The LemonAid Fund: Education, Practical Work and Inspiration

by Trish Harris

This is the first of a three-part series based on an interview with Nancy Peddle from the LemonAid Fund.

The LemonAid Fund is a non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is to "aid individuals in their efforts to achieve positive and lasting change in the lives of their children, families and communities".

LemonAid was founded in 1999 with the belief that "no individual, nor any individual effort, is too small to make a difference". The Fund provides support that empowers individuals and communities to make their own choices and create positive change in their own communities and villages, changes that often confound expectations.

The founder of LemonAid, Nancy Peddle, was working in Sierra Leone during the Bloody Coup in 1996. She saw that even the smallest support could deeply impact a life. The humanitarian space created in war and postwar situations is separate from the politics of the war itself, but the people to whom humanitarian assistance is offered experience deeply the impact and scars of conflict and the uncertainty of the postwar condition.

In the midst of war-torn Sierra Leone, Nancy, a former executive director of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, was inspired to launch LemonAid.

Nancy graciously took time from her work to share her insights and reflections with RESPECT International readers. The LemonAid organization has had a tangible impact on the lives of so many. Its mission is ambitious, but LemonAid is achieving real results. RESPECT asked Nancy whether she has noticed a shift, either subtle or pronounced, in the way she works to achieve LemonAid's stated mission. LemonAid Fund