Even the late King George VI of England struggled with his self-esteem and self-confidence when he could not effectively address his people in the days leading to World War II because of his profound stuttering. The same problem is faced by many children from all over the world today. The difference is that not all of these kids can afford to see a speech pathologist, unlike the king. This is the gap which the Lil Herbie series seeks to fill in.
Sherrikka Myers, the founder of the nonprofit group Every 1 Voice Matters, grew up in a home where the only thing that could help her improve her stuttering problem was a book to read. Fortunately, her strategy would be proven effective when she, eventually, overcame her speech problem.
As a grandmother, she was concerned when she discovered that her grandson Herbert had the same stuttering problem that she had faced as a child. She knew how this problem could profoundly affect a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence because she, herself, experienced it. This encouraged her to make a difference. At 35 years old, she worked hard and obtained an associate’s degree in marketing. From then on, she created a nonprofit group, Every 1 Voice Matters.
Through her foundation movement, Sherrikka started the Lil Herbie series, whose name was inspired by her grandson, Herbert. It is a book series and an online learning platform that features a fun mascot who effectively engages with young audiences along with Sherrikka. She shares different learning and reading tools intended to help children improve and overcome their speech problems.
Moreover, the series also focuses on empowering children from within. Lil Herbie is there for anyone who finds themselves facing this problem. The founder envisions a future where these learning applications will be used in learning centers. She even hopes to create Lil Herbie toys that will serve to support and motivate these kids. Most of all, she hopes to work with speech pathologists across the country who can lend their expertise in the field of speech pathology to pursue this movement.
Sherrikka deeply understands how difficult it is for these children to face the outside world because she can easily recall the times when she felt like she could not step outside of a box. With that in mind, she strives to remind them these kids that “no matter what they go through, no matter how they sound, and no matter how long it may take for them to say something,” they should always “believe in themselves and know that their voice matters too.”
She hopes that her tools will help more kids in facing and dealing with the difficulties they are going through. As a reminder, she urges those who are facing the problem to put God first and have faith that things will always work out. Ultimately, she wants to assure them that they are not alone in this journey as Lil Herbie will always be with them.
For more information about Sherrikka Myers, Every 1 Voice Matters, and the Lil Herbie series, please check their site.