Soroptimist International Clubs across the world are consistently identifying the little things that make a big difference to their communities. These are just some of the community-based projects Soroptimists are doing to help empower, educate and enable women and girls.

SI
Leigh and District, UK saw a need for local residents to access quality
courses to develop employability and life skills. Supporting the Green Grass
Centre, a community centre in a deprived social housing estate, club members
undertook a consultation with residents to identify what courses were needed.
Long-term volunteers support the courses, funded by Wigan Country
Council at the Green Grass Centre, and attendance has been excellent. The courses
help a broad range of people, from teenage mothers to the elderly – one 80 year-old
lady is even being taught to read!

Photo: a Community Course at Green Grass Centre for children and their mothers

 

SI
Helena, Australia, celebrated International Midwives Day at its
local hospital, to recognise the important work of the midwives. Members
annually host a small party for all staff at the maternity wing, giving them
a well-deserved break in addition to giving each midwife a small gift. By coming together as
a community, the party is a wonderful way to help the midwives at Swan Districts
hospital feel appreciated and valued.

 

Photo: SI Helena celebrate the important work of their local midwives

 

SI Cape of Good Hope,
South Africa, inspired by Immediate Past International President Ann Garvie’s
Appeal ‘See Solar, Cook Solar’, decided to support vulnerable members of local
communities by providing solar lights. South Africa is experiencing an electricity
crisis resulting in almost daily power blackouts. The impact of these blackouts
is particularly serious for the elderly, as they don’t even have power to light
their homes or cook. Even simple tasks such as going to the toilet at night
becomes dangerous. This is a hugely vulnerable situation as it only takes one
accident for a person to be left isolated without help. By providing solar
lights to each of the residents of Huis Morea retirement home in Cape Town, SI
Cape of Good Hope ensured that they would be more secure at night and able
to go about normal activities. Upon receiving the solar lights the residents of
Huis Morea were delighted that they did not need candles anymore. One man even
said that he was pleased to be able to see his wife again when the lights go
out! 

 

Photo: members of SI Cape of Good Hope prepare the solar lights to distribute to the residents of Huis Morea

SI
Ba, Fiji, made a big difference to their community by doing
a ‘clean-up’ at the local hospital. To help create a better environment for
female patients, SI Ba members gave the women’s wards a thorough clean, washing
the walls, floors, food safes and even the curtains. A local youth group was
also recruited to help. SI Ba was thanked by the Sub-Divisional Officer for their
hard work and community involvement.

 

Photo: members of SI Ba, Fiji, during their local hospital’s clean-up

 

SI
Beckenham and District, UK, wanted young people’s active citizenship to be
recognised and rewarded, so they organised a Citizenship Award competition at a
local secondary school. Citizenship is a key area of personal development, empowering young people to play a positive role in community development. Participants
designed and organised their own community projects and the achievements of the
winner and runner-up were celebrated at a school assembly, helping to inspire
others.

 

Photo: the winner and runner-up of SI Beckenham & District’s Citizenship Awards (left)

 

SI
Baden-Baden, Germany, also worked with children aged 9 – 11 from
socially disadvantaged environments to help improve self-confidence,
communication and teamwork skills. By partnering with Theatre Baden-Baden, the
club ran a drama course resulting in the children appearing in a public
theatre show.

 

Photo: children performing at their show

 

Photo: the children and drama teachers being thanked and congratulated by SI Baden-Baden 

 

SI
of Greater Santa Clarita Valley, USA, worked with their ‘Dream It, Be
It’ girls to make blankets for women staying at their local pregnancy centre.
They made twenty-four blankets in total, not only helping the women at the pregnancy
center, but teaching the girls the importance of contributing to their
community.

 

Photo: members of SI Greater Santa Clarita Valley and their ‘Dream It, Be It’ girls making blankets for their local pregnancy centre

 

Foodbanks:
 A number of SI clubs have been
supporting foodbanks that have opened up across communities since the start
of the global financial crisis. SI
Albany, Australia, responded to increasing pressure on their local foodbank
by taking donation boxes to members’ workplaces. SI Crosby, UK, donated vacuum
flasks to the Crosby Area Foodbank so that they could distribute hot drinks, aditionally
supporting the foodbank at supermarket ‘special collection’ days.

 

Photo: SI Albany’s donations to their local foodbank