Nuru International started as a group of Stanford University graduate students who wanted to make a change for those who live in extreme poverty.
The result is an international organization that has the goal of helping communities in Africa with the help of colleges.
Ball State University is one of 11 colleges in the country that will participate in the first "Be Hope to Her" today, an event sponsored by the Stanford organization.
The event aims to raise awareness of poverty and the lack of water in some communities in Africa.
The event starts at the Atrium, where participants will be shown a short video about water awareness. After that, women will carry buckets of water from the McKinley circle drive to University Green, while men stand at the side along McKinley Avenue, acting as educators.
Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council are co-sponsoring the event, along with the Student Government Associationand other organizations.
Nicole Akey, public relations representative for the event, said Nuru director Billy Williams will be speaking at the end of the event at University Green, where there will also be free food and raffles.
"We want to raise awareness among students and help the organization," she said. "Nuru has been going to Africa to teach people, drill water, put crops and send medicine."
Although the organization is new on campus, there has been good reaction from students, Alex Perdue, vice president for communityoutreach of Interfraternity Council, said.
"During our recruitment days we have signed up 96 women, 40 men and many volunteers," he said. "A lot of freshmen are getting involved, and I think the work couldn't have been done without them."
Perdue said one of the biggest obstacles was creating the organization.
"Going overseas is new on campus," he said. "So we had to light the fire and make it a worthy cause."
Perdue said he was glad of the outcome so far.
"This has been primarily student run," he said. "We are in charge of taking care of these responsibilities ourselves."
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