Hi, I'm Juliet Bendu, born and raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa. I grew up in a symbiotic environment, and the values it taught me continue to play an essential role in my interactions with people and decisions.

For over 20 years and through community efforts in the USA, I collect and ship clothes, medication, food, sponsor educational endeavors, provide housing, etc., to my village and surrounding communities. Through this endeavor, five of the recipients have graduated from college, and I currently have 3 more attending college. This has always been a special occasion and a rewarding experience. I make sure that every household, not just my immediate family, benefits from these endeavors. There are 29 households in my village, excluding neighboring villages.

My goal this year is to construct a community water well and toilets for the entire village. Every time I visit my village, it is extremely disheartening to see young kids and women traveling far distances to fetch water. This occurs three to four times a day, and it brings to mind that I was once one of them. With the recent passing of my daughter and receiving videos of the outpouring of love my village displayed during my family’s immense loss, I decided to construct a water well in her memory and toilets to improve the sanitary environment in my village.

As always, I appreciate the assistance I have and continue to receive from everyone. I cannot take credit for all the initiatives I have undertaken throughout the years without acknowledging all the contributors. Any assistance you render will go a long way towards helping my community.