By Nvasekie Konneh

Kim Poole is a true believer in Pan Africanism. Though born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, she travels more frequently to countries in Africa, planting the seeds for the SHEROES Sisterhood.

Poole founded SHEROES Sisterhood in 2016 and officially launched the organization in Liberia on July 26, 2018 in collaboration with a local NGO, Sehwah.

Ever since then SHEROES Sisterhood has kept its presence in Liberia.

Since the coronavirus lockdown in Liberia, the organization has engaged in humanitarian efforts by distributing food and sanitary items to the needy.

On April 26, it organized breakfast for kids. This and its food distribution were spearheaded by SHEROES Sisterhood outreach team in Liberia headed by Grace J. Dioboute.

Recently, SHEROES Sisterhood distributed food in Duazohn, Lower Margibi County and Rock Crusher Community in Paynesville. An ongoing effort throughout the pandemic, the organization also carried on sanitation awareness, highlighting ways to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

SHEROES Sisterhood is an international network of African women from over 16 countries in Africa and the African Diaspora in America, the Caribbean, and Europe. It is dedicated to women’s empowerment.

According to its founder, Kim Poole, “SHEROES Sisterhood is committed to supporting disenfranchised communities in Liberia which are unable to operate normal self-sustaining activities due to Coronavirus Pandemic lockdowns and closures. This is why it has created the Global Nurse Evers Relief Fund, to support our Liberia SHEROES on the frontlines.

SHEROES Sisterhood of Liberia have been on the frontlines since July 2018 when Kim Poole conducted the first workshop during the independence day celebration.

In partnership with SEHWAH, the gathering of women was held at the SEHWAH office around the Police Academy Junction in Paynesville, just outside Monrovia, the Liberian capital.

The US-based soul performing artist and social activist said during the launch that she “used her art as a tool for social transformation.”

The workshop was intended for women empowerment and it was very inspirational as well as motivational. The focus was on entrepreneurship and how the women can make locally available materials into products or commodities that are consumed locally as well as for export market.

Tea was the focus of the workshop and by blending different ingredients, the participants made tea we all drank with sweet honey made in Liberia. Throughout the workshop, Kim emphasized the importance of locally made products for local consumption and exports.

The program ended with emphasis on the importance of positive relation between Liberians and the African diaspora as Liberia is a unique country in Africa that was started by the African American settlers in the 1800s.

As a daughter of Liberia and Baltimore Maryland in the USA, Poole echoes this sentiment. Since that launching, over the past two years, SHEROES Sisterhood has kept active presence in Liberia and is well positioned to rise to the occasion as Super SHEROES saving the day amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the leadership of the Vice President of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor, The International Sheroes Foundation in Africa held a major conference from October 17th through the 19th in Monrovia.

The theme of the conference was “Advancing Women’s Participation in Leadership.” Several high profile female leaders graced the occasion, including the First Lady of Liberia, Madam Clar Weah, as well as the former president, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

On the role the SHEROES Sisterhood played in the conference in Monrovia, Kim Poole said she sent a letter of solidarity to the conference organizers, addressed to Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor.

She said she has “planted the seeds of the SHEROES movement in various countries and many times the various women’s organizations do their own programs. Whenever such program happens in any country, the SHEROES Sisterhood will either send a delegation or letter of solidarity and support to the organizers.”

Poole added “The SHEROES Sisterhood was newly established in July of 2018, and were excited to offer support to the Vice President in Sept 2019 as she hosted an event in the spirit of Sisterhood.”

She went on to say that “but ultimately the SHEROES Sisterhood’s works in various countries is not politically motivated event but rather the SHEROES Sisterhood is an ongoing mission engaged in activities for African women’s empowerment.

About the author: Nvasekie Konneh is a nine year veteran of the US Navy. He’s a Liberian writer and author of the collections of poetry, “Going to War for America,” The Love of Liberty Brought Us Together, and “The Land of My Father’s Birth,” the memoir of the Liberian civil war. He can be reached at Knvasekie@yahoo.com, nvaskon1@gmail.com or 267-826-3952.