This Woman on a Mission is Building Bridges to the Future
Meet Sara Henderson Founder, Building Bridges to the Future in Aceh, Indonesia
Sara Henderson is Founder and President of Building Bridges to the Future (BBF), a charitable foundation with programs in Indonesia. Sara is a New York native and retired investment banker, who worked and lived in Indonesia for many years. She went to the Aceh province of Indonesia after the 2004 Tsunami, and felt an urgent need to aid the people she found in this region. As the founder of BBF, Sara started livelihood and education programs for the local communities in Aceh, helping people create self-sustaining enterprises. She created opportunities for entrepreneurial, savvy, and hardworking women in the villages she went to. Among her programs are goat dairies, mushroom houses, as well as education programs. Sara is now looking at starting a number of pilot programs in Upstate New York, where she can provide her hard-earned know how to local communities.
Sara Henderson and Crew Building Bridges
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do professionally.
What do you enjoy most about your profession and why did you choose it in the first place?
Sara is retired, so one of the great benefits of starting BBF was that it gave her, as she calls it, a new burst of life and a new challenge as this is not her profession. She loves being in the field, being active, and being able to help communities in need in some of the world’s most remote places. It is extremely rewarding to empower people to build vibrant and profitable enterprises, whether it means providing them with goats to start a goat dairy, or with the education they need to receive much-needed literacy, as well as certifications and diplomas. Working in Aceh, a region affected by 30 years of conflict that only ended in 2005, has given Sara the opportunity to be an integral and beneficial part of a community where her work and dedication can truly be felt at the most intimate level – within the families she helps.
Tell us about the organizations your company supports and why?
BBF focuses on partnering with large organizations to create small, local programs. BBF believes it is important to develop a diverse array of opportunities and design programs that fit the needs of those who will benefit from them.
What is the biggest risk you ever took professionally and/or the biggest obstacle you have overcome?
Probably the biggest risk for Sara is working in rural and isolated places that are not always politically stable, and many times there are no other NGOs working there. Sara took an enormous risk in flying to Aceh and starting a foundation there when she planned on a peaceful retirement close to her family in New York. Sara felt that she had no choice when she saw the devastation in Aceh. It proved to be both challenging and rewarding, and after 5 years of activity with a staff that has grown to 30 Sara is truly proud of the achievements of BBF. Of course, every day in Aceh presents a new set of obstacles: At one point Sara raised the Indonesian Army to reclaim a Water Tower from a village chief that was given to her by Oxfam.
From where do you draw inspiration? Who have been your role models, mentors, etc?
Two people inspired Sara to start on a new path after her retirement from investment banking: her father and a close friend, Lilly Kasoem. Sara’s father was a creative and dedicated individual who purchased a farm in upstate New York and has influenced Sara with new ideas and the power of creative thinking with agriculture. Lilly is extremely committed to charitable causes and has inspired and helped Sara create her programs in Indonesia.
How is the current economic situation affecting your company/organization?
While the economic situation has made things difficult for everyone, BBF’s programs are very efficient and continue to be attractive to large foundations and individual donors that want to see a big difference with what they donate. They can create great and sustainable programs for small amounts of money, which means that despite the crisis, BBF programs are still running and providing people with important benefits. As a result BBF programs have continued to grow, expanding into villages that no NGO has reached.
What one thing would you like to learn this year?
One of the goals for 2010 is starting a number of pilot programs in Upstate New York. Therefore, Sara is dedicated to learning the intricacies of working in a developed country like the United States as she looks to expand BBF’s programs to Upstate New York.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The goal is to run part of BBF’s programs in the United States, starting with New York. Sara’s goal is to replicate her programs in her native New York and bring her experience to local communities that are underserved and where BBF programs can provide new opportunities. Of course, she still wants to run programs in Aceh, but also expand to more US states, as well as other countries where her help is needed.
What do you do for fun/relaxation/entertainment?
Sara loves to travel, spend time with her children and grandchildren, and play with her dog. She also loves to read and go to the movies. She is a very active woman and loves to be surrounded by wonderful people.
Which, if any social networking sites do you belong to?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BBFJMD/62017475746?v=info
WEBSITE URL: http://buildingbridgestothefuture.org/
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