Nourish International is a student movement that partners with communities towards the common goal of alleviating global poverty, and the Emory chapter has been around since 2013.
Nourish International at Emory is currently achieving success through its 12-member executive board and 10-15 member general body, according to College junior and Nourish International at Emory President Sinkey Huang.
The organization receives funding through various fundraising campaigns, like the National Giving Challenge Fundraising Campaign, an online fundraising competition in which the Nourish International chapters across the nation compete by raising as much money as possible.
Other fundraisers include selling crepes at Wonderful Wednesdays and First Fridays to percentage nights at BurgerFi and Chipotle. One of the team’s trademark ventures is the “One Cup, One Step” mocktail catering event. This catering event uses the organization’s original mocktail drink products and caters them to a niche market of academic symposia and other student organized events.
One of the most significant projects the organization undertakes is their Women’s Empowerment Drive in Peru. This project began when the organization connected with Mobilizing Opportunities through Community Heritage Empowerment (MOCHE) last year.
According to Huang, MOCHE is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the standard of living in poor communities, conserving archaeological sites, and endorsing research and education on the rich cultural heritage of Peru. MOCHE conveyed that the living conditions in Peru needed volunteers and funds, which Emory’s chapter of Nourish International was able to supply.
The central issue was that women in Peru were skilled embroiderers who lacked business knowledge: they could not make the most of their skills in a modern market.
“We believed that with their expertise and our volunteers, together, [we] could make the biggest impact in the best way,” Huang said. “Our organization trusts that the best way to end global poverty is to work closely with the local communities and make sure that our impact is sustainable and long-lasting.”
This resulted in a project in which Nourish International’s goal of ending extreme poverty and the pressing issue of women’s empowerment came together as a joint cause. Four Emory students from Nourish International went to Peru for this project in July 2014. During the course of their stay in Peru, the volunteers equipped local artisans with business tactics to the point of marketing their goods. In addition to increasing the economic autonomy of the local women, Nourish International worked on increasing the support and confidence amongst these women through communication and bonding.
“It was a total of 40 days. I chose this project because I wanted to open my eyes and experience something I could never imagine myself doing,” Goizueta Business School sophomore volunteer Jing Zhu said. “I wanted to challenge myself. Never try never know what your limit is and never know how much impact you can make to the world.”
The student volunteers from Emory lived with different families to try to empathize with the lives of these women and understand them on a personal level. Volunteers used the daytime hours to enhance the women’s living conditions by cleaning and repainting their workplace, building stoves and building a playground.
“I learned that I am capable of much more than I previously thought,” College sophomore and volunteer Kathryn Taylor said. “I never envisioned myself working long days doing manual labor, covered in dirt. I didn’t think I could connect with native Peruvians in Spanish in a meaningful way. But I did these things and really enjoyed them.”
Emory’s chapter of Nourish International believes that improving the economic and social status of women is crucial to the overall idea of women’s empowerment. Due to the phenomenal results and feedback from last year, the project is being held again this summer. The organization’s international project coordinator, College sophomore Sana Hashim, is currently accepting applications from all those who are interested.
“This experience was truly one of the best I have ever and probably will ever experience,” College Junior Kimberly Kitay said. “I loved connecting with the women and children on such a personal level. I was able to communicate with them not by speech but with smiles and actions.”
Kitay also said that she loved experiencing a new culture vastly different than her own.
“I loved being challenged in a safe environment, while being completely placed out of my comfort zone,” Kitay said. “I loved getting to know myself, other Emory students and other archeology students across the country.”
On Thursday, Nourish International held a market fair event, “You Cherish, We Nourish,” to underline the idea of their international project in Peru. The celebration of the Peruvian culture included food, games and a chance to shop from business vendors such as Fabrik, who donated 20 percent of their revenue to the international project. Participants were asked to write down what they cherish on the Wish Wall, in order to raise awareness for the cause.
Nourish International will be co-hosting Emory’s International Festival and World Cup on April 17, where they will educate students about global poverty while celebrating different cultures.
