The S.H.E. Fund 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
Table of Contents Letter from the Executive Director..................................................2 Overview of 2021...............................................................................5 2021 S.H.E. Graduates.......................................................................6 Mission and Values............................................................................8 2021 S.H.E. Students.........................................................................10 Events and Initiatives.......................................................................14 2021 Donors......................................................................................16 Staff....................................................................................................22 Financial Report................................................................................30 A Portrait of Salula............................................................................32
The S.H.E. Fund
Letter from the Executive Director Dear S.H.E. rafiki (friend in Swahili), 2021 was a wildly challenging and miraculous year – for the S.H.E. students, as well as the S.H.E. team that supports and mentors them. Kenya’s eight-month lockdown in 2020 caused many difficulties as the students returned to school. But the RESILIENCE that each young woman showed has humbled and inspired us more than ever. The first miracle is that every single S.H.E. student did return to school. In many rural areas, this was not the norm. Up to 86% of female students could not return to school because of the poverty and pregnancies resulting from the lockdown, according to the Brookings Institute. But thanks to your donations, the Family Emergency Fund literally saved the lives of S.H.E. students and their families when many in Kenya were starving. And again thanks to you, the S.H.E. students had the funds and emotional support to return to college when the lockdown was over.
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For many students, it was not easy when they got back to their classes. Most of the S.H.E. students are from parts of Kenya with little or no electricity, so they could not use their computers to keep up with their studies online. When they arrived at college they were often required to take exams they had not been able to prepare for! Because of this, several of the students failed courses and had to retake them. But retake them they did, and every one of them succeeded! In addition, five S.H.E. students were among the 36% of female students in Kenya who got pregnant during the lockdown. Yet they too, after a maternity leave to nurture the baby, have already returned to school, or plan to do so when the baby is old enough, and one of them even graduated! (In Kenya, it is common for the mother of the student to care for her grandchild once the baby is old enough.) Also miraculous was the absolute generosity of our funder community, especially since we had to take all our fundraising initiatives online. In fact, the online poetry reading, entitled “From Tribe and Fire”, not only touched the lives of six hundred people in attendance, but brought in three times as much income as our previous in-person events! This was thanks to the gifts of the world 3
renowned poets and musicians who contributed to the event, as well as our support staff, Maya Brown and Nacala Jendayi. (Read more about this on page 14.) In addition many of you gave to Facebook Birthday fundraisers, our “Giving Tuesday” event and spontaneously out of the overflow of your heart. To me, the greatest miracle of all is that, even with all the post-lockdown challenges of 2021, nine young women graduated college, trade school or secondary school through the support of the S.H.E. Fund. (See them on page 6.) Congratulations to Mercy, Salula, Alice, Eunice Kamaamia, Eunice Keriamuny, Mary, Caroline, Jennifer, and Susan Natasha! Each of these students has a special relationship with her Primary Funder, and I know that their impact on each other will continue to ripple into the world around them, uplifting women and girls, dissolving cycles of oppression and igniting inspiration at a time on this planet when it is so very needed. Thank you beyond words for being part of this community,
Overview of 2021 40 S.H.E. students in school 9 S.H.E. Graduates 566 individual donors Courses of Study Accounting Arts and Education Banking Business Management Community Development Community Health Civil Engineering Early Childhood Education Fashion Design Food and Beverage Management Information Technology International Relations and Diplomacy Journalism Laboratory Science Nursing Procurement Project Planning Management Social Work Special Needs Education Tailoring Tourism Management
2021 Graduates
Caroline Soinato Diploma in Community Health Supported by Tina Benson and Caprice Haverty
Eunice Keriamuny Certificate in Childhood Education Supported by Jude Henning
Mercy Soila Diploma in Nursing Supported by Pam Brewster
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Jennifer Ntidai Diploma in Business Management Supported by Claire and Udo Brossmann
Mary Kumomoru Diploma in Business Management Supported by Donna Paul
Salula Naingisa Diploma in Community Development Supported by Kim Rosen
Susan Natasha Certificate in Fashion Design Supported by Elya Braden
Eunice Kamaamia Graduated Secondary School Supported by "Tyger" Jane Schuster
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Alice Mpira Certificate in Tailoring Supported by Bridget Cooley
Mission & Values THE MISSION OF THE S.H.E. FUND To provide Maasai girls and young women who have fled Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Early Forced Childhood Marriage (EFCM) and their tribe's refusal to educate females, with college, university, or trade school education, so these young women become changemakers in their communities and stop the cycles of oppression in their culture and on our planet; To offer these students scholarships for tuition and all living expenses, as well as deeply engaged mentorship from S.H.E. staff and funders, as they face the tasks of becoming leaders in their communities; To foster as many as many student-donor relationships as possible, in the knowledge that the cross-cultural human connection will change the lives of all.
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THE VALUES OF THE S.H.E. FUND To encourage and nurture relationship as the essence of our work: between student and funder, between student and student, between Kenya staff and U.S. staff, among staff members in each country, among board members, and between the Fund and the Maasai community it serves. To recognize that we are a learning community first and foremost: we are all students of one another, and all teachers. To ensure that interaction and “inner action” are as important as outer action in the S.H.E. Fund. We recognize that the healthy functioning of the organization arises out of each individual’s goodwill, self-responsibility, and openness in all our communications.
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2021 S.H.E. Students
Supported by Paul Byrne
Agnes Letura Tourism
Supported by Fred Page and Floy Andrew
Supported by Bridget Cooley
Alice Mpira Tailoring
Alinah Sawaina Katangie Catering
Supported by Diane Harner
Angela Sianto Koonyo Social Work
Supported by Kate Schapiro
Charity Sonkori Secondary School
Supported by Pam Brewster
Supported by Tina Benson and Caprice Haverty
Supported by Tyger Schuster
Brenda Nanetia Community Health
Supported by Molly & Jorge Tapias
Diana Nchoe Social Work
Caroline Soinato Community Health
Supported by Sabrina and Lilith Coryell
Dories Kimorgo Community Health
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Andrian Silole Tailoring
Supported by Jane Schuster
Eunice Kamaamia Secondary School
Eunice Keriamuny Early Chilldhood Education
Everlyne Sempui Laboratory Science
Supported by Terry Heinzmann
Supported by Catherine Grey
Hannah Naingisa Primary School
Hellen Kudate Arts & Education
Supported by Monnie Reba Efross and Ann McGinnis
Juliet Karbolo Procurement
Supported by Breen Jenkins
Supported by Mark Wolynn and Kim Rosen
Supported by Jude Henning
Fridah Resian Tourism
Supported by Judith Stone
Supported by Claire Brossmann
Jennifer Ntidai Project Management
Supported by Rand Rosenberg
Lenah Keraro Early Chilldhood Education
Josephine Naipanoi Nursing
Supported by Jodi Gold
Linah Naisho Business Management
I JUST WANT TO THANK S.H.E. FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEED YOU. YOU ARE TRANSFORMING MY LIFE SO THAT I CAN TRANSFORM MY COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD. - LINAH
Supported by Donna Paul
Mary Kumomoru Business Management
Supported by Jude Henning
Millicent Naisiae Special Needs
Peninah Nairesiae Kasikwa International Relations
Supported by Karin Carrington
Monica Kamaamia Journalism
Supported by Lisa Wade
Rhoda Naserian Kishoyian Civil Engineering
Supported by Pam Brewster
Mercy Letura Accounting
Maryanne Nkoriombai Community Health
Supported by Carolyn Gereau and Kenneth Mancuso
Supported by Dr. Dawn McGuire
Supported by Marie Chandoha
Mercy Soila Nursing
Supported by Patti Cohn
Nelly Senayet Information Technology
Supported by Kim Rosen
Supported by Breen & Roger Housden
Sarah Ngaurr Liaram Arts & Education
Salula Naingisa Community Development
S.H.E. IS OUR BRIDGE TO MAKE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR FAMILIES AND SOCIETIES. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE POWER TO FLY AND GO BACK TO OUR SOCIETIES. S.H.E. FOUNDERS AND DONORS, WHEREVER WE ARE, WE ARE PROUD OF YOU! - SALULA
I’M PROUD TO BE PART OF THE S.H.E. FUND. IT’S LIFE CHANGING! IT ENABLES US TO ACHIEVE OUR DREAMS AND BE THE ROLE MODELS OF OUR FAMILIES. - MARY NANEU
Supported by Christina MaceTurner
Sarah Sankale Education
Supported by Margaret Wagner
Sylvia Keis Community Health
Supported by Donna LaPerle
Supported by Diane Harner
Shelvin Naisimoi Laboratory Technology
Stella Karbolo Secondary School
Supported by Geneen Roth & Matt Weinstein
Supported by Ellie Wood
Sylvia Sordo Banking
Sylvia Taruru Fashion Design
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Supported by Elya Braden
Susan Natasha Fashion Design
Supported by Anne Feltes
Teresia Kerempe Business Management
Events & Initiatives 2021 was a year of Zoom meetings, but we still found ways to connect with students, funders, and friends, and we even made our way back to Kenya despite the ongoing pandemic. FROM TRIBE AND FIRE: POETRY AND MUSIC TO CELEBRATE THE S.H.E. STUDENTS Thanks to the creative contributions of renowned poets Ellen Bass, Danusha Lameris, Marie Howe, Jane Hirshfield, and Naomi Shihab Nye; the musical gifts of Jami Sieber & Agu and Muthoni Drummer Queen; and a vibrant, generous audience, we raised $30,000 at this music- and poetry-filled event. TRIP TO KENYA After a long absence due to Covid-19, Kim and Annie were grateful to return to Kenya in July. They held individual meetings with each of 40 students, hosted three separate life skills seminars and gave banquets in three cities to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and the joy of being together.
GIVING TUESDAY The S.H.E. Fund participated in Giving Tuesday for the second time this year. It was meaningful for us to be part of this global day of giving, and we were blown away by the generosity of our community. We received more than $23,000 to support S.H.E. students. Ashay Oleng to all who participated!
VIRTUAL HOLIDAY PARTY For the second year in a row, we were blessed to bring together funders and students, some of whom were meeting for the first time. We danced, we cried, we celebrated a wonderful, if challenging, year. Even with difficult internet connections and many students calling in from their phones, the joy of connection touched us all.
2021 Donors PRIMARY FUNDERS AND SUSTAINING DONORS Floy Andrews and Fred Page Tina Benson Elya Braden Pam Brewster Claire Brossman Paul Byrne Karin Carrington Marie Chandoha Patricia Cohn Bridget Cooley Sabrina and Lilith Coryell Monnie Reba Efross Anne Feltes Catherine Gray Diane Harner Caprice Haverty Terry Heinzmann Jude Henning John and Helen Hillman Breen and Roger Housden Tom and Paige Keiser Donna LaPerle Christina Mace-Turner Ann McGinnis Dawn McGuire MD Donna Paul Kim Rosen Katherine Schapiro Jane Schuster Judith Stone Jorge and Molly Tapias Lisa Wade Margaret Wagner Mark Wolynn Ellie Wood 16
GRANTS Impact a Village
RAFIKI* DONORS
Karin and Ronald Aarons
Lynne Barnes
Evelyn Cabellero
Abbey of the Arts
Susan Barnes
Sasha Care
Mary Abbott
Ellen Bass
Pierrette Carriere
Lynn Abraham
Sanjoy Basu
Annis Cassells
Robert Adamich
Marion Bauer
Tina Cervin
Katharine Adams
Donna Becker
Beverly Chen
Mary Jane Adams
Catherine Bell
Kathy Chetkovich
Elizabeth Adilman
Beth Benjamin
Katie Chilton
Rionach Aiken
Donna Bergman
Marilynne Chophel
Lauralee Alben
Mary Anne Berry
Dale Cimolai
Pamela Alexander
Andrea Bird
Clayton Clark
Sharon Alexander
Martha Bird
Cheryl Clayton
Susan Alexander
Rose Black
Lilian Clesham
Alicia Allen
Trout Black
Lisa Cochran
John Alter
Claire Blotter
Carolyn Cogan
Adrienne Amundsen
David Boatwright
Sas Colby
Dana Cunningham Anderson
Ana Bodnar
Thomas Compton
Marita Anderson
Annabel Boissevain
Kerryn Coombs-Valeontis
Suzanne Anderson
Heidi Bourne
Wendy Copp
Ingrid Andersson
Julie Bowman
Leon Coupal
Eva Andras
Kathleen Brannigan
Cindy Cowles
Julie Ariola
Raechel Bratnick
Patricia Craves
Elinor Armer
Barbara Brauer
Constance Crawford
Karen Arnold
Mindy Braun
Karla Crescenta
Carol Aronoff
Margot Brennan
Jill Crisci
Susan Arthur
Gail Brenner
Kay Crista
Jan Askin
Stephanie Brossman
Amy Crockett
Jane Attanucci
Julie Hannah Brower
Sandra Cross
Yolanda Aumentado
Susan Brown
Kristy Crouse
Karin Austin
Danielle Bryant
Mary Curtin
Marjorie Bair
Mary Bryant
Jenny D'Angelo
Catherine Baker
Lewis Buchner
Pamela Davenport
Elizabeth Baker
Margaret Burdge
Sally Davies
Judy Baker
Patricia Burke
Dickie Davis
Kitty Baker
Jennifer Burner
Jan Davis
Dennis Balcom
Mary Ann Burris
Steven Davis
Linda Barnes
Philip Bush
Winona Davis
*rafiki = friend in Swahili
RAFIKI DONORS
Kathleen Deamer
Jenny Freeman
Frances Hatfield
Cathy DeForest
Michal Friedman
LaNell Haydon
Caro Dellenbaugh
Debra Funk
Emily Hazel
Carrie DeMartini
Donna Gans
Julie Heavens
Barbara Denempont
Lyedecker Geer
Rachel Hebert
Pam Derby
Lisa Geiszler
Anne Hederman
Claire-Elizabeth Desophia
Joy Gertler
Cheryl Heineman
Kathleen Devereaux
Catherine Gewertz
Barbara Henrioulle
Anail Moon Devi
Kayli Gibbs
Susan Hericks
Walda Dickson
Paige Gilchrist
Joan Herron
Madeline Dietrich
Joanne Glenn
Marylin Hervieux
Carolyn DiMarcello
Sheilah Glover
Rae Hight
Janis Dolnick
Joanne Godley
Jane Hirshfield
Diana Douglas
Ron Goettinger
Eve Hoffman
Cathy Dowling
Margaret Gokey
Anita Holladay
Joanne Durham
Margaret Gold
Diana Holmes
Rosaleen Durkin
Holiday Goldfarb
Susan Holmes
Barbara Egan
Anita Goldstein
Laura Hooper
Jose Enciso
Ray Gordezky
Maura Horkan
Linda Enders
Pamel Gottfried
Margaret Howe
Jane Engleman
Cat Gould
Susan Humphrey
Andrea English
C Grace
Melissa Hunt
Mary Faddick
Shanti Grace
Eleanore Hunter
Finola Fahy
Minouche Graglia
Barbara Huntington
Birdy Fairchild
Linda Graham
Judith Iam
Ellen Falconer
Donna Gray
Jean Jackson
Janice Falls
Devora Green
Sheila James
Lisa Farlin
Tova Green
Rita Jankowska-Bradley
Sophia Faskianos
Debra Greenbert
Susan Johnson
Anna Feddema
Nina Grove
Victoria Johnson
Forest Fein
Lucia Guerin
Barbara Johnstone
Ann Fielder
Susie Guinan
Bonnie Jonsson
Cairn Findley
Madlynn Haber
Kathryn Jordan
Alisa Fineman
Penny Hackett-Evans
Mary Junge
Alwyn Fischel
Rasma Preiss Haidri
Tamam Adele Kahn
Dot Fisher-Smith
Debbie Hall
Rachel Kann
Sandra Flear
Jackie Hallerberg
Neha Kashyap
Patricia Fontaine
Anne Hampford
Dan Kaufman
Gail Ford
Jennifer Hanson
Edie Kausch
Alfred Fournier
Isabeth Hardy
Karen Kaushansky
Debra Franco
Meg Harlor
Vida Kazemi
Sonja Franeta
David Harris
Jonathan Keates
Nancy Frazier
Janet Harrison
John Keiser
Roseanne Freed
Kathryn Harvey
Carolyn Kellogg
RAFIKI DONORS
Debra Kelly
David Marshak
Kevin Mott
Jill Kelly
Allison Marshall
Carly Mountain
Dawn Kimble
Barbara Martin
Donna Munro
Laura King
Laurel Maxwell
Maya Morgan
Phyllis Kirson
Johnnie May
Mia Morosoff
Elizabeth Klein
Marianne Mayr
Bonnie Morrissey
Anita Kline
Adele Maze
Judith Morse
Linda Klopp
Jake McArthur
Moriah Moser
Spud Knowles
Helen McClure
Lilywood Moss
Candy Kokinakis
Pat McCutcheon
Kevin Mott
Eve Kornhauser
Maureen McGahey
Carly Mountain
Tina Koskelo
Cindy McGee
Donna Munro
Simone Kosog-Wiedemann
Bridget McGraw
Eileen Murphy
Martin Krasney
Devin McHale
Ger Murphy
Maria Krekeler
Clare McLaughlin
Joan Murphy
Lita Kurth
Brooke McNamara
Jill Murray
Mimi Kusch
Carolyn McRae
Marianne Murray
Donna Kwilosz
Kathleen McTeigue
Kalia Mussetter
Michael Lacey
Juliet McVicker
Farida Mutawalli
Danusha Lameris
Celia Meade
Lori Myers
Joan Lamphier
Amy Meier
Desi Nafte
Elizabeth Landrum
Nini Melvin
Yeshi Neumann
Bobbi LaNouse
Kristin Meuser
Leslie Neustadt
Angela Lawless
Tom Meyskens
Laurie Newell
Maryse Lepage
Judith Michaels
Julie Nicholson
Esther Lerman
Karen Miller
Naomi Shihab Nye
Lois Levinson
Peony Miller
Lorraine O'Brien
Luise Levy
Judy Mills
Susan O'Connell
Tanya Levy
Michael Minard
Brian O'Donnell
Annie Lightbody
Aine Moloney
Anne O'Reilly
Jennifer Lighty
Emma Money-Kyrle
Orlaith O'Sullivan
Selina Lim
Christine Monihan
Janis Oliker
Bryony Littlefair
Shel Montgomery
Kathleen Olsen
Nancy Hodge Long
Mary Ann Moore
Harry Ostrer
Tess Lorraine
Liv Mordente
Linda Ostro
Risha Loushine
Catherine Morgan
Patricia Owen
Sherrie Lovler
Marian Morgan
Maureen Owens
Bia Lowe
Mary Morgan
Richard Page
Francoise Lucid
Maya Morgan
Ginia Pati
Barbara MacKay
Mia Morosoff
Sylvia Patience
Looby Macnamara
Bonnie Morrissey
Myrna Patterson
Katy Mamen
Judith Morse
Elizabeth Pawley
Paul Marking
Moriah Moser
Barbara Payman
Vanda Marlow
Lilywood Moss
Candace Pearson
RAFIKI DONORS
Dana Peck
Brady Rubin
Jane Spray
Barbara Pelman
Sian Rule
Mrs. St. Clare Seifert
Ann Perrin
Lawrenc Ruth
Mirabai Starr
Colin Perrow
Karren Sahler
Maria Stefani
Bettina Peterseil
Dina Saikali
Miriam Stein
Hrieth Pezzi
Ann Sakaguchi
Maxine Steingold
Kaylee Powell
Isobel Salole
Iana Storey
Penelope Powell
Sarah Salway
Ann Strauss
Andrea Prazmowski
Sharon Salzberg
Diane Stuppin
Suzanne Pregerson
Carla Sameth
Sharon Sulman
Estelle Price
Ivy Sandz
Linda Sussman Ph.D
Annat Provo
Vivienne Sansum
Philomena Sutton
Melissa Prowse
Wilderness Sarchild
Catherine Elaine Swords
Molly Pruit
Wendy Sarno
Toby Symington
Jennie Quinn
Hope Sasek
Lori Talarico
Siobhan Quinn
Nancy Lee Sayre
Pamela Tallmadge
Zahira Rabinowitz
Kim Scheiblauer
Ten Women Strong
Sarah Rabkin
Barbara Schwartz
Susan Thom
Summer Rattigan
Jan Scott
Jim Thompson
Charlene Ray
Mary Scott
Lynne Thompson
Erin Redfern
Janis Seagrave
Kimberly Thornton
Arlene Reiss
Brenda Sebern
Frances Tibbits
Murray Reiss
Deviani Seeger
Anne Timlick
Molly Reno
Marsha Segerberg
Doina Tonner
Margaret Cliggett Reynolds
Joy Seidler
Windflower Townley
Hope Rhode
Simon Seligman
Amy Tree
Helen Richfield
Myra Shapiro
Steve Trenam
Ingrid Richter
Smriti Sharma
Jane Treuhold
Summer Riley
Lorraine Sherman
Sharon Truax
Rebecca Rishell
Susan Sherman
Chris Turano
Shana Ritter
Susan Shloss
Elsa Tustin
Heidi Robbins
Arlene Shulman
Leslie Ullman
Ann Hall Robinson
Mercy Sidbury
Gill Upham
Janet Robinson
Eve Siegel
Avi Van Haren
Lynn Robinson
Rosanne Siino
Mary Lou Van Schaik
Mark Robinson
Mary Ann Cotter
Karen VanMeenan
Edward Rockett
Olivia Simon
Olivia Varley
Briana Rose
Gloria Simoneaux
Susan Vespoli
Debora Rosen
Adela Sinclair
Janet Visick
Daryl Lynn Ross
Natalie Smith
Rilana Vorderwuelbecke
Gene Rostov
Rima Snyder
Ann Louise Wagner
Kelly Rothe
Robin Somers
Laurie Wagner
Barbara Rotschild
Linda Sonntag
Mary Walker
Susan Rouzie
Roswell Spafford
Sage Walker
RAFIKI DONORS
Wendy Walsh
Randall West
Nina Wise
Meris Walton
Ruth Wetherow
Ahria Wolf
Val Walton
Renee Whatley
Rebekah Wolman
Stephanie Warfield
Emily Wheeler
Cindy Wood
Carol Watts
Susie Whelehan
Susan Wooldridge
Pam Wax
Cynthia White
Judith Wright
Karen Weber
Lee Whitman-Raymond
Patricia Wudel
Lise Weil
Anthony Wilson
Jerielle Young
Devi Weisenberg
Julianne Wilson
Maggie & Philip Vernon Ziegler
Megan Welch
Avra Wing
Susan Zimmerman
Sharon Weld
Sarah Winter
Patricia Zylius
I AM TOUCHED AND IMMEASURABLY GRATEFUL TO BE DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH MONICA AND SUPPORTING HER COURAGE AND VISION TO CREATE A LIFE THAT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY INDEPENDENT AND FOCUSED ON SERVING OTHERS. I AM IN AWE OF HER COURAGE AND DEVOTION TO LEARNING, TO FAMILY, TO HER FAITH AND COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ONE WHO IS SO DEAR AND MAY WELL SERVE SO MANY. KARIN CARRINGTON
Staff THE S.H.E. USA TEAM KIM ROSEN Kim Rosen is the Founder and Executive Director of the S.H.E. Fund. She is also the author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words (Hay House, 2009). A culminating moment of her life mission came in 2007 when she recited a poem to a group of Maasai girls at the Tasaru Rescue Center. In that moment of cross-cultural, trans-generational communion, a deep bond was formed that eventually inspired her to create the S.H.E. Fund to serve the girls who had won her heart. Now she travels the world not only to give workshops and trainings on self-revelation through poetry and soulinquiry, but also in the service of the courageous students of the S.H.E. Fund. Kim spends time in Kenya each year to develop personal relationships with students and oversee the work of the Fund.
ANNIE LIGHTBODY Annie Lightbody is the Assistant Director and Student Liaison for the S.H.E. Fund. Annie is a small business owner, performing artist, fashion designer, yoga teacher, and magic maker. Her first trip to Kenya changed her life, and her heart, forever. Since then she has been supporting the S.H.E. Fund each year both in the US as well as traveling to Kenya, supporting the Kenya Staff and connecting with students and their families. Her love for the students knows no limits and her greatest passion is to ensure they feel seen, supported, and heard.
MARGARET HARDING Margaret Harding is the Bookkeeper for the S.H.E. Fund. Margaret Harding has worked with non-profit organizations, small companies, and individuals for over 20 years. A graduate of Kenyon College, she received her M.B.A. degree from Babson College. She has extensive experience with all aspects of finance and management, from paying bills to creating business plans. Margaret’s goal is to demystify finances for her clients.
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KATHLEEN PEDERSEN Kat Pedersen is the Program and Operations Manager for the S.H.E. Fund. She loves making a difference one person at a time. She joined the S.H.E community because she believes in heart work, and she’s inspired by every single S.H.E. student she encounters. She has an MBA from HEC Paris and has worked for nonprofits like Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. In addition to supporting the S.H.E. Fund, she’s also earning her graduate degree in professional counseling. She lives in Austin, Texas with her loving partner, his two amazing kiddos, and their two crazy cats.
MAYA BROWN and NACALA JENDAYI also served on the S.H.E. Team for part of 2021, Maya as Associate Director and Nacala as ED-in-training.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF S.H.E. USA The Board of Directors upholds the SHE Fund’s core values; contributes to its mission; supports and helps to determine its strategic direction; and guides its leadership, effective management, and financial stability.
ELYA BRADEN Elya Braden enjoyed a fourteen-year career as a corporate securities lawyer, serving as General Counsel of two public companies. Following her legal career, she launched and led a networking group for experienced women lawyers, served on boards of both nonprofit and for-profit businesses, and was a significant fundraiser for local and national charitable organizations and political campaigns. For the last decade, Elya has focused on writing poetry and creating mixed-media art. Her poetry has been widely published in the United States and internationally. She has led workshops for other writers on writing and publication and has led workshops merging art and poetry for children and teens on behalf of Free Arts in Los Angeles. Elya discovered the S.H.E. Fund through her poetry explorations with Kim Rosen. After hosting fundraisers for the S.H.E. Fund in 2015, she traveled to Kenya in 2016, where she fell in love with the girls of the Tasaru Rescue Center and the young women of the S.H.E. Fund. She began funding a student in 2017 and was delighted to join the Board to further support the Fund’s mission.
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KARIN CARRINGTON Karin Carrington has served over the last 55 years as a teacher, contemplative psychologist, photographer, author, and, more recently, an ordained Buddhist chaplain. Her work in depth psychology, spirituality, women’s empowerment and social justice prepared her for an immediate resonance with the mission and heart of the S.H.E. Fund. She joined the team in 2013 and articulated its vision of fostering rich cross-cultural relationships between the students, funders and team. She now serves on the board and spreads the inspiration of the S.H.E. Fund wherever and whenever she can. In 2016, Karin traveled to Kenya where she fell in love with the girls at the Safe House, the S.H.E. students and the Great Rift Valley that is their home. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area and is passionate about kayaking, yoga, poetry, writing, photography and her community of family, friends and students.
PATTI COHN Patti Cohn is passionate about human rights and particularly champions causes supporting women and children. She believes sponsoring Kenyan girls from the Maasai Tribe through college is a direct way to make a difference in the world. The ripple effect in the community is enormous. Patti Feels eternally blessed and grateful and yearns to give back and has been doing so for decades. She knows others are longing to contribute so fundraising comes naturally. She loves connecting people by spreading the word about the profound difference one can make by sponsoring a girl through the S.H.E. Fund. Contributing in this way is immensely rewarding for the giver as well as the receiver. While Traveling to Kenya and meeting Nelly, the girl that she sponsors, and falling in love with the girls at the Tasaru rescue center, Patti felt called to step up in a bigger way and is proud to be on the board, furthering the fund’s mission. Having an ongoing relationship with Nelly and Agnes Pareyio, founder of the Tasaru rescue center, is a joy and a privilege. Patti grew up in the NY metropolitan area, has called Marin County home since 1987 and has been a homeowner in Ross for 26 years. She enjoys traveling, entertaining, hiking, yoga, kayaking, enneagram exploration, deep inner work and inspiring others. And of course, her wide network of the friends and family fuels her. She has been a top producing real estate broker in Marin County for 32 years.
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DR. DAWN MCGUIRE Dr. Dawn McGuire is a physician and a poet with a long and loving connection to East Africa. She is delighted to join the board of the S.H.E. Fund and honored to support the educational ambitions of Maasai girls.
DONNA PAUL Donna Paul is a native California girl who recently relocated to Henderson, Nevada with her husband of 17 years, their dog Ruffles, and two kitties Oscar & Tazzie. She is passionate about human and animal rights and has supported both for many years. She is especially focused on empowering young women and has mentored several young women suffering from physical, mental and/or substance abuse. A graduate from UCLA with degrees in both Diversified Liberal Arts and English she has worked for several nonprofit organizations, a lifestyle magazine and a public relations firm. She finally settled into a successful 25+ year career in the field of Entertainment Business Management and remained in this field until retiring a few years ago. Donna learned about The S.H.E. Fund through her high school friend, Elya Braden. After attending several fundraising events, she fell in love with the mission of the S.H.E. Fund and began supporting a student in 2016. Donna is thrilled to join the Board and is looking forward to traveling to Kenya in the near future to meet the amazing women of the Tasaru Rescue Center.
KIM ROSEN IS ALSO ON THE BOARD
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THE S.H.E. FUND KENYA STAFF JACINTA SILANTOI METEUR Jacinta Silantoi Meteur is the Director of Kenya Operations for the S.H.E. College Fund. She earned her BS in Business, and is soon to earn an MBA in Business Administration. The eldest of 10 children, Jacinta was the first female in her village to achieve an education beyond primary school, and the first person to go to college. Even as a child, Jacinta was passionate about education. As a young girl she fled to the Tasaru Rescue Center in order to avoid FGM and go to school instead. Her passion to attend college compelled her to reach out to Kim Rosen for help in 2010, and their collaboration in her college education was the seed that became the S.H.E Fund. Jacinta is responsible for the myriad tasks that go into supporting S.H.E. students day to day in Kenya - finding them colleges, teaching them about budgeting and communication, taking them to school, bookkeeping of expenses, responding to student requests, and maintaining frequent contact with all students and team members. In her spare time, Jacinta loves to design clothing and visit her mother and younger siblings in their village, a journey of several hours by motorbike through the bush.
I'M GRATEFUL EVERY DAY TO WORK WITH THE S.H.E. TEAM! YOU ARE ALL SUCH AMAZING, CARING, AND LOVING PEOPLE, AND YOU ARE PASSIONATE TO HELP THESE COURAGEOUS SOULS WHO ARE READY TO CHANGE THE WORLD! - JACINTA
EMILY KETTER Emily Ketter is the organization’s Supervisor and holds a degree in Project Management. She has been the manager of the Tasaru Rescue Center for 15 years. She has known every student in the S.H.E. Fund since their arrival at the center; she knows their stories and struggles. She has the unique ability to both play and work with the students, and they respect her deeply.
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LINAH NAISHO Linah Naisho, a S.H.E. student studying for her degree in Business, helps the Kenya Operations Director with daily tasks and with taking girls to school when they start college. Linah fled FGM in 2007 and arrived at the Tasaru Safe House when Kim was visiting. At the time, she had never been to school and spoke only Maa, the indigenous language of the Maasai. Today she is a successful degree student at Maasai Mara University.
THE S.H.E. FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN KENYA The Board of Directors is a team of authorities who are highly respected as elders of the Maasai tribe and whom many of the students have known and looked up to. The Board advises the American and Kenyan S.H.E. teams on communications and actions that affect the students and the surrounding community.
AGNES PAREYIO Agnes Pareyio was the head of Kenya’s Anti-FGM board until 2022 and is the founder of the Safe House, as well as the Tasaru Ntonomok Initiative, the organization which oversees the Safe House. She also produces educational events and Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) for the Maasai community. She is a highly respected leader and politician known throughout the world. She is also the president of the S.H.E. Fund Organization in Kenya, a registered community-based organization (CBO).
HELLENA MOSES Hellena Moses is the head teacher in the largest secondary school in the Great Rift Valley. She is a founding member of Tasaru Ntomomok Initiative and the main teacher at the tri-annual ARP, which is given by Tasaru three times a year for young girls throughout Maasailand as an alternative to FGM. The girls are taught about the hazards of FGM, sexual education and their rights. Helen, too, has been a presence in the life of every S.H.E. student.
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CHRISTOPHER MURRAY Christopher Murray is the CFO of the Tasaru Ntonomok Initiative. He also holds a government position in charge of the evaluation of primary and secondary school teachers in Narok County. Chris teaches in the ARP, has led many of the reconciliation ceremonies for the Tasaru girls with their families and been on rescue missions for girls endangered by EFCM.
KIM ROSEN, EMILY KETTER, AND JACINTA SILANTOI METEUR ARE ALSO ON THE BOARD IN KENYA.
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2021 Profit & Loss Statement
INCOME Fundraising Events Primary Funders General Fund Donations Sustaining Donors Grants Facebook Fundraisers Interest Total Income
$75,752.67 $71,500.00 $15,531.09 $10,500.00 $7,000.00 $3,732.93 $29.92 $184,046.61
EXPENSES
The S.H.E. Fund
Programs Administration Fundraising
$141,872.17 $18,766.55 $7,731.99
Total Expenses
$168,370.71
Net Income: $15,675.90 30
2021 Income
2021 Expenses
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A Portrait of Salula Sylvia Salula Naingisa was rescued at the age of eight in the midst of a forced marriage ceremony to a 46-year-old man. The Tasaru Rescue Centre was her sanctuary until she graduated high school in 2017. Since then she has been a S.H.E. student, completing her Certificate and Diploma levels in Social Work, and currently studying for her Degree. Here is some of her story in her own words. When I was a little girl, seven or eight years old, I was determined to go to school. I loved learning. But my family, my culture, does not allow females to be educated. I could only watch the guys pass next to our home on their way to school. I would go out and wave at the boys in the morning, then, when they came back from school, I could go back and wave at them again. I could only admire them. Just look and admire. I didn’t know what to do. (Photo right: The mud house, or manyatta, where Salula grew up.)
When Salula was eight years old, she underwent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in preparation to be married off to a 46-year-old man. For you to get married, you have to be prepared by your mother. So when I was eight years old, after I was done FGM, my mother started telling me to make the beads (do beadwork) because you need to be beautiful when you are married. But I had this attitude: I was telling my mother, “I’m not going anywhere because I’m going to school.”
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And my mother said to me, “How will you say that to your dad? He will not allow you to go to school.” I told her, “I don’t know, but I’m going to be the first girl to go to school in this family, and I’m not going to stop. I don’t know where the help will come from, but I’m going to school.” But everyone was telling me, “Go take care of your husband.” I told my mother, “I’m not going to stay there!” My mother was crying. She was worried about me. She thought I was going to kill myself if I went with that man. His place was near a big river. So my mother was scared that I might go and throw myself in the river. Which I was planning to do! Now it was time to leave. I think it was almost 8 AM. When I was walking by where the cows stay, I saw a police car. Then I was so confident! I knew my dream was coming true! As I went toward the man who was going to marry me, the police came and interrupted the ceremony. They directed me to the Tasaru Rescue Centre vehicle. My father was arrested. And so was the man. They were taken to jail.
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From “The World” by Salula Naingisa Our fathers are selling their innocent girls. Sell? Yes, sell. And they sell them for cheap prices. Imagine me being sold for a blanket worth 1,500 shillings or less. Three cows, four goats, and some kilos of sugar! That’s a crime that our fathers are making...
The police took me to the rescue center. There I was welcomed and given everything that I needed. I was undressed from the beads and the stinking dress made of skins that you wear in a wedding, and I remember one of the secretaries washing me. I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t speak their language, Swahili, because I only knew the language of my tribe, Maa. But I was happy. I knew my dream had come true and I was going to school! For the next ten years, Salula’s home was the Tasaru Rescue Center, also known as the V-Day Safe House. The girls are sent to boarding school, and all their needs are provided for. In 2017, after Salula graduated high school, she was reconciled with her parents in a huge ceremony attended by hundreds of villagers.
Salula graduated from Kenya Institute of Community Development and Social Work at the top of her class with both a Certificate and a Diploma. Here are a few words from her graduation speech:
Today is my great day. This is the day that I show the world that I did it. My dream was to go to school, but my community, my dad, and other people never believed in girls’ education. But now they do. Because of me. Education is power. It has given me power. And it has given me wings to fly.
Salula is currently studying for a Degree in Social Work, the next step in her commitment to transforming the lives of women and girls in her community, her tribe and the world.
Thank You The S.H.E. Fund
www.shecollegefund.org 225 Laurel Drive, Fairfax, CA 94930 Tax ID: 30-1015890