Sara Nuru rose to fame in 2009 as the winner of Germany’s Next Top Model. Instead of focusing exclusively on a career in modelling, she increasingly devoted her time to social and entrepreneurial projects. In 2016, she and her sister Sali set up the social enterprise nuruCoffee. At the same time, she launched the non-profit association nuruWomen e.V., which has already given over 800 Ethiopian women the chance to become economically independent.
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‘Every woman has the right to a self-determined life’
Sara Nuru rose to fame as a winner of Germany’s Next Top Model. She is now a successful entrepreneur, supporting women in Ethiopia. In 2018, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) appointed Sara Nuru as an ambassador for fair trade. In this interview for akzente, she reports on how her own association, nuruWomen, is supporting economic independence for women.
You set up the social enterprise nuruCoffee with your sister Sali in 2016. You’re both now also committed socially through nuruWomen. How are these two projects connected?
The original idea for nuruCoffee came about when we were looking for an alternative to traditional donation models. We wanted to achieve good by doing something entrepreneurial. Coffee was an obvious choice for my sister and me because our parents come from Ethiopia and coffee is the country’s main export. I’d also had some previous experience in the country through my work with the Menschen für Menschen (People for People) Foundation. We’ve now been selling organically grown, fair trade coffee through nuruCoffee since 2017.
Only after launching nuruCoffee did we realise that in coffee cultivation it’s often the women who do the hard work – but receive little money and have even less of a say. The aim of the public-benefit association nuruWomen is to provide women with microloans to help them get businesses of their own off the ground. Part of the proceeds from every packet of nuruCoffee sold now goes to nuruWomen.
Why is women’s health so important in this context?
My sister and I became pregnant within six months of each other. Our shared experiences made us wonder how pregnancies are dealt with in Ethiopia – and how well health care works for women there. We were shocked to discover that the maternal mortality rate is extremely high. In most cases this is due to a lack of access to medical services. Women often have to walk for days to reach a hospital – which is extremely stressful if they’ve gone into labour, of course.
How does nuruWomen support women’s health?
We’re setting up waiting rooms in hospitals for women who are heavily pregnant. This means they can arrive a few days before the birth and no longer have to set off once contractions have started. We’re also in close contact with local hospitals and work with them to decide what equipment they need. In addition, we fund training for midwives to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine. This is because many people are somewhat sceptical of modern medicine and decide on traditional healing methods, even though these are often inadequate in an emergency. Our aim is to dispel any fears by promoting dialogue between expectant mothers and medical staff.
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Sonja Glasder
Sara Nuru
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In 2018, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) appointed you as an ambassador for fair trade. How does your involvement with BMZ work?
My involvement with BMZ covers various areas. I use my reach – through events, in interviews or on social media – to educate people about fair trade and sustainable consumption. I regularly visit projects, particularly in Ethiopia, to learn about the impact of fair trade practices among local communities and then share my experiences. I also support BMZ campaigns such as the Initiative for Fair Trade.
You grant microloans to women in order to support their economic independence. How does this promote women’s self-determination?
We believe that every woman has the right to her own income and a self-determined life. In Ethiopia, women are often considered not creditworthy or are made to pay very high rates of interest. So the chances of them creating something of their own are slim. Our microloans help them to generate their own income, for example by selling livestock or baked goods.
How does the lending process work?
We first set up women’s cooperatives and make money available to them. These cooperatives are then responsible for granting loans and monitoring repayments. Our loans range from EUR 250 to EUR 400, depending on the business model. The women repay the loan within around two years. Women with a business idea can find out about the concept of microloans on five-day training courses, where other women who have already put their business models into practice share their experiences and offer advice. They also act as guarantors if a woman is unable to repay the money. Although this leads to a certain amount of social pressure, it also creates bonds of friendship between the women.
They love the idea of being able to use the loans to secure their own prosperity. Unlike with traditional donations, these women are now able to provide for their own needs independently. And that’s a great boost for their self-confidence.