Click on the picture above to view the flickr album of projects for December 2014.

 

SI Arnhem-Oost,
Netherlands worked alongside local speakers and musicians to hold
fundraising events to support thirty students living in Rhotia Valley
Children’s Home. The project has resulted in the children having access to school
uniforms, extra lessons in English, school meals and text books. 

SI Mount Gambier,
Australia has been raising awareness within their community of the issues
and challenges faced by those living with or escaping domestic violence.
Working with survivors of domestic violence the club hosted a travelling
exhibition called ‘Walk In My Shoes’ where women from all walks of life tied
their stories to an old pair of shoes to create an inspiring display of
survival. 

SI Grange-over-Sands, UK worked with a local midwife who helped design
rites of passage ceremonies for Kenyan girls within their communities as an
alternative to FGM. Having made over 800 bracelets to date, the alternative
rite of passage ceremony has now been adopted in at least one Kenyan community
and is being introduced, with increasing success, into others.

SI Newbury &
District, UK  made 50 dresses from pillowcases for young girls
in Lawra, Upper West Ghana who have reported feeling vulnerable as they walk to
and from school. The dresses will be given to the girls in need and will give
them the confidence and protection they deserve. 

SI Halifax, Yorkshire, UK have been collecting bras to send to enterprising women in Eastern
Europe and across Africa as merchandise for their small independent businesses.
This will boost income for the business women and will also provide the
targeted areas with affordable undergarments for women. 

SI of the Conejo, USA.The annual Margarita Mixoff is a major fundraising event allow us to fund a Service
Awards program and cash grants for women & girls (such as the Soroptimist
Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women providing the
opportunity to achieve social and economic empowerment). SI Conejo  contacted local restaurants to participate by
donating their time, food and margarita samples. Approximately 13 businesses
participated allowing the club to sell tickets and use the proceeds to fund the
Service Awards programmes. The club also developed a plan for the event to
obtain donations for a silent auction and raffle which provided additional
funds.

6 non-profit
organizations with programs that support women & girls. Each organization
was presented with a cash grant at a Service Awards dinner where stories were
shared stories about those who were to benefit from the award.

SI Taunton,  South West & Channel Islands, held a bag packing evening in aid of ‘School in a Bag’, the President’s chosen charity for 2014. A group
of 14 Soroptimists and the Lady Mayoress of Taunton Deane packed 180 bags for
immediate despatch to the Philippines where ongoing support is needed following
the typhoon last year. School in a Bag is a
simple solution created to help those in poverty, orphans, vulnerable and disaster affected
children throughout the world. Each School bag is filled with stationery,
learning resources and eating utensils that will enable a child to write, draw,
colour, calculate, express themselves and above all learn.

SI Northwich and District. Many parents feel exhausted and overwhelmed by the stress of
family life, especially with the under 5s. Home Start, Cheshire West, lost local authority funding but is aiming to maintain
the service, so valued by families. ‘Pedal Power’ was an initiative
organised by the Northwich Guardian to enable local organisations to
participate in a fun day centred around the town of Northwich. The event gave
SI Northwich the opportinity to raise funds for Home Start, through the sale of
cakes and books and publicise Soroptimist international.