United Way Ghana

United Way Ghana (UWG) is devoted to making real social impact within local communities in three focus areas: education, health and economic empowerment. It envisions a society where every person is empowered to lead an informed, empowered and healthy life.

Janet Butler
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Janet Butler

28 years in P&G Engineering and Product Supply in the US & Nigeria.

Janet has been involved with United Way Ghana for more than 19 years and is currently a Board Member on the United Way Ghana Governance Council. She has helped the organization transform and significantly increase its impact.

In her letter of endorsement, Janet writes: “United Way Ghana has moved from a charitable organization to an impact organization convening community stakeholders to address local problems. In its short tenure, United Way Ghana has impacted thousands of lives across Ghana, improving educational outcomes for vulnerable children, providing opportunities for financial stability to countless families, and most importantly giving Ghanaians from all walks of life the opportunity to give, volunteer and advocate for the success of their communities.”

The target beneficiaries for this project are survivors of child trafficking that have been rescued by United Way Ghana’s partner NGOs and returned to their communities after many years being trafficked as children. These young men and women were given to traffickers under the guise of taking them to school or to learn a trade; instead, they were sent to work on fishing boats or farms under very demeaning conditions. They are in dire need of sustainable economic support and resources to rebuild their lives (vocational skills, training in identifying business opportunities and resources to start a business, access to education and other social services to help them reintegrate into their communities).

Our $24,000 PGAF grant will impact 300 community members by creating a comprehensive economic empowerment project for 60 survivors of child trafficking in 3 regions over 1 year, providing them the resources and skills needed to become financially independent. The funds will support Phase 1 (3 months) which focuses on education and training (financial literacy, business development and entrepreneurship), Phase 2 (6 months) which focuses on Business Development (access to capital and business/technical assistance) and Phase 3 (3 months) which focuses on sustaining the business (marketing, advertising). Mentoring and networking opportunities leading to new businesses will be included throughout the program.

"Breaking the Chains of Human Trafficking: An Economic Empowerment Program for Survivors." This program aims to empower survivors like Christiana Preba to overcome the devastating effects of human trafficking and rebuild their lives.
In Christiana's case, she endured the cruel deception of trafficking, only to find solace in her marriage marred by financial instability and lingering trauma. United Way Ghana's intervention provided her with the necessary tools and support to kickstart her dressmaking business, enabling her to not only achieve financial stability but also to support her family and break free from the cycle of hardship.

Tikkun Farm

Tikkun Farm (TF) offers opportunities for meaningful work and spiritual practices that address trauma in individuals and communities.

Greg York
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Greg York

Greg is a Tikkun cofounder. In addition to leading and mentoring various groups of volunteers, he coordinates all farm maintenance and building management.

Additional (2) Alumni involvement from Barbara Fillion and Becky Savage (Board member) who advocate for Tikkun, fundraise, manage volunteers, and help forge partnerships with local school districts.

In his letter of support, Greg describes the work our grant will support: “Tikkun Farm’s job training program provides much-needed skills like carpentry, electrical, agriculture, and culinary arts. Potentially more important, Tikkun teaches skills that will serve its graduates for their entire careers like accountability, respect, and ownership.”

Like so many of our Grant Champions, Greg acknowledges the strong leadership and management skills formed at P&G in his letter of support. He writes, “I retired from P&G after a 24-year career to help start and fund the work that Tikkun Farm is doing in the world. I’m extremely grateful for the entrepreneurial, planning and people skills I learned during my career at P&G. I use these skills daily to help grow Tikkun Farm.”

During 2023-2024, TF will combine its expertise in providing trauma-informed care experiences with teaching technical skills in Environmental Care, Building Trades and Culinary Arts. The Environment Care track teaches urban farming and environment restoration. The Building Trades groups will serve as a pre-apprenticeship program for electrical, plumbing and carpentry trades. The Culinary Arts track mirrors the Cincinnati Cooks training program at the Freestore Foodbank (a prior PGAF awardee) in a place accessible to Mt. Healthy youth. Participants share meals together building community across cohorts and addressing food insecurity many participants face.

Each apprentice receives 250 hrs. of training. All trainees also participate in 50 hours of trauma-informed care experiences that include yoga, pottery, writing and group coaching to address stressors such as ACEs and improve participants’ chances of success. Participants receive a stipend for their time. Most participants are male and female youth between 17 and 21.

The $10,000 PGAF grant will allow Tikkun Farm to expand the training program from 50 individuals in 2023 to 90 in 2024. It will help support salaries for the program director and instructors, compensation for trauma-informed programming specialists, PPE equipment including gloves, shirts, and work boots, farming tools, seeds and starter plants, plants for environmental restoration, clay and glazes for pottery sessions, cooking ingredients, and costs for Certifications in OSHA 10, Chainsaw Safety, and electrical, plumbing and carpentry pre-apprenticeships. 40 are expected to be employed as a result of the program.

Though we usually provide a ‘success’ story in this space, Tikkun provided a sobering rationale for their training program. They said in their proposal “Our job training program emerged from tragedy. After graduating from high school, Monie came to Tikkun Farm as a camp counselor. He thrived in that role. But his home environment was challenging, and he became homeless after a domestic violence situation with his mother's boyfriend. He worked the night shift at a fast-food restaurant to have a place to go at night and found refuge at the Farm during the day. We were unable to offer Monie a job or job training, and he fell in with the local drug culture. Six months later, Monie died from gun violence. His death motived us to develop the job training program described in the proposal.”

Sonje Ayiti

The mission of Sonje Ayiti is to uplift the Haitian community through education, economic development, and health promotion, and provide Haitians the tools to help themselves.

Kathleen Kool
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Kathleen Kool

27 years with P&G in Finance and General Mgmt; North and Latin America

Additional (3) Alumni involvement from Debbie Kokoruda, Benjamin Au and Mei Lin Khoo.

Katie Kool and her husband, Frank, have been involved with Sonje Ayiti Organization (SAO) since March 2012. They wanted to help to make a sustainable difference in the lives of the people of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and they believed the most effective way to do this was by working with a local, on the ground partner. Katie and Frank began their work with SAO focused on education, raising over $200,000 for SAO to buy land and build a Pre-K through 6th grade school. Katie and Frank have continued raising the operating funds of $150,000 to support the school each year. In 2013, Katie became the volunteer Finance Director for SAO and still serves in this capacity. She also sits on the SAO Board of Directors, as does Frank, who serves as the Secretary.

In her letter of endorsement, Katie writes, “I absolutely believe that the Village Savings and Loan Association project will bring an excellent return on investment. It is a proven model that provides the critical combination of access to capital with practical business training. The Sonje Ayiti team understands the participants and the communities where they operate and have a track record of delivering results.”

The Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) provides participants access to affordable capital and education needed to sustainably support themselves and their families. A VSLA is a group of people in a defined community who pool their funds together to make and take small loans ranging from one to six months in duration at low interest rates. At the end of a 6-to-12 month cycle, the accumulated savings and accrued interest are distributed back to the members. The members of the VSLA organize into a General Assembly and a Leadership Committee. The General Assembly is composed of all members and it elects the 5-member Leadership Committee that sets regulations, approves credit applications, and gives authorization to disburse funds. Uniquely, the VSLA structure creates solidarity and interdependence, and helps create a trusted community in which participants support one another. At the same time, it provides training on financial literacy and how to effectively run a small business. SAO has established 48 VSLA’s in North and Northeast Haiti. Women comprise 85% of the VSLA participants to date.

The $22,000 PGAF grant will contribute to the training of as many as 1500 individuals and impact as many as 6000 family/community members. Grant funds will help expand the 48 existing VSLA’s to new participants and start 2 additional VSLA’s in the city of Limonade. The PGAF award will be used to fund the Specialist who oversees the entire VSLA program, an Administrative Assistant, two case managers who facilitate workshops and training sessions, and 5 Community Coaches who hold weekly coaching and training sessions with the VSLA members, some logistics expenses and materials and training related equipment.

One of the transformative programs within Sonje Ayiti is the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which empowers individuals like Samuel Saint-Amour to overcome financial obstacles. Samuel's testimony highlights the impact of VSLA in providing access to financial resources without the burdensome requirements of traditional banking systems. Through VSLA, members can invest in their livelihoods and support their families without the need for guarantors or collateral.

Sherbro Foundation

Sherbro Foundation mission is to help rural Sierra Leone move from poverty to self-reliance through education and economic empowerment.

Arlene Golembiewski
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Arlene Golembiewski

30 years at P&G in Product Supply, Cincinnati, OH USA and Brussels, Belgium

Arlene is the Founder and the volunteer Executive Director of Sherbro.

Arlene writes: “I founded Sherbro in in 2013, forming a joint vision with Bumpeh Chiefdom’s Paramount Chief Charles Caulker; our goals were to send girls to school & grow fruit trees to self-fund chiefdom education programs. From our very first grant of $600 to today, the first of 4500 coconut trees planted over 5 years are beginning to fruit, producing steady income for ongoing funding of the community education programs. We initially sent 59 girls to 7th & 8th grades, with the goals of advancing to junior high, keeping them in school & avoiding early marriage. Over 6 years, 800 girls attended secondary school, many advancing to senior high with scholarships for 2-4 years totaling over 2000 scholarships. I could not be prouder of this accomplishment.”

The Rural Bumpeh Chiefdom is agriculture based; most people either farm or trade in farm produce. Generations have been trapped in subsistence lifestyles, barely feeding and caring for their families. Farmers grow what they eat and barter for other life basics, leaving them with little cash to expand a business; 80% are illiterate. This project targets village women and young people who need working capital and skills to develop small, sustainable agriculture businesses that can continue to grow and employ more people, specifically active women farmers and traders. Skill building will include crop care from seedling to sale, managing a business (planning, executing, financial literacy) and leadership skills. Coaching will be hands on and will continue throughout the project.

Our $24,000 grant will impact nearly 300 in the community by providing business training to 39 women who establish as many as 15 new businesses. Funds will be used to 1) provide small ($250) interest free loans focused on growing and marketing fruit and vegetables for urban customers (the most profitable agriculture sector), 2) provide training on growing, marketing and small business management geared to trainee level of literacy and the village environment, 3) expand a tree nursery to grow seedlings for public sale (income will fund project admin when the grant ends), and 4) serve as a model for change in village cultural practices (women can manage their own businesses, children can be students instead of farm laborers, project loans can jump start hiring labor to operate and expand small farms).

Kadiatu Kamara, the women’s leader in Yenkassa village, exemplifies the challenges and resilience of many women in the community. Despite being a single mother responsible for seven children and an elderly mother, including her brother's four young children, Kadiatu tirelessly strives to provide for her family. However, financial constraints, exacerbated by her oldest child's serious liver condition, have left her struggling to afford essential medical treatment.
The Let Them Earn Project aims to break down barriers faced by women like Kadiatu, enabling them to expand their farms and access larger markets for their produce. With the project's support, Kadiatu can hire labor and cover transportation costs, ultimately increasing her earnings and improving her family's livelihood. The additional income will not only ensure more food security but also enable Kadiatu to prioritize her children's education, a key investment in their future.

Seniores Italia Lazio

Seniores Italia Lazio promotes intergenerational connections between skilled senior volunteers and the organizations involved in youth development, cultural/social integration and sustainable community development.

Giampaolo Calcari
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Giampaolo Calcari

37-years in Product Supply and HR in P&G Italy/Southern Europe.

Additional (5) Alumni involvement from: Antonio Malvestio - 36 Years in Product Supply; Riccardo Vitale - 35 years in Sales, IT, Global Business Service; Paolo Cerullo – 27 years in Product Supply, Valentino D’Antonio – 26 years in Product Supply and HR; Cinzia Gaeta – 34 years in Legal

Giampaolo writes: “Since retiring, I’ve been actively involved with Seniores Italia Lazio, collaborating with senior expert volunteers all of whom are committed to helping people in need and who are united in trying to create a society with more equal opportunities. The project I’m sponsoring, Cooperative 4 Female Empowerment in Madagascar: phase 2, will continue to economically empower women in the village of Ambalanjanakomby by diversifying the cultivation of crops to replace rice and expand the number of villagers positively impacted. What’s more, the positive and income generating work practices being implemented in Ambalanjanakomby will be copied by other villages in the vicinity, multiplying the impact of our work.”

The beneficiaries for this project are the ~2000 people who live in the village of Ambalanjanakomby, a remote village in northern Madagascar. Almost all of them - together with additional 10,000 people in the entire rural municipality - live in poverty, practicing very low-income agriculture and irrational farming. The “Cooperative 4 Female Empowerment” project has established a ‘social cooperative’ that creates income producing businesses and empowers women. In this phase of the project, farmers will be trained on improved cultivation techniques and on running a profitable commercial activity in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture Sector Crops and with the intervention of a local sociologist to improve the sense of belonging to a group with common objectives.

The grant of $25,000 will be used to train and create a partnership between more than 30 women co-op members and ~15 farmers, construct a storage warehouse and purchase seeds, fertilizers, tools and machinery necessary to support training and socialization.

In pursuit of our mission, we embarked on a transformative journey with the "Income-generating activities for female employment" project. This initiative aimed to provide meaningful employment opportunities for 28 women in the village, igniting a spark of hope and empowerment within the community. Establishing ventures such as a laying hen farm, a pig farm, and rice cultivation with the assistance of a decorticator, we set out to break barriers and create pathways to prosperity.

With each endeavor, Seniores Italia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to fostering sustainable development, empowerment, and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

JoyCorps

JoyCorps partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build businesses that are better for the world and better for people.

Henry Ho
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Henry Ho

19 years at P&G in Product Supply & CBD in the US and Hong Kong

Henry has been engaged with JoyCorps for 18 years and served as Board Chair from 2016-2018. Henry remains active as a business advisor and financial contributor.

Henry says: “As JoyCorps’ longest running board member, I am more enthusiastic than ever about the progress we have made. Our Fellowship program is designed to position promising business leaders for success with a combination of coaching, connection, community and access to capital. My favorite part of attending gatherings with Fellows is hearing their dreams for their communities and the inspiring ways they work to tackle challenges through creative venture formation.”

Fellowship is JoyCorps core program that seeks to ensure redemptive businesses - businesses that understand a community’s challenges and develop entrepreneurial, creative solutions to address them - have a long-term impact on their communities. Although India boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world, more than 90% of workers in the Indian economy are informal workers with no written contract, no paid leave and no benefits. Our target beneficiaries are redemptive entrepreneurs operating SME (small to medium enterprises) ventures with an agrarian or maker-based manufacturing focus and located in under-resourced communities. All of our Fellows’ ventures have survived the startup phase and are poised to grow. JoyCorps offers Accelerator and Incubator services that provide leaders with an ecosystem of coaching, access to resources, encouragement, and community—all vital for growing a thriving business in a challenging environment.

The PGAF Grant Funds of $23,000 will be used to provide business training to 70 entrepreneurs to help strengthen 12 businesses and create 50 jobs. Funding will support business mentoring and personal coaching, in-person business reimagined support, consulting and services, program expenses for curriculum delivery, leader formation training and other educational materials.

Determined to unlock the potential hidden within their mountainous terrain, Divya, Stephen, and Divya's mother, Indira, co-founded Himalayan Haat. This innovative venture transforms low-cost farm produce into high-value gourmet products such as preserves, sauces, juices, pickles, and herbal infusions, all crafted by hand in small batches.
The impact of Himalayan Haat extends far beyond economic metrics; it embodies the transformative power of entrepreneurship driven by compassion and purpose. JoyCorps, through its Fellowship program, has played a pivotal role in Himalayan Haat's journey, providing essential support in grant funding, business coaching, branding, and marketing services

iDE

iDE (formerly International Development Enterprises) believes that markets are the most powerful tool for creating prosperity, building resilience, and ultimately ending poverty, and that one entrepreneur can transform his/her community and millions can transform the world. iDE powers small businesses which bring families and communities out of poverty by creating solutions for food, security, nutrition, sanitation and water.

Linda Porter-Cox
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Linda Porter-Cox
16 years P&G - in US and Latin America CMK, Product Supply & CBD

Linda joined iDE’s Board in 2018, being drawn to its model for building resilient market ecosystems to help households pull themselves out of poverty.

Linda writes: “I am passionate about creating sustainable solutions to improve peoples’ lives around the world, which is why I joined iDE’s board in 2018. IDE is grounded in an inclusive, sustainable approach which leverages human-centered design to build solutions that power local entrepreneurs to launch profitable businesses that are impact multipliers in their communities. One example of the impact potential is women farmers using their new bio fertilizer productions skills to improve their farm’s soil, the quality and productivity of their crops and their livelihoods.”

The target beneficiaries for this project are populations in marginalized ethnic groups in the Kaski District in Central Nepal. Many small-scale farmers do not have access to the agronomist knowledge and inputs necessary to improve their baseline productivity and combat new challenges related to climate change; quality fertilizer is a critical need. iDE developed an effective biofertilizer solution, resulting in less soil-borne disease and 15% greater crop yields. After a successful pilot program, iDE expanded this proven solution to 40 farmers in 2 farming cooperatives, improving farm productivity, increasing incomes and identifying the business opportunity for a new income stream as farmers may be able to sell up to 60% of the fertilizer they produce. Phase II will continue to support the work in Phase I AND expand support to include all aspects of scaling the farmers’ fertilizer businesses.

The PGAF grant funds of $23,000 will support entrepreneurship training to 42 farmers and leaders and create a sustainable, profitable income stream from two community- managed biofertilizer Collection Centers. Scope will include developing business models and business plans with/for the farmers, conducting business training (enterprise management, financial literacy and marketing), facilitating inter-district visits between farmers for idea exchange and support, training based on a ‘human centered’ sales approach to generating demand, and working with the cooperative to prepare product for sale and distribution. 400 community members will be impacted.

In Nepal, marigolds, known locally as sayapatri, hold significant cultural and practical value. Revered for their vibrant orange hue and symbolizing energy and creativity, these flowers also serve as a natural bug repellent for farmers like Kamala Khadkha. Kamala, a seasoned farmer in central Nepal, strategically plants marigolds around her tomato fields, offering protection from pests while also supplementing her income by selling the flowers during festivals.
Facing challenges from pest infestations that have ravaged Nepal's agricultural sector, iDE is leading the charge in promoting regenerative agricultural practices as sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Through initiatives like vermicomposting and biochar production, iDE empowers farmers to enhance soil health, increase crop yields, and improve plant growth. Kamala, for instance, has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of these practices in her cabbage fields, where rows treated with vermicompost and biochar have yielded significantly healthier crops compared to conventional methods.

Friends of Batahola

The Friends of Batahola (FOB) support, sustain and promote the Cultural Center of Batahola Norte (CCBN), the mission of which is to develop art, cultural and educational opportunities for the most vulnerable in the Batahola Norte neighborhood of Managua, Nicaragua.

Dave Stickel
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Dave Stickel
33 years with P&G in Engineering and PSO around the world

Dave is co-vice president of the FOB. Beginning in January, 2024, he will serve as co-president for the next two years.

He writes in his recommendation letter: “Friends of Batahola supports the CCBN and its mission – to develop this community of very vulnerable people. I wanted to be part of that. The program, ‘I Learn and Undertake: Creative Women Implementing Economic Initiatives,’ is an exciting next step for the CCBN. The proposed series of entrepreneurial training and business skills development will prepare the students to go beyond just getting a good job. Now they will be business owners. Not only will they be able to support their families, but now they will be creating jobs for others. It is an exciting program and I have every confidence in the ability of the CCBN staff to make it a reality.”

The target population for FOB’s project proposal is young and adult women experiencing poverty and unemployment or underemployment. The women will have an income of less than $150 USD per month and be housewives and breadwinners of large families. The project will prioritize women survivors of gender-based violence or those that have attended psychological counseling at CCBN. The project’s objective is to meet the need for sustainable and stable incomes for women and their families. The target group of 25 will receive the training, formation, advice, and mentoring they need such that, with a small investment of materials, they will be able to take the leap of starting their own businesses. Scope includes entrepreneurial training, personal development training, experience sharing among fellow entrepreneurs and an ‘Entrepreneurship Fair’ in which the participants will be able to promote their businesses. Ultimately, in out years, the businesses will grow and provide additional employment that is so desperately needed by so many in the Batahola neighborhood and surrounding communities.

The $23,000 PGAF award will impact as many as 125 family/community members via the creation of 22 new businesses. Fund will be used to support operating, participant recruitment, entrepreneurial training, goal-setting workshops, site visits and Entrepreneurship Fair costs.

Ana's journey into entrepreneurship began on July 26, 2021, a day that marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Despite the challenges she faces as a mother and caregiver, Ana's determination knows no bounds. From the early hours of the morning, she juggles household chores, caring for her children, and preparing for her business—a testament to her unwavering commitment to creating a better future for her family.

As Ana reflects on her journey, she speaks of the profound impact of entrepreneurship on her life. "Being your own boss and having your money in your hands, you feel more empowered," she says, embodying the spirit of resilience and determination that defines the Cultural Center of Batahola Norte.

Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub

Flywheel equips diverse, mission minded entrepreneurs with knowledge, strategies, tactics, and connections to launch and expand businesses dedicated to positive social change.

Melisse May
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Melisse May
32 years at P&G in Brand Management and Product Development; USA, Germany, Switzerland

Additional (12) Alumni involvement from: Sandy Hughes, Len Sauers, Tricia Morris, Rhonda Starghill, Paul Szydlowski, Bob Ziek, Kreg Kessee, Sue Baggott, Christine Fisher, Will Carter,
Janine Maletic and Lydia Henshaw.

Over the past 7 years Melisse has strengthened Flywheel by coaching rising entrepreneurs in their start-up accelerator program, developing marketing materials to attract potential coaches, establishing a training program to onboard new Flywheel entrepreneur coaches, leading the development of Flywheel’s strategic plan and developing the roadmap for Flywheel to use metrics to increase impact.

Melisse acknowledges the value of our P&G experience in helping guide young entrepreneurs, and particularly those whose companies or NGO’s focus on social problems. She writes in her letter of support that “Flywheel is truly a great fit for the skills developed at P&G. I use those skills to help lift numerous non-profits and social enterprises which are benefiting thousands of people and contributing to the social and economic growth of the community.” And notwithstanding her high degree of personal involvement in Flywheel, Melisse in her letter acknowledges the thousands of hours of volunteer service that Flywheel receives from many P&G Alumni, and the incredibly high value Alums provide. She writes, ‘While I am sponsoring this application, it could just as easily be one of the ten or more Cincinnati based P&G Alumni who volunteer with Flywheel.”

Flywheel serves social entrepreneurs primarily in the Greater Cincinnati region through its eight-week accelerator programs and shorter customized workshops. Companies can be early or mid-stage. Some are developing an idea into a business. Others have a business they are trying to grow and scale. Subject matter experts covering topics such as customer validation, market fit, impact measurement, revenue models and financial plans, legal, marketing, funding strategies, and more. Entrepreneurs are paired with a coaching team that provide support as the entrepreneur applies each lesson to their business plan. The program concludes with a Demo Day where each business pitches to an audience of 150-200 potential investors, customers, and guests. Over the next year, 12-20 founders and co-founders enrolled in its accelerators will launch 8-10 growable, scalable social enterprise businesses.

The $23,000 PGAF grant will help drive the start-up and growth of 10 new businesses in the Accelerator program and impact more than a thousand family/community members. Funds will support the marketing and community engagement needed to recruit and select entrepreneurs, the networking needed to recruit and prep volunteer mentor entrepreneurs, direct expenses for program staff, for hosting speakers, and for funding the Flywheel Demo Day for 150+ guests.

In the heart of Cincinnati, where urban landscapes often mask the scarcity of fresh produce, one man saw an opportunity for transformation. Domonique Peebles, known as Dom, didn't just see vacant lots—he saw potential. And at Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, he found the support and resources to turn his vision into reality.

Dom's mission is clear: to breathe life into forgotten spaces by transforming them into thriving hubs of food production. At Flywheel, Dom found more than just knowledge and strategies—he found a community of like-minded entrepreneurs dedicated to creating positive social change. Reflecting on his journey, Dom speaks of the ripple effect his work has had on the neighborhood. "Imagine how it all circulates through the neighborhood," he says. "Kids are learning, families are eating healthier, and the community is coming together in ways we never thought possible."

Arts to End Genocide

The mission of Arts to End Genocide (AtEG) is to provide health care for children and to develop a sustainable method for families to rise out of poverty through work-skills and business development.

James Bisbee
P&G Alumni Grant Champion

Sponsoring Alum: James Bisbee
24 years at P&G in PSO in the U.S.

Jim Bisbee has been in a leadership role with AtEG since its inception in 2014 and is currently Board President. Jim wears a number of hats in this ‘working role’ that includes program development, trainer, logistics manager and grant writer. Jim played a key role in the development of both the Skills Training program and the Food Assistance program that are currently underway in Mali. He manages the import and distribution of the merchandise produced by the Women’s Cooperative. Jim took the lead role in developing the implementation plan for shoe-making workshops in the U.S. and bringing the shoe making program to Africa. Best estimate of the bottom-line results suggests 3,700 children in 5 African nations received shoes and 20 local shoemaking businesses were established. Jim played a major role in writing the successful Rotary International grant, receiving $42,500 that allowed AtEG to open a free Children’s Clinic in Bamako, Mali which has treated over 11,000 street children since its opening in 2018.

 “I’ve been involved in AtEG since its inception. We are a relatively small organization, but we have been able to achieve outsized results! The mission we have is enormous and physically very far away. The problems we try to solve are even larger. But having said that, it’s rewarding in that we have been able to make a large impact.’ Jim goes on to write: ‘I was an employee of P&G for 24 years and though my post P&G life has been productive and rewarding, I miss the people and the associations that I had there. I am excited about the potential to have the opportunity to interact with old friends and folks with whom I shared a lot in common.”

AtEG has undertaken this project with the understanding that gender equality is a concept that defies Malian cultural tradition. Giving women the skills to generate income also enables them to gain independence and self-respect and give them a voice within their family and community. Although this concept may be taken for granted in most of the Western world, within the Malian culture this would be considered innovative. AtEG is thus an agent of change. In Phase I of the program, which began during February 2022, 15 women were enrolled in a sewing program at the Training Center in Bamako. After graduating they were placed into 3-month internship programs with local sewing companies while their education continued with a 2-month course in Business Management. AtEG assisted them in forming a Women’s Cooperative where they assumed the responsibility of training other women. AtEG built a facility for them to work in and equipped it with sewing machines, supplies and solar power. The Women’s Cooperative is now generating income by selling at local markets and exporting products to the U.S.

The PGAF grant of $18,000 will fund the training of 180 women in soap-making, braiding/plaiting, dying, milk processing henna and pottery, and improve living conditions for more than 1000 members of the community. Trainees will be residents of Faladie as well as the IDP camp in Zantiguila, 60 km away.

My Name is Fati Maiga, I Live on the Faladje IDP camp with my family. We left Sofara a village situated 80 km away from Mopti. When I came to Faladje I was just a midwife and did not have any qualification. I was trying to start up a small business selling peanuts, but I did not have any resource to start something. However, I was lucky to be part of the members of a training session supported by a national NGO called ADICOM and a U.S. NGO called ATEG.

They trained us in many fields including Sewing, how to manage a small business and organized us in a women’s cooperative with more than 30 members. This was a great opportunity for me because I learned many things and could now sew many articles and get money to live and support my family.

Today, I can say that I am a happy woman thanks to the trainings that I got. I can take care of my family without waiting for an outside assistance. My children look better and I am proud to see them happy today. They go to school and I see their future brighter than two years ago. We encourage ADICOM and their partners to not let us down