From there, based on everything she had learned up to that point about Senegal, she createdthe story of a Senegalese girl who loves to watch soccer, but was told no by her brother every time time she asked him to play with her. One day, he brings home a soccer ball and it regrettably pops. At the same time, Maimouna and her mother are selling homemade dolls at the market, and Maimouna is given a portion of the profits to save.
“It just so happened that around that time I saw Charles on Facebook offering to help people through the #dreamMaker movement,” shares Sabino. “It's beautiful to see how he helps people, but I just was a quiet observer for the longest time. Finally, I asked Charles if he knows anybody that could illustrate this book pro bono.” In a short time, Megan Glade Dresback, came on board as illustrator, and Maimouna’s soccer adventures hit the page.
“When Evelyn reached out I knew I had a network that could support her, so I found her the resources she needed, and helped her project manage the creation of the first book,” recalls Ressler. “Seeing the outcome of it all was such an incredible experience, and now seeing her in Forbes is another example of the ripple effect of #dreamMaker. The ripple effect is one of my favorite parts of this movement because helping one person multiplies. You have no idea how many lives change.
“The most rewarding thing I did in the Peace Corps wasn’t any of the metrics projects I worked on,” says Sabino. “It was actually making this coloring book.” Sabino’s sees her coloring books as part of her grand vision for getting stories about underrepresented groups into the world. Bringing her own Peace Corps story full circle, she was able to pay homage to the host family that inspiredHere’s a photo of Ideyni, the real life Senegalese girl that Dresback modeled Maimouna after—clothes, expressions, Senegalese features, and all. And below Ideyni is the first drawing Dresback did of Maimouna—entrepreneurial mindset, goal getter, and all.