Whether arriving on their own or alongside a loving family, these Greeley locals have discovered a sense of home right here in our community. Having been born in Africa and raised in Greeley, what does one UNC basketball star from Kenya and five children adopted from Ethiopia all have in common? A heritage that brings a new and beautiful dimension to the makeup of our town as a home to those from near and far.
Kur Jongkuch has found a home on the University of Northern Colorado’s (UNC) Men’s Basketball team and serves as an inspiration for many of Greeley’s youth – especially those with similar roots.
Kur was born in Nairobi and lived with his family in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, until he was three years old. While in Kakuma, his family had an opportunity to move to London, Ontario, Canada, where Kur was raised.
After receiving a scholarship, Kur moved to Greeley in 2018 to attend UNC and play on their basketball team. When Kur visited Greeley, he knew it was where he wanted to be. “When I came here, the people were so welcoming and friendly,” Kur explains. Greeley feels like home to Kur, and the UNC team feels like family. “I love the brotherhood and friendship of basketball. I’ve made lifelong friends,” he said.
But it's more than Kur’s inspiring journey to the United States and his basketball accomplishments that make him a role model for other Greeley youth. Kur is majoring in Economics and someday hopes to work in government, maybe for the Department of Defense. After he graduates from UNC this spring, he would like to either stay in the U.S. or move back to Kenya or Sudan to improve life back home.
Kur’s intentional drive for success and settling in Greeley sets a prime example for others. Abuzaid, Kalid, and Temesgen Fanning, Jakobe Cole, and Malakai Morris are five boys who adopted from Ethiopia who can turn to role models like Kur for inspiration– athletically, academically, and personally.
The Fannings, the Coles, and the Morris’ have all experienced the blessings that come when you open your heart and your home, having adopted a combined five children from Ethiopia.
Amy and Shane Fanning’s biological boys, Jonah and Landon, were 5 and 7 years old when they accompanied their parents on one of the trips to Ethiopia. “They were excited to meet their new brothers,” Amy recalls. They also saw firsthand the orphanage and the country where their three brothers, Abuzaid, Kalid, and Temesgen, grew up.
“We’ve spent many years playing sports with all five boys on the same team and bonding,” said Amy. “They are amazing kids who have shown tremendous resiliency as they navigated life in a new country and family.” The Fanning family loves to see people like Kur from Kenya or others from Ethiopia or Eastern Africa in Greeley. “It’s a diverse town with down-to-earth people who have supported our boys from day one. We can find injera (an Ethiopian staple) at a little East African market in town. There are people from all over the world here - it’s a gift,” said Amy.
Broke and Nate Cole feel like they received a tremendous gift in adopting their son, Jakobe. They remember walking through the villages in Ethiopia while carrying their newly adopted son, and the locals would shout out to them, “lucky baby, lucky baby,” but the Coles felt like they were the lucky ones. “It’s by far one of the best yes-es in our life,” said Brooke. “I look at Jakobe and think I would have missed this if I wouldn’t have said yes.”
Brooke says that Jakobe has taught her what “God’s love looks like and how to love well and follow your heart.” The Cole’s feel blessed to live in Greeley, where Jakobe can connect with other kids just like him. “We get together with other families with Ethiopian children and celebrate Ethiopian New Year, eat Ethiopian food, and recognize their heritage,” she says.
Christy and Dustin Morris adopted their three youngest children from three different countries: Korea, China, and Ethiopia. “We all know we look different and have different cultural heritages. We recognize and celebrate each of our differences and acknowledge that they are valuable and good.” Their son Malakai is from Ethiopia and loves having other Ethiopian classmates at Dayspring Christian Academy. Christy said it is their greatest hope that, “Even though our children have experienced immense heartache and loss that they would be able to find hope, joy, community, and a future by being in a loving family and having a strong network of people to surround and support them.”
Kur Jongkuch, Abuzaid, Kalid, and Temesgen Fanning, Jakobe Cole, and Malakai Morris are just a few Greeley locals born in Africa and now call Greeley home. Though for them, it’s the people that make Greeley feel like home. They are overjoyed to have families that love them, friends from near and far, and people like Kur to look up to as a role model.