Global Activism: Marine Jake Harriman Left The Military To Fight Global Poverty

“A strong African woman who possesses the same skill set and knowledge that I have is far more capable of sustainably ending extreme poverty in her country than I will ever be,” says Jake Harriman.
"A strong African woman who possesses the same skill set and knowledge that I have is far more capable of sustainably ending extreme poverty in her country than I will ever be," says Jake Harriman. Courtesy of Nuru International
“A strong African woman who possesses the same skill set and knowledge that I have is far more capable of sustainably ending extreme poverty in her country than I will ever be,” says Jake Harriman.
"A strong African woman who possesses the same skill set and knowledge that I have is far more capable of sustainably ending extreme poverty in her country than I will ever be," says Jake Harriman. Courtesy of Nuru International

Global Activism: Marine Jake Harriman Left The Military To Fight Global Poverty

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Jake Harriman was a Stanford graduate who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honored as a 2015 Presidential Leadership Scholar. But as a Marine, Harriman quickly recognized a direct link between desperate poverty and terrorism. 

So he left military service and founded Nuru International, an NGO to help eradicate what he calls “poverty’s role in 21st century terrorism and insurgency.” 

Harriman tells us how he went from growing up in rural Appalachia to helping lift thousands of people around the globe out of extreme poverty. 

He’s also giving the keynote address at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest for its “Greater Good Project” speaker series on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 7:15 pm.