Trying to do good in another country is not always straightforward. First, you need to find well-defined projects you believe will “do good” in the area you want to serve. Then you need a trusted partner on the ground who shares your objectives and can effectively deliver the nuts-and-bolts work, and do it with integrity.
The Sherbro Foundation is fortunate to have found such a partner in The Center for Community Empowerment and Transformation. CCET is a grassroots, all-volunteer nonprofit group of Sierra Leoneans organized for the development of Rotifunk and Bumpeh Chiefdom.
It’s quite a name and tells you right off what the vision of this group is. It’s no less than the empowerment and transformation of their community.
I was fortunate to have had an early and impactful learning from my old days in the Peace Corps that I’ve carried with me all these years. To make lasting change or improvements, don’t show up with your pre-cooked “solution” and try to give it to people who aren’t sold on – or maybe even aware of – the problem you’ve selected for them. This is generally true anywhere, and even more true when working with a rural community of another culture.
Still today, I see too many NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) trying to solve the problems of the world with their own “programs”. They may not spend enough time in the developing country communities they want to serve to jointly set priorities and agree on approaches to use.
It was a stroke of luck that found me back in Rotifunk for my third return trip right as the concept for the Center for Community Empowerment and Transformation was taking shape. I was visiting more of the chiefdom and better understanding the extent of the needs there. I arrived already frustrated in not finding existing nonprofit organizations in the U. S. interested in supporting the kind of small community projects I saw needed in Bumpeh Chiefdom. Grant applications, even if successful, can take months if not a year or more to process. I was already toying with the idea of creating my own nonprofit.
At the same time Prosperity Girls High School had just started their first senior high class, and with that, hired several new teachers. More competent and committed teachers joined those already at PGHS, ready to serve this rural community. Within a month of their arrival, several of the new teachers joined up with existing teachers to form the concept for a community based organization.
The Center concept
I asked Mr. Sonnah and Mr. Kamara, PGHS teachers and thought leaders in the Center, how their concept had come about. Both relayed the same story. Some old university friends of theirs representing an NGO had come to Rotifunk to do a survey. They challenged them to create their own community-based organization. Come on, they said. You’re in this rural place with time on your hands; you have the education and potential to be doing more.
The teachers had already seen how PGHS principal Rosaline Kaimbay was struggling to start adult literacy classes, holding intermittent lessons on the front porch of her house after school let out. The majority of the adult students were women whose educations were interrupted, or maybe never started, because of the war.
The teachers agreed adult literacy would become the first core program for the Center to take on and they would do it on a volunteer basis.
More projects soon followed. The Center’s current project portfolio includes:
- Adult literacy – starting with creating a curriculum of practical skills for small traders and farmers that are illiterate, mainly women.
- Girls Scholarship program – paying school fees to keep teenage girls in Rotifunk’s four secondary schools at a time when drop out rates for girls climb and families have great difficulty paying for the cost of an education.
- Tree nursery for trees of economic value – nursing small teak tree and oil palm seedlings and starting citrus and avocado trees from seed to provide to the community at nominal cost.
- Computer literacy – building the computer skills of local teachers in preparation for organizing the community computer lab the Sherbro Foundation has facilitated with a donated shipment of fifty computers now on their way to Rotifunk.
- Registration of chiefdom births and deaths –helping set up a model process where none now exists in Bumpeh Chiefdom, or most of rural Sierra Leone.
- Adult sports teams for women – organizing women’s football (soccer) teams to give women still traumatized from the war a physical outlet for stress and team building for a peer network.
Within five months of their initial conceptual discussion, the Center volunteers are busy planting trees, teaching computer skills, and developing lessons on basic computations for illiterate market women.
This is what I call empowerment. They’re getting going on concrete, practical programs that can help transform their community using the limited resources they have.
The Sherbro Foundation is proud to have helped with start-up costs for the Center. We have donated money to pay fees for the Center to officially register as a nonprofit with several Sierra Leone ministries, making them eligible for local grant funds. We have also provided money for classroom furniture to be locally built for the computer lab, and to purchase farming tools and oil palm seedlings for the tree nursery. We will fund a one-day workshop where people will be taught how to complete the birth/death registrations.
More will follow on each of these projects.
Mr. Sonnah explained the Center’s logo to me and how it symbolizes what they plan to accomplish. A man and a woman are together holding one torch light. Light brings about transformation, and men and women are equally balanced in holding one light. They are surrounded by olive branches depicting them rescuing the chiefdom from its past traumas. They are transforming the chiefdom to be a better place. Mr. Kamara said in his quietly confident manner, we are developing our brothers and sisters, and we know with our work today, tomorrow will be a brighter day. We see our future as bright.
The Sherbro Foundation sees their future as bright, too, and we’re happy to be helping them on their way.
Greetings! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you
know how to make your site mobile friendly? My website looks weird when viewing from
my apple iphone. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be
able to correct this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share.
Many thanks!
LikeLike
Sorry, I dont. If you scroll to bottom of the Homepage when on mobile, there’s a “view full site” link. At least on Android this gives you most of what you see on PC screen for a website. Arlene
LikeLike
Fabulous, what a web site it is! This website presents helpful information to us, keep it up.
LikeLike
Thanks, Prince. Hope you’ve seen the recent blog posts on building the computer center, and unfortunately our contribution to ebola prevention. Arlene
LikeLike
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did
you hire out a designer to create your theme? Fantastic
work!
LikeLike
Thanks, Claire. It’s WordPress using the SKylark template. A largely fill-in-the-blank website. Good pictures of course help. Hope you are enjoying reading about life in this rural Sierra Leone community. Perhaps you’ll like this recent post about turning a tragedy into a community asset – a computer center. https://sherbrofoundation.org/2014/07/22/a-phoenix-rises-from-the-ashes-to-live-again/ Arlene
LikeLike
Hi there would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re using?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different web browsers and
I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most.
Can you recommend a good web hosting provider at a reasonable price?
Many thanks, I appreciate it!
LikeLike
It’s WordPress. They also do hosting for a modest fee. Very happy with them. Arlene
LikeLike
Everythig is very open with a precise description of the challenges.
It was really informative. Your website is very helpful.
Thanks forr sharing!
LikeLike
Thanks, Terrie. Gld you found it informative. Arlene
LikeLike
Excellent post! We are linking to this great post on our
website. Keep up the great writing.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing this, Ingrid. Lad you enjoyed it. Arlene
LikeLike
I am really thankful to the holder of this web site who has shared this impressive
piece of writing at at this time.
LikeLike
Thanks a lot Harvey. You can read more about what Sherbro Foundation is doing at http://www.sherbrofoundation.org. Maybe you’ll enjoy this most recent post at the website blog: https://sherbrofoundation.org/2014/05/19/featured-project-educate-a-girl-change-the-world/ Arlene
LikeLike
Quality articles or reviews is the secret to be a focus for the visitors to visit the website, that’s what this web page is providing.
LikeLike
Thanks a lot, Annmarie. Arlene
LikeLike
I blog frequently and I genuinely thank you for your content.
This article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to book mark your site
aand keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.
LikeLike
Margret, thanks so much for your comment. If you go to http://www.sherbrofoundation.org and the blog tab, you’ll find 50 posts about rural Sierra Leone and the work Sherbro Foundation is doing there. As a new blogger and website manager, I appreciate your feedback. I’d like to read your site, too, but alas I’m only English speaking. Looks like a high quality site. Arlene
LikeLike
Hі! Do you ҟոow if tɦey makе aոy plugins to safeguard ɑgainst hackers?
ӏ’m kinda paranoid ɑbout losing еverything I’ve worked hard օn.
Any recommendations?
LikeLike
Rosemary, sorry. I’m a new blogger and website manager. Have no knowledge of this. If you find out something valuable, please share back. Arlene
LikeLike
Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you
could be a great author. I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will often
come back very soon. I want to encourage continue your great posts,
have a nice morning!
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment, Ann! Arlene
LikeLike
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation
of the challenges. It was really informative. Your website is useful.
Many thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
And thanks for commenting, Octavia. Appreciate it. Arlene
LikeLike
Wow, incredible blog structure! How long have you ever been blogging for?
you made running a blog glance easy. The whole look of your website is fantastic, let alone the content!
LikeLike
Thanks, Lindsay. Been blogging less than a year. I hope you pay attention to the content, not just the appearance. I’m writing to promote Sherbro Foundation and our work in Sierra Leone, so it’s easy to write about.
LikeLike
This site was… how do үou say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that heslped me.
Ϲheers!
LikeLike
Hi, Kathi. Tell me – what here was relevant to you. I’d like to know that. Thanks. Arlene
LikeLike
This is my first time pay a visit at here and i am in fact happy to read everthing
at one place.
LikeLike
Thanks, Chester. Glad you enjoyed the site. Arlene
LikeLike
I like the valuable info you supply for your articles.
I will bookmark your blog and take a look at once more here frequently.
I’m fairly sure I’ll be informed lots of new stuff right here!
Good luck for the following!
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
Bieոvenida! y agradecido!
Debería garantizar qսe tu entrada en el page me ha sido ciertamente productivo!
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting! Arlene
LikeLike
I need to to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly loved every little bit
of it. I have you bookmarked to look at new things you post…
LikeLike
Thanks, Antoine. Glad you liked the post. Hope you return soon.
LikeLike
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was
great. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going
to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
LikeLike
Thanks so much for your comment, Allison. Really appreciate that.
LikeLike
Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new project in a
community in the same niche. Your blog provided us useful information to work on.
You have done a extraordinary job!
LikeLike
Hi, thanks for commenting. Good luck on your project. Send a progress report.
LikeLike
you are actually a good webmaster. The website loading speed is amazing.
It seems that you’re doing any distinctive trick.
Moreover, The contents are masterwork. you’ve done a
magnificent job on this topic!
LikeLike
Thanks. I appreciate your comment.
LikeLike
WҺɑt’s սp to every , since I аm really keen of reading
tɦiѕ weblog’s post to bbe updated οn a
regular basis. It consists of goοd material.
LikeLike
Thanks for commenting!
LikeLike
I alաays spent my half an hoour ttߋ read thios weblog’s posts everyday along with a cup of coffee.
LikeLike
Shirley, so glad you are returning to the blog and enjoying it. I hope you find the projects Sherbro Foundation is working on in rural Sierra Leone to be worthwhile. Appreciate your interest.
LikeLike
Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this blog
and I’m inspired! Extremely useful information particularly the last phase 🙂 I deal with such info a lot.
I was looking for this certain info for a long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
LikeLike
Danny, Thanks a lot for your comments. I do believe Sierra Leone has a bright future. It will get brighter and faster when those of us over here reach out to support and help. I feel fortunate to have found a group of Sierra Leoneans doing excellent community development work they’ve defined for themselves. To join in and work with them seemed a no brainer. I hope others will join in, too.
LikeLike
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more
enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Outstanding work!
LikeLike
Thanks. I’ve done all my own work on the website, using the standard templates from Word Press. Glad you liked it.
LikeLike
These are genuinely fantastic ideas in about blogging. You have
touched some fastidious things here. Any way
keep up wrinting.
LikeLike
Because the admin of this website is working, noo
question very rapidly it will be well-known, due to its quality contents.
LikeLike
Thanks, Roxanne. Really appreciate your comment!
LikeLike
Wow, that’s what I was seeking for, what a material! present here at this weblog,
thanks admin of this web page.
LikeLike
Steven, thanks for your comment. Glad you fund the site useful.
LikeLike
Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with
SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very
good
results. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!
LikeLike
I think it’s not a matter of plug-in’s. It’s how many people have signed on to your website over time, Liked it or put a comment on a post, or signed up to follow. And Likes on a related Facebook page. The more people use your site, the more you show up in web searches. I must have reached some threshold, because I’m now getting more traffic. Or people are sharing the address to others. Good luck.
LikeLike
My partner and I stumbled over here by a different web page and thought I
might check things out. I like what I see so i amm just following you.
Look forward to looking at your web page yet again.
LikeLike
Hi. Thanks for your comment. Hope you continue to visit in 2014. I have a lot to tell about life in rural Sierra Leone. Appreciate the support.
LikeLike
I am sure this article has touched all the internet visitors, its really really
nice post on building up new weblog.
LikeLike
Hi. Thanks! Appreciate your comment and support. Hope you visit again in 2014.
LikeLike