When the Peace Corps re-entered Sierra Leone following the close of the civil war there, CARV member Arlene Golembiewski (Sierra Leone ’74 – ’76) returned to her country of service. on a NPCA Friends of Sierra Leone trip. She reconnected with the town where she served, including a colleague who is now Paramount Chief in the region. She identified ways in which she could work with local people and went to work raising money to fund collaborative projects in Rotefunk and the Bumpeh Chiefdom. After just four years, Arlene’s Sherbro Foundation has provided funding for girls’ eduction, planted fruit trees for babies to provide school fees in the past and successfully battled to keep Ebola out of the chiefdom, among others.
The fall, Arlene was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Procter & Gamble Alumni Network. The award is given biennially to recognize “significant contributions to the human condition.” We couldn’t agree more! Arlene exemplifies the philosophy of the Peace Corps as she works with residents of her host country to identify needs and work together to address them. CARV has been proud to lend financial support to Sherbro Foundation and their work.
Click here for a link to Arlene’s recognition ceremony. Be sure to explore the Sherbro website for additional information about their work.
