With 3000 clubs in 127 countries and territories around the
world, Soroptimist International undertakes a wide range of projects to help
women and girls around the world. This round up of club projects reported in
February and March 2014 gives a snapshot of some recent
Soroptimist activity.
Some projects described meet a local need, like SI Damansara
(Malaysia) equipping young women with job skills or SI Genesee County (USA)
training young women leaving foster skills to cook healthy meals. Others have
an international focus, like SI Leiden (Netherlands) raising money to build
girls’ toilets at a school in Kenya. Some involve SI clubs from different
countries working together, like Soroptimists from Bangalore and Belgium, or Australia and Fiji. But
all have education, empowering and enabling opportunities for women and girls
at their heart.
See pictures in the slideshow below, or view them on Flickr. Read more information below.
March 8th also saw Soroptimists around the world
marking International Women’s Day. You can see photos of IWD actions here or view them on Flickr:
SI Damansara
(Malaysia) – Life Skills 4 Youth equips disadvantaged young women with job
skills
SI Damansara worked with the YWCA Vocational Training
Opportunity Centre, to identify young women who had completed vocational skills
training but lacked soft skills necessary to find and apply for a job. 6 Club
members were among 12 participants in a “Train the Trainers” workshop run by
international NGO the Education Development Centre; the training was based on
EDC’s “Work Ready Now!” curriculum, which was adapted for local circumstances.
69 young women attended three “Life Skills 4 Youth” sessions
in November-December 2013. Modules included time management, interview
techniques, writing a CV and financial literacy. Nearly 50% of participants
secured a job or internship upon graduation. The Club will continue to follow
up on the rest for at least 6 months and provide guidance and counselling where
required. They plan to conduct more workshops in 2014 and hope to partner with
sister SI clubs and other NGOs like Lions to train more trainers.
Art with love – SI Damansara (Malaysia) support art therapy classes
for children with special needs
Children with special needs, such as
Down’s Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy or other disabilities are often excluded
from mainstream educational opportunities. Soroptimist International
Damansara worked with artist/teacher Victoria Renaux Abdoulaeva about providing
art therapy classes to help instil confidence and self esteem in children. The
programme was funded by Deutsche Bank and held in SID’s Vocational Centre. An
exhibition of the art has helped to raise awareness of the abilities of special
needs children and how they can contribute to society.
Sponsoring girls to
take part in “Healing with Horses” course – SI Scarborough (Trinidad &
Tobago) and SI Lichfield (UK)
SI Scarborough (Trinidad & Tobago) and SI Lichfield (UK)
each sponsored two girls to take part in a week long course run by the Healing
with Horses foundation in Tobago. The course aims to increase self-confidence
and social skills for children who are disabled or disadvantaged, through a
programme of crafts, creative activities and being with horses.
SI St Austell & District (UK) sew dresses for orphanage
in South Africa
An SI St Austell and District (UK) member
was in contact with an orphanage in South Africa and requested the
dresses. Club members met at a Soroptimist’s home to sew them.
Power to study – SI Lautoka (Fiji) set up electricity
supply to help girls study
After SI Lautoka (Fiji) assisted a family with 2 daughters
by providing uniform and stationery needs for the new primary school year;
they became aware that the family home had no electricity supply. With financial support from SI Port Hedland
(Australia) the Club arranged for electricity to be installed to provide a
better environment for the girls to study; their mother has also hopes to
generate income by sewing, cooking and baking as a result.
Improving school
buildings – SI Club Les 2 Sources (Belgium) help rebuild Niger school
SI Club Les 2 Sources have been working to replace school
buildings made from plant material at
Karey Nagou in Niger with brick buildings, which will last longer, be bigger
and protect children from heat and mosquitoes. The new facilities will also be
used outside school hours for training and workshops for women and girls.
SI Leiden
(Netherlands) raise money for secure and hygienic girls’ toilets at Kenya
school
SI Leiden (Netherlands) has been raising money to fund the
building of secure and hygienic girls’ toilets at Kiwegu school. The school
needed 15 toilets for women and girls, but only 6 poorly maintained ones were
available.
Soroptimist
International of Genesee County (USA) develop cooking skills and healthy eating
habits for young women leaving foster care
Each month two Soroptimists go to “Nina’s Place”, a YWCA
halfway house for young women leving foster care, and work with the residents
(up to 12 women/girls) to prepare a meal, then join them in a family style
dinner.
SI of Suburban
Chicago holiday party for women and children in family shelter
SI of Suburban Chicago wanted a hands-on opportunity to
support women and children who had escaped domestic abuse during the holiday season;
the club are now looking to participate in a mentoring programme to help
shelter residents thrive in the work environment.
Soroptimist International Verbano (Italy) school competition to
promote discussion women’s body image and advertising
Si Verbano organised a school contest,
asking young people to express their thoughts on women and body image through
video clip, advert, or other multimedia form using text and images.
Career inspiration:
SI Fond du Lac (USA) Live Your Dream Conference for 8th grade girls
Each year Soroptomist International of
Fond du Lac puts on a conference is to raise awareness of career opportunities
for girls, helping them to pick appropriate high school classes, and to learn
more about what they need to do after high school to live their dream.
SI Manhattan Beach (USA) supports New Star Family Justice
Center, bringing services for victims of domestic abuse under one roof
Family Justice Centers provide
comprehensive, Coordinated services to victims of domestic violence, elder and
child abuse under one room; NSFJC has been offering services in the area
since 2005 but recently secured a permanent home. The Club has provided funds
and helped paint and decorate the centre, as well as speaking at the official
opening in January.
SI Manhattan Beach also helped out at a flash mob orgnaised
by New Star Family Justice Centre and a local high school, to raise awareness
of domestic abuse and the services the centre offers.
They needed adults to chaperon the kids
and to help pass out information to people who came along.
Domestic violence
helpline awareness stickers – SI Ilkley (UK)
SI Ilkley designed and printed stickers to promote awareness
of the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which club members took to cafes,
hairdressers, sports clubs, community centres, colleges, churches etc. With the
permission of the management, they placed the stickers in ladies’ toilet
cubicles, so that women could take the details in privacy.
SI Harrogate and
District (UK) club members and friends responded to a request by Maternal
and Child Health Advocacy International and knitted 30 hats for pre-term babies
in Gambia. MCAI will be sending a specialist doctor to train other
professionals in Gambia, who will take the hats along too!
SI Southend-on-Sea and District regularly supply welcome
packs of toiletries for women staying at two local women’s refuges. The latest
delivery of packs were “overnight stay” bags for women, who are due to move on
to another location after one or two nights.
SI of the Americas Women’s
Opportunity Awards – SI Manhattan Beach (USA)
SI Manhattan Beach (USA) presented club
Women’s Opportunity Awards to two women who have overcome abusive situations
and are now in training courses to develop their careers. SIA’s program assists
women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by
giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills and
employment prospects. Awards are presented at club, regional and international
level.
Comfort Toys for children in contact with the police – SI
Torrens Inc (Australia).
SI Torrens members and friends have been
knitting beautifully hand crafted toys, which are given to the South Australian
Police Dept to give to children who officers come into contact with during
their duties who are suffering from trauma. The toys help officers to gain a
rapport with the children when they need to interview them, often in very
difficult situations. They also provide books, colouring pencils etc for waiting
areas for siblings.
Soroptimist Gender
Sensitization Programme at Chennai Girls School will help protect girls from
violence and abuse – 4 SI clubs worked together to run this programme (Bangalore,
Kodaikanal, Madurai and Chennai)
A Gender Sensitization programme was conducted at Rani Meyammai
Higher secondary School for girls at Chennai. Four clubs participated SI
Chennai identified the school and distributed dental kits to 150 students who
participated, SI Kodaikanal enacted various abusive situations and SI Madurai
had a PP presentation on good/Bad touch and finally for SI Bangalore Sujatha
conducted the various self defense techniques and also spoke to the students on
Personal Safety.
Soroptimist International
Bangalore (India) and SI Belgium work together to provide solar water heater to
Jeevodaya Ashram
SI Bangalore (India) provide ongoing support to the Jeevodaya
Ashram in its work to rescue, rehabilitate and re-integrate into the mainstream
society women and girls who have been victims of trafficking or released from
prisons and juvenile homes. With support from Soroptimists in Belgium, the club
have given a solar heater to provide hot water.
For more information about how Soroptimist International clubs around the world make a difference to women and girls, visit our Global Impact Report 2012-13 website.
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