Arlene Golembiewski (Sierra Leone ’74 – ’76) received the prestigious NPCA Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service for 2018. This is the highest award given to RPCVs and recognizes “sustained and distinguished contribution to humanitarian causes at home and abroad.” Five years ago, Arlene started Sherbro Foundation after a visit to the town where she served. She saw that the area was still poor and in need of economic development, due in large part to the long civil war there. Arlene began working with a colleague from her Peace Corps days who is now Paramount Chief to make simple changes that had an immediate impact, such as providing fund for uniforms and fees so girls can attend school. A major key to the success of this effort is the partnership between Sherbro Foundation and the local Center for Community Empowerment and Transformation. Over 5,000 residents of Bumpeh Chiefdom have been touched in just five years, showing the true value of a Peace Corps-type approach to development.
Here is a link to the NPCA article about Arlene’s award: https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/articles/announcing-the-2018-shriver-award-winner-arlene-golembiewski
Click on this link for more information on Sherbro Foundation: https://sherbrofoundation.org/about-us/