Generous $15,000 #GivingTuesday Match For Nuru International

It's been a while since I posted on this blog, but today is just too important to not post. A generous West Virginian has committed $15,000 to match every donation that Nuru International receives today in honor of #GivingTuesday.

Over the last nine years, our entire team at Nuru has been hard at work developing leaders who have the passion, the drive, and the commitment to making extreme poverty history in their homes and their communities. One of those leaders is the gentleman next to Jake in the photo above, Josephat Marawa. Josephat was one of the first farmers Jake met when we launched Nuru in Kenya in 2008. Josephat was struggling to grow enough food to help his family address hunger and just like any parent, he was longing for his children to have a better future.



I can remember multiple occasions where I had the privilege of being with Josephat in the field and meeting with other farmer households. He is an incredibly soft-spoken and thoughtful individual, and in the years since he first started farming with Nuru, he has grown in both his ability to provide for his family and his ability to serve his community. He is now a field manager for Nuru Kenya's Agriculture Program, and is helping about 500 farmers to improve their livelihoods and to chart a better future for their families.


Josephat is one of many leaders that Nuru International has poured into. And you might wonder, why invest in developing leaders? Why not just provide something to meet immediate needs? Well, the answer is simple. As a result of investing in leaders like Josephat, Nuru's Western staff were able to leave Kenya in 2015 and watch from afar as local staff continued to adapt and expand programs to serve their communities. They are helping other leaders grow and expand their reach, and the impact will continue for many years to come!



And it's not just happening in Kenya. In Ethiopia, there are leaders like Tekalign Teferi and Temesgen Berihun, who are training up Nuru Ethiopia staff on the importance of servant leadership, of putting others first, and of helping to build the capacity of those around you. And in the near future, Western staff will be leaving Ethiopia and watching locals continue to serve new communities. And they will do it even better!

And today, you have an opportunity to invest in these leaders with double the impact. As I mentioned before, a generous West Virginian has committed to match every donation received today, up to $15,000. That means if you give $250, it becomes $500. If you give $50 it becomes $100. If you give $500, it becomes $1,000. None of this work would be possible if it weren't for the generosity of friends like you. Will you give toward maximizing this match and helping Nuru serve even more communities in the future? Thanks for all you have done and continue to do to help more and more families lift themselves out of extreme poverty for good!

Cultivate Hope With Nuru International On #GivingTuesday

This year Nuru is working to raise $300,000 to expand its efforts to 1,500 new households in the southern highlands of Ethiopia. And today, on #GivingTuesday, a generous donor from West Virginia has stepped forward to match every donation received up to $15,000 today. Will you make a donation to help maximize this match and help Nuru serve even more families in 2017? Every bit helps!

Since the summer of 2007, I have had the incredible honor of working together with a few of my friends from my undergraduate days, namely John Hancox, Jake Harriman, Andy Cogar, and Trey Dunham to make our own unique contributions to a massive global problem. The problem is global extreme poverty. And, while the problem by itself is huge, the very fact of its existence leads to the proliferation and thriving of an array of other problems including global instability, violent extremism, child soldiers, slavery, and human trafficking just to name a few. 

Back in 2007, we had no idea what might be in store in the years ahead, but we had a plan, a ton of passion, and a number of really smart and committed leaders contributing their skills to building an organization that could make a tangible impact in the lives of others. As we launched Nuru International in September 2008, a number of our friends had thrown their lot in with us and committed time and money to helping spread the word about the issue, and Nuru's unique contribution to the problem. In a matter of months, Nuru had grown from an idea to an actual organization that was serving approximately 2,500 people in southwestern Kenya. 

And as of this year, that number has grown to more than 100,000 people. That's more than 100,000 lives changed for the better because people like me and you stepped into the arena and chose to do something rather than stand by idly as our global neighbors suffered. And we are just getting started. In 2015, our western staff left Kenya for good, and local leaders are continuing to adapt and improve their efforts to address extreme poverty in their country. They are cultivating hope in areas of the world that are all too often forgotten by most.

Earlier this year, I had the honor of traveling with Jamie to visit our second country project in Ethiopia. The area where Nuru works is high up in the mountains of southern Ethiopia, and it is about a 2.5 hour drive from the nearest city to the area. Together, Jamie and I listened to stories from farmers and their families about the transformation that had taken place for them since Nuru's arrival. They talked about increases in crop yields and being able to feed their families. They talked about improving their savings and their health, and they talked about things I didn't think about with regard to programs. They talked about how their marriages were healthier because they were not frustrated by conversations about money or frequent discussions about children being sick. Their marriages were healthier because they were developing skills to improve their livelihoods. There are so many aspects of our lives and our relationships that improve when people have the ability to make meaningful choices for their future! As we walked along and talked with these families, we also witnessed how Nuru had equipped these families to be able to cope with one of the worst droughts in Ethiopia to occur in many years.

Farming is risky business, and farmers are inherently risk takers; it’s always been that way. All over the world, our food supply relies on farmers taking risks. All over the world, parents want a better life for their children than the one they had. Amarech Sama was among the first individuals to enroll in Nuru's programs in Meteka Mele Ethiopia in 2014. Her community was deeply affected by the drought, but because of Nuru, she and her family are thriving. In fact, Amarech just gave birth to a baby boy, and has not only improved her own financial literacy, but she is participating in programs to learn to better care for her newborn in Nuru's healthcare training programs (and teaching others) ways to better care for their infants as well! Please watch and share this video to learn more about Amarech and the work of Nuru in Kenya and Ethiopia as well.

This holiday season, you can help change the lives of thousands of our global neighbors, and cultivate hope in the southern mountains of Ethiopia and beyond. Will you share this post and make a gift to support women like Amarech Sama and move Nuru's mission forward today?

Reflection: West Virginia State House and Senate Recognize Nuru’s Work

One year ago today, on Wednesday January 21, 2015 at approximately 11AM, Nuru was given a double honor in the home state of Nuru’sCEO and founder Jake Harriman. Along with board members John Hancox and Andy Cogar, Jake and I were invited to stand before the West Virginia House of Delegates to receive a citation honoring them for the work Nuru has done to fight extreme poverty and to celebrate the strong role West Virginians have played in the organization since its inception whether by working directly for Nuru, volunteering, or giving financial contributions to help Nuru grow from an idea to have incredible impact on over 50,000 lives in Kenya and Ethiopia over the last six years.

And as soon as the House of Delegates had finished honoring Nuru, Andy, John, Jake, and I were ushered to the other end of the West Virginia State Capitol where the Senate was waiting to pass a similar resolution and honor the work of Nuru.  After the Senate passed the resolution, all of the members of the Senate came together for a photo and shook hands with Nuru’s West Virginian representation.

The Honorable Corey Palumbo sponsored the resolution in the Senate, and The Honorable Stephen Skinner submitted the sponsored the resolution in the House of Delegates. It was truly wonderful to have both houses of the West Virginia Legislature take time to recognize the work of many West Virginians and WVU Alumni who have helped drive this mission forward.  In fact the resolution mentions staff and board members by name.

Personally, it makes me proud as a West Virginian to have the work of Nuru celebrated and recognized in our state’s Capitol, and additionally proud of all of the volunteers, financial supporters, staff, and board members from West Virginia who have helped carry this mission forward from its beginning, and I am excited for the next chapter Nuru and West Virginians will continue writing in the work to end extreme poverty!

#GivingTuesday 2015 and Nuru International

A generous West Virginian stepped forward to match every donation (up to $15,000) that Nuru receives in honor of Giving Tuesday today. And that has me doubly grateful. It's not just about the match that I'm grateful, its also incredibly gratifying to see more and more people from my home state step up and join Nuru's efforts. I'm deeply proud of the strong West Virginia roots of Nuru, and at the same time, I love the fact that there are people from around the globe choosing to join us in this fight.

A little over seven years ago, Nuru was an idea. But in seven years, we have seen incredible change taking place. In fact this year we are celebrating the fact that together with the help of generous and selfless people like you, we have been able to help more than 81,000 people lift themselves out of extreme poverty in Kenya and Ethiopia.



With your help, we will be able to do even more in 2016. We are planning to take Nuru's programs to even more families in 2016. Over the next month we are working to raise a total of $300,000 dollars. Want to help? Here's FIVE ways you can! 

1) Donate online to Nuru, and encourage others to do the same!

2) If you are on Twitter, Share the link to our Holiday campaign page. Here's a sample tweet.

Join me in supporting @IAmNuru. Up to $15K will be matched today! http://bit.ly/1MRAPH #GivingTuesday

3) If you are on Facebook, share the link to our Holiday campaign page on Facebook. Here's a sample post.

Friends, I'm a proud supporter of Nuru International. Watch the video in this link and you'll discover why. Will you join me in supporting Nuru as your way of celebrating #GivingTuesday? Each donation given today will be matched up to $15,000. Every bit helps! http://bit.ly/1MRAPHZ

4) Nuru sent out an eNews reminder December 1 about the campaign. Will you forward the eNews to five friends and add a note to tell them why you believe in Nuru?

5) Create your own fundraising page--you could invite friends and family to donate to Nuru this year. 

Your support means a lot to me and to our entire team at Nuru, but it means even more to our farmers. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do to help their lives become better! Let's keep changing the world together!!!

Countdown To The 40th Marine Corps Marathon And Celebrating The Warrior Spirit

In just a few days, Jamie and I will join with thousands of men and women from all over the world to run the 40th Marine Corps Marathon. While our training this year has not been as rigorous and regimented as it was in years past (challenges with travel, etc.), we are starting to feel ready for what is ahead.

While the training was not ideal (it almost never is), Jamie and I both feel stronger than we have felt for either of our two previous marathons, and we are ecstatic to be able to finally meet some of the folks from around the country who have chosen to run this year's Marine Corps Marathon for Team Nuru International. Over the last three years, nearly 100 individuals have signed on with Team Nuru, laced up their shoes, and committed themselves to running a marathon as their unique contribution to seeing the end of extreme poverty in our lifetimes. And for many, this is their first marathon. Each of us are actually working to raise money for Nuru to continue to change the lives of farmers in Kenya and Ethiopia; want to help with financial support?

When I think ahead to the race on Sunday, I think about three types of warriors, and how this event celebrates the warrior spirit. The most obvious type is the man or woman who is serving in the US or another country's armed forces. Marines line the entire course and coordinate the entire event. Each year, it seems like our timing at the metro stop is perfectly synced with the Royal Netherlands Navy marathon team as well.

The second type of warrior celebrated (at least for team Nuru) is the farmer who is working to see his or her family out of extreme poverty. This warrior gets up each morning before the call of the rooster to begin working the field, caring for children, and preparing for the day that will end after the setting of the sun. Want to learn more about this kind of warrior? Check out the video below.



The third type of warrior is seen all along the course, and if you are not paying attention you might miss him or her. If you are running, they are likely running next to you, behind you, or in front of you. This warrior is the one who exerted self-discipline for at least six months in an effort to prepare for the marathon. She sacrificed, in an effort to achieve a goal that may have seemed only a slight possibility at the beginning of her training. He may be running to honor a fallen family member or in an effort to show himself victorious in a fight against a disease. This runner may have started down this path to overcome obesity, or to prove that he/she has what it takes. And at the end of the race, they will receive an honor and recognition for their efforts.

The first year we ran the Marine Corps Marathon, I saw my wife demonstrate this tenacious warrior mentality in an incredibly powerful way. Thursday before the race, she left work sick. She came home with a 102˚ F temperature. Friday morning, she was feeling "better", and we made the trip from Morgantown to Washington DC. Friday night, she went to sleep and slept for fourteen hours. All along this three day stretch she was coughing. She had resolved in her mind that she did not train to sit out of the race, and so she came race day, and willed herself to the finish line.

I learned a lot from running alongside Jamie that day. I'd like to think that I would have gotten out of bed to run with the kind of resolve she had if our situation was reversed. She refused to quit and refused to let the bus pick her up. She gave her all to complete the race and was awarded with a medal at the Iwo Jima Memorial.

But I think she came away with something more. She tapped into her warrior mindset, tested her mettle, and walked away with a deeper peace and confidence that has only grown stronger since that race. She is one of the most mentally strong and resilient individuals I have ever met, and I am privileged that I not only get to run 26.2 miles with her this Sunday, but I get to spend almost every day running through life together with her!

And as Jamie and I countdown to the event, we look forward to journeying through our nation's capital with thousands of warriors who have trained, prepared, and are mission ready. We also take time to remind ourselves of our brothers and sisters around the world who are choosing to give their utmost every day to push through to create a better world for their family, their community, and themselves.

May each of us fight tenaciously forward and never quit until our day comes to give up the ghost. As my friend and teammate at Nuru Alex Martin is fond of quoting, "All it takes is all you've got!"

Second Annual uRUN for Nuru 5K in Kingwood WV August 22 2015

Saturday August 22, 2015 at 10AM, runners and walkers from around the region will gather in Kingwood WV for the Second Annual uRUN for Nuru 5K and will run 3.1 miles along a mostly flat course near the home town of Nuru International's founder, Jake Harriman. Will you be among the runners and walkers?

Last year, Jamie and I were incredibly thrilled to be able to participate in the inaugural version of this 5K race. The race was started when a a fellow West Virginian and Preston County native, Katie Plum, heard about Nuru's work, that someone from her local community had started Nuru, and was trying to think of a way to help support Nuru's mission of ending extreme poverty in remote, rural areas.

Katie decided to organize a 5K race near where she grew up. She enlisted the help of others who had more experience coordinating the details of the race and place the race on the site of active.com where you can register in advance for the race. The race last year was a huge success, and enabled Katie to raise more than $2,000 to further Nuru's work. That money helps Nuru enable families to lift themselves out of extreme poverty in Kenya and Ethiopia and begin to live their lives with choices and opportunities.

This year, Katie has been working to expand the race, get more runners and walkers involved, and build from the solid base created in 2014. The race starts a little later in the day than most 5K races, so that means that if you like to sleep in on the weekends, you can still do so, and make the race.

As the final few days before the race are upon us, I wanted to ask for your help. Will you join us in running or walking the race? You can register through active or show up and pay at the event. Kingwood is an absolutely beautiful little town, and if you have never visited, Saturday is a perfect time. Also, will you help spread the word about the race? You can share this blog, or simply share the website so people can get the event details.

One last thing, maybe you or someone you know would be interested in organizing a uRUN for Nuru 5K in your town and among your running and walking community. Interested? Let me know, and I can place you in contact with Katie. Or, you can show up and run this race, and meet her in person. Regardless, let's all keep taking ground and doing our part to see the end of extreme poverty in our lifetime!

#Giving Tuesday and Nuru International

The woman in the photo above is a farmer named Amarch Sama. She lives in an area called Meteka Mele, Ethiopia. Earlier this year, she was sharing with Nuru that for the last several years her family has gone through a six month hunger season. This hunger season  has led to a lack of savings, and even difficulty buying seed and fertilizer for the next year. Rather than opportunities and choices, her life was defined by anxiety. “How will I be able to feed my children? What happens if someone becomes ill? How will we save for the future?”

This year, all of those anxieties began to melt away. Amarch and 487 other farmers in Ethiopia joined Nuru and began to learn better farming techniques. They began farming as groups, and the community grew closer. When harvest came, Amarch and her neighbors were thrilled to see incredible yields of maize and beans because they knew that hunger would not be part of their future.

And this year, Nuru is working hard to help 1,700 farmers like Amarch to begin to lift their families out of extreme poverty for good! To do it, together we need to raise $350,000 this month to begin implementing our programs. Thankfully, to help us get started we had a generous donor step forward to match every donation that comes in TODAY (December 2 2014), up to $15,000. So if you give to Nuru in honor of #GivingTuesday, your donation will be doubled! How cool is that?

Will you help us maximize this match by donating today? With your help, Nuru can raise $30,000 today and be far along the way to raising $350,000 by the end of the year!

Also check out this video if you would like to learn more about Amarch, about Nuru, and about Nuru's plans for 2015!

Help Nuru Celebrate 5 years and over 30,000 Changed Lives

Well, it has been far too long since I have written, but today I am writing to share some incredible news and asking for your help. This year, Nuru International is celebrating 5 years since we started fighting extreme poverty. Five years ago, Nuru was an idea. But now, we are able to look back and see over 30,000 lives that have been changed because of that idea. And now the idea is becoming a movement.

Because of people like you, there are literally thousands of families in Kenya, and soon Ethiopia, who are beginning to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. Thank you for your willingness to believe in this idea and help Nuru bring lasting change in the lives of many.

And now, I want to ask for you to help us celebrate these last five years and help us bring Nuru's programs to even more people in 2014. Two donors have stepped forward to match every donation we receive this month up to $75,000. Will you make a financial contribution to Nuru? Will you take a minute and share this video and post on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and whatever other social media you use? We want to invite even more people to join this movement to bring lasting change and end extreme poverty in our lifetime. We've got a challenging road ahead, but together, we can do this. Together, we can change lives. Together, we can be the generation that sees the end of extreme poverty!

Thanks for believing in this idea and contributing to it becoming a reality. It is inspiring to see what we have accomplished together during the last five years, but is even more invigorating to dream about what we will be able to do together in the future.

Thanks for being Nuru my friends!

Pollution Causes Problems for Beijing

After watching WVU beat the Providence Friars yesterday I left the TV on for a bit, and found out a little bit of what is happening in the world of sports. And one of the things I heard was extremely pertinent to any consideration of the environment. The marathon world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie, withdrew his name from participating in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The reason he cited was his health.

China is home to 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world. Gebrselassie suffers from exercise induced asthma, and is concerned for the long term effects that running 26 miles in one of the world's most polluted cities would have on his health. He has gone so far as to suggest a different, less polluted venue in China, but the committee is not moving on their location. This would be a tremendous challenge for a world class athlete, but I admire Gebrselassie for the standards he has set. He values his health more than he values competing in the Olympic games. Participating in the Olympics is a dream never achieved for many, but Gebrselassie is not letting prestige come first.

This may lead to other athletes making a similar stand as well. Think about this. Could you imagine living in a place that is so polluted that it is a health hazard to go for a run? What a wake up call for taking some steps toward environmental care. I think about this problem, and think what will life be like 30 years from now? Will olympic events have to take place indoors? Will kids be able to play outside for extended periods?

When I was little, every once in a while we would go swimming in the Ohio River. But then we started hearing about how dirty and unsafe it was. My dad grew up swimming in the Ohio River, but now you can't even eat fish out of the river more than once per month.

I don't think Gebrselassie is making a stand for the environment, he is simply making a stand for good health. But could you imagine what might happen if more folks like him who are in the spotlight began to make decisions like this? And could you imagine the impact of more every day people like you and I beginning to make changes to our consumption habits? Maybe instead of leading the world in consumption and waste (Americans consume 32 times the amount of the rest of the world), we could lead the world in our green efforts. What steps are you willing to take?