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.