Helen M. Roberts

Helen Marguerite Roberts was an American writer, photographer, and multilingual educator. From 1958 to 1975, she battled illiteracy in Africa, teaching reading, writing, health and Christian religion to thousands of illiterate adults. In the course of her African work, she mentored and sponsored many promising young Africans, encouraging them to pursue higher education, including Barack H. Obama, the father of President of the United States Barack H. Obama II.

Helen Marguerite Emery was born in Toronto Canada, as the daughter of Dr. William John Hunter Emery and his wife, Ethel Margaret . In 1911, she moved with her family to Porterville California, where her father had purchased an orange ranch in pursuit of a less stressful lifestyle. In September 1912, Helen attended University of Southern California, studying PreMed. She became a Student Volunteer, which meant that she pledged herself for missionary service as a medical missionary. By the end of her second year at USC, family financial struggles resulted in terminating further classwork. In 1916, she married Jewell Roberts . From 1916 to 1927, they lived in Porterville, Bakersfield, Sacramento, Oregon, and Fresno, and during this time had four children Howard, Kenneth, Muriel, and Donald. While living in Fresno, Helen entered Fresno State University to resume her college education. She practiced teaching in the adult education program, helping Mexican women to read, write and speak Eng

Source: Wikipedia