportunity to reflect with Jake on the last seven years. And gratitude for an opportunity to continue to dream, together with you, about seeing the end of extreme poverty in our lifetime. At the same time, I feel a longing. I long to see more lives changed, I long for more of my friends to join in this fight, I long for more people in our world to have hope, choices, and opportunities. May we, as a global community, not rest until it is so.

Joshua's Story

I just had to share this incredible new video from Nuru International with you!

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 look at your children knowing that you and they were hungry and not having any idea what you could do about it or when the hunger would end.

In Joshua’s words, “Not being able to provide for my kids and my wife made me feel like I was nothing.” When Nuru came,  Joshua learned new methods for planting and provided a loan of good seed and fertilizer. Joshua was able to go from growing five bags of maize to twenty two bags of maize on his farm.

Not only that, now Joshua is teaching other families, He and his family are not only able to address hunger, but they are practicing healthy behaviors like boiling water, sleeping under mosquito nets and using latrines—so he and his family can stay healthy. He also joined a savings club which helps him to save in case of an emergency the money will help him.

Very happy because he can now feed his family, has beddings, house, and cattle. Nuru didn’t give him a handout, but rather gave him the ability to provide for his family.  And now, the result is not only seen in the improved crop yields, but more importantly, in the restoration of Joshua’s dignity as a human, as a man, as a husband, and as a father. In his own words, “Now when I hang out with friends, I feels like I am somebody, a real father.”

And stories like Joshua’s are becoming reality for literally thousands of families in Kuria West, Kenya.  It is an honor to work together with you and Nuru to make this change possible.

Nuru International’s New Website

After months of planning and preparation by our team at Nuru, we are excited to launch a brand new website that we feel helps people connect with our work better than ever before.

I’m personally really excited about this website, because each time Nuru accomplishes a new milestone, I take it as a personal moment for reflection and for vision. I can remember early conversations with Jake Harriman and John Hancox when Nuru was an idea back in summer 2007. And I can remember when our first team was formed and hit the ground in Kenya in September 2008. And now, Nuru has projects in two countries serving thousands of farmers and their families with programs that seek to build capacity, restore dignity, and long term are able to scale locally. We’ve made many adjustments along the way these last few years in an effort to serve more people, keep costs low, and impact high. And daily, whether through a blog post, a video, or a connection with other staff, I’m reminded of just how far we have come.

At the same time, I’m compelled even further by our vision for the future. Can you imagine seeing the end of extreme poverty in our lifetime? There’s no doubt that we can’t do this alone, and the problem will take all hands on deck to see a meaningful solution, BUT, we are building a solid foundation, and together, with your help, we will see the end of extreme poverty in our lifetime.

So, I invite you to take a look around our new website, and share it with others. As a West Virginian, a global citizen, and as a passionate pilgrim Shawnee seeking shalom, I’m incredibly proud of all that has been accomplished over these last few years and excited about what will take place in the years ahead.

May we each rise up to the challenges and opportunities presented to our generation to build a legacy for the future of this world and its people!

Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns Game

Wow! Recently, my friend Noah and his awesome girlfriend Kristen hooked me and Jamie up with tickets to see the Indianapolis Colts play the Cleveland Browns. It was mine and Jamie’s first NFL game together, and it was most definitely memorable. There were so many cool connections and happenings that made it memorable, but here are a few…

Jamie and I were driving the Nuru van, and we received a parking pass that put us literally a stone’s throw from Lucas Oil Stadium. That meant that many of the thousands of people walking to and from the stadium had an opportunity to find out about Nuru’s work. Pretty stellar, huh!

Andrew Luck is the quarterback for the Colts. He went to Stanford University during his undergrad. Jake Harriman, Nuru’s founder and CEO also went to the Stanford GSB. I believe Jake graduated after Andrew’s freshman year.

Andrew Luck’s dad, Oliver Luck, played football at WVU, is a Rhodes Scholar, and is also the current athletic director for WVU. Jamie, Noah, and myself are WVU alumni. My buddy Jake, started his college career at WVU (where we met), was also a Rhodes Scholar finalist, but played rugby at Navy not football.

We watched Andrew Luck become the first Colts quarterback since 1988 to rush for two touchdowns in a game. We also saw Andrew Luck notch the victory. Beyond that, we saw former Mountaineer Pat McAfee make a solid tackle and boot the ball a few times during the game as well.

That list is by no means thorough, but the greatest cool connection and happening had to be reconnecting with an old friend, and enjoying a somewhat relaxing afternoon together sharing stories and making memories.

Nuru Joins Listings For The Combined Federal Campaign

If you are a federal employee, or know someone who is, then I am excited to share with you a unique opportunity to show your support for Nuru International’s work. This fall, Nuru has joined the listing of qualifying organizations for the Combined Federal Campaign.

What does this mean? Each year, Federal Employees are encouraged to make contributions to the CFC as part of a government wide philanthropy campaign. Many employees make a general contribution to the CFC, but employees also have the option of making contributions to a designated qualifying CFC charity.

This fall, Nuru qualified for being listed. Any federal employee can designate their contributions to go specifically to further Nuru’s work. Here are three specific ways you can help.

1. Donate—make your contributions count for Nuru by looking up Nuru’s campaign Number on your campaign materials.
2. Spread the word—tell folks around your work place about the awesome work Nuru is doing, and how they can make their CFC contributions count for Nuru too!
3. Get Social—Use Twitter, Email, LinkedIn, and Facebook to spread the word across your network so even more people can sign on. Feel free to Pin this post on Pinterest too, and I have done so already, here! :)

Enrollment periods vary among agencies, but any promotion you can do between now and the end of your enrollment period would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you do to be Nuru! Now, let’s try to raise some cash to help Nuru fight extreme poverty in Kuria West, Kenya and beyond!

Thrill The World Morgantown 2012

I first met Gemma in 2006 through my good friend who is now my wife, Jamie. Gemma is an incredible individual who lives her life with passion and reckless abandon. She is always 100% present when she engages in conversation with others, and she brings energy and her whole heart to whatever she does.

When she first arrived in Morgantown, she was working toward a degree in Exercise Physiology, and was setting fire to the WVU Student RecCenter through a new form of aerobic exercise called Zumba. Her energy was contagious, and she helped many others discover Zumba in the area as well as helping even more people awaken to a renewed desire for personal mental, physical, and emotional health.

Gemma has volunteered with various groups over the years, including taking a trip to Honduras with Habitat for Humanity, and last year, she combined a fun dance opportunity with an opportunity to help support WVU Children’s Hospital. This year she is adding Nuru International to the organizations being supported.  The event is called Thrill The World Morgantown, and it is part of the world’s largest simultaneous Michael Jackson’s Thriller Dance Flash-Mob. Last year the event happened in the WVU Mountainlair, and this year, the event is slated to take place October 27^th. In the same locale.

 

If you are looking for an opportunity to 1) Have Fun, 2) Learn the Thriller dance, 3) Make a difference in this world, then you need to go register for the event in Morgantown. There’s still plenty of time to learn the dance and get involved, but it is super-important to register in advance. People will get zombied up for the event, and in an effort to have adequate time to get make-up on, it’s important for Gemma and her crew to have a good idea of how many folks are participating.

Here’s hoping for a spook-tacular Thrill The World event in Morgantown!