The Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund

To keep Barbara's memory alive

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An Advocate for Women in Development

Dr. Barbara Pillsbury, a medical/cultural anthropologist, spent all her professional career working with women and families in order to improve the lives of others. Barbara worked in 100 countries and spoke 13 languages, including Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish. She passed away on September 27, 2012. For more details about Barbara’s long devotion and achievements to international development, please visit her Memorial Page on the NAPA website.  

“The first time I met Barbara, I was struck by her passion for working in development. She was an excellent communicator and worked hard in drafting policy recommendations that benefited women. Her strong statement to me saying “I think one person can make a difference in helping others” inspired me and started me on a long journey working together with her on many consultancies for organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).” – Dr. Soheir Stolba, President, The SHARE Institute

The Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund was established by Barbara’s two daughters, Heather Cristman, and Kristina Milne, and her family and friends, to honor Barbara and keep her causes in international development funded. This fund will be used to provide non-governmental organizations mini-grants that will enable women and children to lead better lives. The fund focuses on the issues that Barbara spent her life working on, such as reproductive health and family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS education.

 

Project Funding:

The SHARE Institute’s mini-grants are awarded to non-governmental organizations in developing countries. These organizations submit proposals to SHARE and must answer technical questions about their proposed projects. Organizations are required to send electronic final reports and pictures about their projects. SHARE has favored micro-credit grants to help as many women as possible with limited funding. In 23 years of operation, SHARE has completed 329 projects in 35 countries.

In the last three years of her life, Barbara personally funded mini-grants to be implemented in the DRC Congo. Approximately 100 women benefited from her donations. Money sent in her name after her passing in 2012 funded the same Congo project, which enabled women to purchase generators to irrigate their small lots of land. Also, children were able to study at night because of the electricity provided by the generator.

The following sections detail the projects funded in Barbara’s name, according to year. Under each year, a set of 3-4 projects are funded. Below, you will see the name of the organization, the country the organization operates in, and a short paragraph about the project. The blue headings are links to the organization page, which will include pictures and more details of the organization’s activities.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2024

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2023

CHIREHO, Malawi:

The SHARE Institute funded CHIREHO in Malawi to establish functional boreholes and maintenance training to 3 small communities, impacting 1200 individuals by making clean water more readily accessible.

Kakere, Uganda:

SHARE Institute 40 poor rural women in Uganda to be trained in making suction-smoke-free stoves to save the environment. The women enjoyed the high income they made in selling the stoves. Trees are saved and smoke-free houses are appreciated by the families.

Kimbo Amazing Women, Kenya:

In 2023, The SHARE Institute funded Kimbo Amazing Women in Kenya to train and 12 teenage mothers to work with hair as a way to make a living. As part of the training, the girls were worked for four hours a day for three months in a salon, and were given a daily wage of $6. At the end of the training, the girls were hired permantly in the salon for $8 dollars a day.

In addition to the training, the girls were given the means to purchase their own hair tools and equipment. Finally, all beneficiaries recieved additional training in childcare and family planning.

Society for Women against AIDS in Africa (SWAA), Democratic Republic of Congo:

In 2023, The SHARE Institute funded SWAA to train 30 internally-displaced women to make artisinal soap from palm oil and sell it for income.

This project helps the community on two fronts: first, it provides income and job-training to the women living in the refugee camps. Second, many of the refugees are facing hygienic diseases from unsanitary living conditions and lack of hygiene products. By learning to create soap, these women help the community defend against these diseases, and are better able to provide for their families.

In order to make the project self-sustaining, the original 30 beneficiaries had to each train 5 additional women in making and selling soap.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2022

ARWDF, Uganda:

In 2022, The SHARE Institute funded Action for Rural Women’s Development (ARWDF) in Uganda to train 30 women to make local stoves and sell them at affordable prices. These stoves are inexpensive, cook fast, and use less firewood and charcoal. It’s a win-win situation for women to both save money and help the environment.

CHEDRES, Nigeria:

In 2022, SHARE funded CHEDRES, a non-profit organization in Nigeria, to provide training on entrepreneurial skills, soap-making, bleach-making, and mask-masking to 50 women and girls in the community. In addition to the training, the beneficiaries were given medical screenings, and prenatal medicines were given to the beneficiaries that are pregnant. Unfortunately, the area where the women reside is currently under warfare. The women attended the workshop in the hope the skills they learned will enable them to make money in another location.

FOWACE, Liberia:

This year, SHARE funded Foundation for Women and Children’s Empowerment (FOWACE) in Liberia to repair community hand pumps that women use to get their domestic water for their everyday life. These hand pumps serve 10 communities in Lofa county, which has been severely affected by Ebola, COVID-19, and civil war.
Many of the faucets were out of order, and families were forced to drink unsanitary water. With our funding, hundreds of women are enjoying the use of the new hand pumps that provide safe and clean water.

SWAA, Democratic Republic of Congo:

This year, SHARE funded SWAA, a non-profit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to implement the most successful and well-designed SHARE project to date. SWAA trained and helped 30 women to produce bottled pineapple juice for export to neighboring countries. Pineapples, while being a popular agricultural product, do not travel long distances very well. The juice, however, travels easier and can be sold locally and across state borders. By participating in this project and learning this trade, the women have been able to increase their incomes significantly. The 30 trainees also went on to train 600 additional women in small business skills related to pineapples. This included making pineapple products, such as cookies and cakes, to be sold at market.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2021

The following is a very brief write-up on the projects that were funded by the Barbara Pillsbury fund in 2021. All of them were very successful in reaching 90 beneficiaries and their families. The case studies all indicate that women who increased their income used it to support their children's education and improve the quality of their lives.

Democratic Republic of Congo – SWAA

In 2021, The SHARE Institute funded Society of Women Against Aids in Africa (SWAA), in the Democratic Republic of Congo to teach disadvantaged women in rural areas to grow, harvest, and sell tomatoes.

Ghana – Iseguri Initiative

In 2021, The SHARE Institute funded Iseguri Initiative in Ghana to train women to use climate-smart innovative agricultural practices in planting groundnuts and vegetables. The practices include composting and sack-and-vertical gardening, where the seedlings are placed in a sack with soil, manure, and small rocks.

The teenaged-mother trainees have been very successful in their training and planting and had a great harvest. One of the trainees is a teen-mother of three. Some of the food she grew went to her children, friends, and family, and the rest she was able to sell. She hopes Iseguri Initiative will extend the project to other communities so more teen mothers can benefit from the high income.

Liberia – Foundation for Women and Children (FOWACE)

This year, The SHARE Institute funded Foundation for Women and Children’s Empowerment in Liberia to pay the school tuition fees for ten disadvantaged children. These vulnerable children are all raised by their grandmothers, disabled mothers, or other relatives. The grant also provided textbooks, shoes, school bags, and other necessary school supplies to each of the beneficiaries.

Nigeria – CHEDRES

The SHARE Institute funded CHEDRES in Nigeria to provide preventative and awareness training regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Women received masks and were taught how to make bleach, as well as the use of soap and hand-washing.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2020

Shapes Lives International - Ghana

This project funded 20 women to upgrade their skills in maize production including planting, weed control, harvesting, and marketing. The project was a big success in improving the income of women and their families.

Society of Women Against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) – Democratic Republic of Congo

In 2020, SHARE funded a grant to The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) to allow struggling local women in an impoverished rural area to grow maize. As a result of COVID-19, there have border closures and restrictions on imports. Therefore, the price of corn flour, one of the most essential foods in the DRC, has risen steeply. The funds SHARE provided to support the cultivation of maize was even more essential than usual during this time.

So much maize was produced that the local women involved in the project were able to bake bread with the excess and sell it at the local markets, as well as feed the chickens they had raised for meat.

CHEDRES – Nigeria

50 females with disabilities were given entrepreneurship training and vocational training in soap-making, bleach-making, baking, etc.  These women were grateful for the opportunity to learn skills that would improve their incomes.

Iseguri Initiative – Ghana

Ten women farmers were trained in growing groundnuts. Women were asked to use masks and practice hand-washing with soap and water. The seeds were planted by the women. The women ended up with a bountiful harvest and have become advocates of COVID-19 safety measures.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2019

For the year 2019, the Barbara Pillsbury Fund funded four mini-grants.  These projects focused on areas that Barbara advocated for. The following is a summary of those projects. An estimated 60 women will benefit from these mini-grants.

CHEDRES in Nigeria

Antenatal Care and Tuberculosis Awareness Forum

CHEDRES was funded to train 120 males and 274 females about the importance of general health issues such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Also, 88 children and pregnant women were tested. Medication was given and referral for surgery was completed.

The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa

Maize is one of the basic foods in DRC. The SHARE Institute funded SWAA to train women on methods of cultivation that increase the yield. Fertilizers were used and a tractor was rented. 10 women benefited from the project. The women improved the education of their children and have a better standard of living.

Iseguri Ghana

Iseguri Initiative received funds to improve the economic conditions of teen mothers. Ten women have been trained in Cassava cultivation. Many of the beneficiaries increased their income and produced enough money to repay the loan and sell Cassava Donuts to community members.

Action for Community Development, Tanzania

Empowering Economic Growth of Women Refugees in Tanzania

In 2019, SHARE provided funds to Action for Community Development in Tanzania. This project provided 20 women with training to develop their entrepreneurial skills. These women were then provided with micro-grants to be able to start their new businesses. This had the effect of improving the incomes of these women, as well as improving the education of their children.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2018

The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa

Through continued funding from the Barbara Pillsbury Trust, SWAA purchased wooden crates to transport tomatoes to large markets. The organization has been successful in increasing produce yields but needed strong containers to protect the quality of produce. The project increased the income of families and from the proceeds of the sales of vegetables, a motorcycle was purchased to serve community needs of transporting sick children to the closest hospital.

Action for Community Development, Tanzania

Twenty asylum seekers were awarded mini-grants to start their own businesses. These widows attended an intensive training workshop to learn about entrepreneurial skills. All women raised their monthly income. Here is a case study to show project impact:

Ms. X is a poor asylum seeker sheltered with her four daughters in a UNHCR tent. Ms. Z split the grant money between her and her older daughter. She sold fish and manged to make $15 in one month. The daughter sold tomatoes and made less money. After 3 months, the total savings were $80. The money made is expected is to be invested in growing the buisness.

CHEDRES, Nigeria

Female Adolescent and Young People Sexual and Reproductive Health

The Centre for Healthworks, Development and Research Initiatives (CHEDRES) shared information with young women about sexual and reproductive health. They were able to distribute sanitary pads and mosquito nets to young women to use during or after pregnancy. The CHEDRES project was also able to deworm 286 children. Other tests such as HIV testing, urine tests for pregnant women, and fasting blood sugar tests for the elderly were preformed.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2017

Three projects were funded under the Barbara Pillsbury and Edna Kroll trust in 2017.  Contributors to the funding of the projects include:  Ms. Heather Cristman, Ms. Kristina Milne, Ms. Anne Dahlen, Ms. Constance Skildum, Ms. Angela Hsu and Soheir Stolba. 

The three funded projects were from non-profit organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Ghana.  The Congo project was in the technical area of micro-credit to raise women’s income to help their families.  The Ghana project was to train women to produce higher yields of rice and maize. The third project in Nigeria provided nutritional counseling and some medical testing for first time mothers.  The following is a brief summary of each project:

SWAA: The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo

The 2017 SHARE grant enabled women to build an artisanal stove to make large quantities of kasava bread.  Prior to the project, the women used to spend too much effort to produce a few loaves of bread.  After building the oven, the production of bread increased dramatically.  Also, women spend less time making the bread which is a labor-intensive shore allowing women to use their time in marketing the bread.

Facilitating the process of bread making, led to the involvement of more women working together to produce more loaves of bread.  Thirty more women joined the production line and profits are shared by the families of the women.  Many of the women are widows and are the sole supporters of the children.  The women stated that the money goes to the purchase of day-to-day items for the household and the education of the children.

CHEDRES, A Safe Motherhood Project for the New Born and Child Health, Nigeria

CHEDRES used the funding to serve 47 new mothers and mothers of toddlers.  All mothers attended counseling sessions about care for a new born.  Mothers’ of toddlers attended the nutrition classes and other classes relevant to the care of children.  Toddlers were tested for tape worms and were de-wormed.

Iseguri, Ghana

The main objective of the project was to improve maize and rice production yields for a hundred smallholder women farmers.  The results from the training provided in the orientations sessions of the project as well as the improved seeds that were used led to a very successful harvest season.

One beneficiary reported that she used to get a yield of four bags of rice from an acre of land.  Now, after the input from this project, she received seventy six bags from two acres.  She was particularly pleased with the marketing tips that increased her income to cover the cost of her children’s education.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2016

For the year 2016, the Barbara Pillsbury Fund funded four mini-grants.  These projects focused on areas that Barbara advocated for. The following is a summary of those projects. An estimated 60 women will benefit from these mini-grants.

CHEDRES in Nigeria

Maternal, New Born and Child Nutrition Project, Nigeria

The project was designed to address acute malnutrition and stunting among children.  The project provided facilitation sessions to educate pregnant women and lactating women about the importance of proper nutrition for children’s growth and development.

Pregnant women had their blood pressure checked.  Also, children had their height and weight and arm circumference checked.  The project provided deworming for 160 children.   As a result of the testing conducted on the children, 16 children were identified as severely malnourished and 96 children were malnourished.

The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa

Implementation of a Fish-Breeding Project, Democratic Republic of Congo

SWAA implemented a project to benefit young sex workers and steer them away from prostitution.  The project had several objectives including giving women a way to earn money and raise a family without being subjected to HIV/AIDs.  

Sixty five beneficiaries were identified and they participated in preparing a small lake to be stocked with fish.  Tools such as spades, wheelbarrows, and other digging tools were purchased and distributed to the women.

The project has been a major success.  One of the beneficiaries stated that she has been sending only her sons to school but not daughters because she lacked money.  The project has enabled her to pay for girls’ education.  Also, her oldest son has been able to join a university and is pursuing his dream of becoming an engineer.

Iseguri Ghana

Rice Farming and Micro-credit, Ghana

Growing brown rice is preferred in Ghana for its taste.  Brown rice is used in cultural rituals and special festivals.  Also, it is convenient for long-term storage and it can stand climatic changes.  Women were offered technical assistance to grow better varieties of brown rice. The beneficiaries were divided into three groups (a) Cassava planting group), (b) Rice planting group, and (c) Maize planting group.   The women learned about planting in line techniques, fertilizing the soil, and insect control methods.

Flying Samaritans, Mexico

Eye Exams for School Children and Senior Adults, Mexico

Medical teams consisting of students and professors of Medicine from the University of California Medical School visit a project site in Mexico.  The SHARE Institute purchases eye glasses for school children and older adults.  Many of the adults have never had corrective glasses.  They lived their lives with blurry vision.  The Optical Clinic provided eye exams to 94 patients and the SHARE funds paid for 44 new pairs of glasses.  There is a great deal of interest in the clinical services provided to senior adults.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2015

In the year 2015, three international projects were funded in the memory and honor of Dr. Barbara Pillsbury, a renowned anthropologist and development specialist.  These projects received donations from Barbara’s family and friends. The funded projects were implemented by non-profit organizations in three developing countries: Shapes Lives Foundation, located in Ghana, CHEDRES in Nigeria, and Barbara’s favorite non-profit organization, SWAA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  All three projects were part of the SHARE Institute’s health and micro-credit portfolio.

The Process:

Monthly, the SHARE Institute receives hundreds of proposals via email from non-governmental organizations in developing countries.  These proposals are read by a Board member, Ms. Marilyn Lembeck, Share interns, young college students and by Dr. Soheir Stolba.  Several criteria are applied before communication with an organization that has submitted a successful proposal starts.  Funds are sent after the organization’s representative agrees to send progress reports, a final report and case studies demonstrating the impact of the project on the beneficiaries.  Each organization is given the amount of $500.  In addition, international transfer fees are paid.

Donors to the Memorial Fund:

Ms. Heather Cristman, Ms. Kristina Milne, Ms. Anne Dahlen, Ms. Constance Skildum,  Ms. Angela Hsu, and Dr. Soheir Stolba.

Shapes Lives Foundation, Ghana

The SHARE Institute funded Shapes Lives Foundation to provide a holistic approach to improving food security and nutrition in a rural Ghanaian community.

Two hundred households were introduced to agro-forestry and sustainable food production.  A two-acre model farm was established and 5,000 Moringa tree seedlings were planted.  Moringa trees provide excellent nutrients for the poor.  More emphasis was placed on developing pest resilient seeds for the year 2016 planting.  The following paragraph is from www.webmd.com and explains the value of the Moringa trees:

“Moringa is an important food source in some parts of the world. Because it can be grown cheaply and easily, and the leaves retain lots of vitamins and minerals when dried, moringa is used in India and Africa in feeding programs to fight malnutrition. The immature green pods (drumsticks) are prepared similarly to green beans, while the seeds are removed from more mature pods and cooked like peas or roasted like nuts. The leaves are cooked and used like spinach, and they are also dried and powdered for use as a condiment. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction is used as a fertilizer and also to purify well water and to remove salt from seawater.”

The project beneficiaries were grateful for improved yields as a result of learning new techniques of planting and marketing. SHAPES Lives is in the process of conducting a follow-up and monitoring small study to complete their case studies.

CHEDRES, Nigeria

In its continued efforts to promote community health and safe motherhood, CHEDRES designed a project to enhance the capacity of local birth attendants and midwives.

The Project provided the following services: HIV counseling and testing, free malaria testing, and provision of drugs for both illnesses.  Forty nine persons received general health care services including measurement of vital signs and treatment for blood pressure. Midwives and traditional birth attendants updated their knowledge about pre-natal and post-natal services. 

Girls with disabilities were given sex education so they would not be sexually exploited.  The project helped many deaf girls learn about their bodies and how to avoid those who try to exploit them. One girl was in despair because she thought that she was pregnant and was afraid that she had HIV.  But after being tested by the project’s staff, she found out that she was not pregnant and she was free of HIV. She was grateful to receive these free medical services.

SWAA, Democratic Republic of the Congo

SWAA was funded by SHARE to purchase two agricultural machines: (1) a corn peeling machine and (2) a bag sewing machine to store corn.  The machines helped local women increase their income.  The machines facilitated the peeling of five tons of corn and the production of 300 storage bags.  This increase in production and sales translates into higher income for the women and their families.

Sixty households have indirectly benefited from the high level of production.  The beneficiaries praised the project for increasing their income.  Many of the women started sending their children to school as they now can afford to pay for school uniforms, shoes, and other educational supplies.

Projects Funded by the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund in 2014

For the year 2014, the Barbara Pillsbury Fund funded four mini-grants.  These projects focused on areas that Barbara advocated for. The following is a summary of those projects. An estimated 60 women will benefit from these mini-grants.

 

Voice of Women in Uganda

In 2014, The Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund, in coordination with The SHARE Institute, provided a mini-grant to Voice of Women in Uganda to assist women living with HIV/AIDS. The project provided two pigs to four women with HIV/AIDS so that the women could start up home-based businesses raising pigs for food.  Mimicking the principals of a revolving micro-credit fund, each woman that receives two pigs from the initial seed money will be required to pass on a male and a female pig to another woman in the community with HIV/AIDS. This practice will ensure that the initial mini-grant money will have a lasting impact in the community for years to come!

 

Empathy Uganda in Uganda

In 2014, The Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund, in partnership with the SHARE Institute, provided a mini-grant to Empathy Uganda for the purchase of an oven that will be used to train prenatal women in the business of baking.  Approximately 70% of women that Empathy Uganda works with live in extreme poverty, placing themselves and their unborn children at great risk during pregnancy due to malnutrition. The training provided by this project will allow the women to earn supplementary income during and after pregnancy that will be used to meet their nutritional and household needs.

 

CHEDRES in Nigeria

The SHARE Institute, in conjunction with the Barbara Pillsbury Memorial Fund, provided a mini-grant to CHEDRES in Nigeria to fund the Safe Motherhood Program.  The Safe Motherhood Program educates HIV/AIDS positive women in Nigeria of the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth due to HIV/AIDS. The program also works with pregnant women who carry HIV/AIDS in the prevention of the transfer of the disease to fetuses and newborns during pregnancy and childbirth. Finally the CHEDRES Safe Motherhood Program works to educate all women in their communities on how to prevent contracting or spreading HIV/AIDS.

 

The Society of Women against AIDS in Africa

SWAA was established in 1988 to fight HIV/AIDS and to elevate women living in poverty. Through the generous donations of Dr. Barbara Pillsbury, and later her memorial fund, this organization has received funding to combat sexual violence, and to assist women in the fight against poverty. 

In 2014, sixty women benefited from the purchase and distribution of fertilizer to increase production in agricultural land. The project resulted in the production of six tons of corn flour and three tons of corn vegetables. The increase in production helped women by increasing their incomes. Children benefited by getting more nutritious means and by being able to join nearby schools. 

 

How Can You Help?

For Barbara’s friends and loved ones, you might want to use the White Wall to share some good experiences you had with Barbara or to donate to her causes.  Please send all your contributions to SHARE via check to 8370 Sunset Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628 or using the PayPal link below.

Please send your comments to sstolba@theshareinstitute.org, and we will update the White Wall, send tax donation receipts, and ensure that your donations fund projects that further women’s causes. You can access the White Wall here.