The beautiful thing about learning is
nobody can take it away from you”
B.B.King – Guitarist.
This week’s SoroptiVoice Blog comes from Janet Hodgson,
SIGBI Assistant Programme Director for Learning Opportunities. Janet is a member of
SI Rugby in Warwickshire, the home of the game of Rugby. The poet Rupert Brooke
and the author Lewis Carroll are also associated with Rugby school.
‘In my life I have
been a professional violinist and a teacher of music in primary, secondary and
tertiary education. Both of my parents worked when I was a child, both parents
were very keen on education and also on teaching me the value of education’.
‘Soroptimists in SIGBI always celebrate September 8th, which is the International Day of Literacy. They organize lots of different activities in
schools and colleges. A favourite project is “book sacks”. Clubs give a sack
full of books to local schools for their library. I don’t think that there is a
school in the world that would turn down a chance to increase their book stock.
The clubs also have book swaps and coffee mornings. A lot of members volunteer
to do extra reading with pupils in school. The UK Soroptimists also support Book Aid which is a well known charity.
They also raise money for Soroptimist clubs abroad to buy books for children
and schools in under-developed countries.
“There are worse
crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” Ray Bradbury (born 1920).
The number of
projects clubs are working on in SIGBI which involve leaning opportunities has
increased and I am enjoying reading what the different clubs are doing to help
women and girls develop their skills. Lots of clubs sponsor a young girl and pay for
education up to university level. Aji is a Gambian girl who we are supporting (my club being
Rugby). Not only do we support Aji but we provide her family with 6 bags of
rice a year so that we help to support the family. It encourages the family to keep Aji at
school instead of sending her out to work. It costs the club about £250 -300
per year (1 or 2 gin & tonics per
member).
Lots of clubs are
supporting “Mary’s Meals” which is a charity that supplies meals for school
children in Africa and other places around the world. No one can work very well
on an empty stomach.SI Nottingham
realized that in this country there is a problem for women who want to or who
have to get back into the workforce. E.g. women who have been carers for the
last 20 years but are too young to receive a pension. SI Nottingham have set up a team of
Soroptimists and non Soroptimists who help women write their CV’s, they give mock interviews, teach them about
dress codes, and they can direct women
and young girls in the right direction to find out more information about
jobs. This project has been taken on by
a lot of Soroptimist clubs. The women that they are working with are all ages
and from all types of families and backgrounds. As the retirement age is rising
and there is a depressed job market, women who have, for what ever reason been
out of the work place for a while, need help sometimes to just get back their
confidence.
We also help women
in prison. There are about 4,500 women in prison in the UK at any one time. Of
which according to the Chief Inspector of prisons, only about 500 are a threat
to society. A lot of the women
in prison have mental problems and have been abused as children. A lot of them
have grown up in care. SI Derby and SI Northwich have been working inside Folston prison with
some of the women. They are teaching
them skills such as sewing and have been producing goods which the Soroptimists
are selling outside and the money is put back into resources in the prison.
Really trying to give them some self esteem.
Trafficking
is a major problem in the UK and we are helping the people who run the safe
houses with teaching skills i.e. basic hygiene, caring for themselves, growing
and preparing their own food and basic literacy & numeracy skills.
Soroptimists from the Southern area visit the houses every week.
Soropitmists in the northern area who
are solicitors also help the girls and also Soroptimists who are able act as
interpreters. Other clubs provide clothes and books etc, because most of them
have nothing when they are rescued.
Clubs
around the UK are holding seminars for girls to show them that there are jobs
to be had in the sciences which are not
just research and definitely not boring.
Soroptimists invited eminent female scientist to spend a day with the
girls showing them, with hands on work
shops, about areas they might find interesting. Optometry, perfumery,
nutrition, even roller coaster and funfair rides.
Soroptimists have partnerships with many organisations. We
have worked closely with UNICEF. Raising
money for schools in Pakistan after the earth quake and the floods. Providing inoculations for pregnant women in
Mozambique and also vaccinations for women who are HIV positive to help prevent
the infection spreading to the baby and counseling services.In Pakistan we are
encouraging literacy by starting up librairies. As well as
educating girls in schools, several Soroptimists in Bangladesh run home
schools. Children who have been sold
into domestic service go to a Soroptimist house after they have done their work
for basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Soroptimists are
helping young carers. Young carers have a difficult time wherever they live.
Sometimes they are looking after the family because their parents have died or
they are looking after their parents who are ill or disabled. Soroptimists are
concerned that their education suffers and most clubs in SIGBI have worked on
projects to help young carers. These projects range from homework clubs,
respite times and also outings and trips solely for the young carer’s
enjoyment.
Reading through
all the focus forms is an uplifting yet humbling experience. The number of women and young girls that we
as Soroptimsts have helped is enormous and it is extra rewarding as it is all
done on a voluntary basis. I am very proud to be a Soroptimist and I am very
proud of the organization’.