INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
Empowering Women Globally
We want to reach out and make a difference, not only within our local community, but throughout the world. Our sisters, no matter where they live, deserve freedom, clean water and education.
As part of belonging to a worldwide organization, we hear first-hand stories – some are atrocities, about ways of life that we would consider unacceptable, and that we take for granted, living in a wonderful country such as Canada.
Members spent a fun afternoon cutting and sewing pillow cases,
turning them into dresses.
The finished product!! – ready to give to a local church
who shipped them to the ‘Little Dresses for Africa’ organization.
SIKL REACHES BEYOND OUR BORDERS:
• Members turned pillowcases into pretty little dresses so that young girls in Africa would have something to wear to school (donated through a local church).
• The Soroptimist International President (2-year term) chooses one project that will be supported by Soroptimists around the world.
For October 2019 to September 2021, the focus is “The Road to Equality”. UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres has stated that achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the “unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge in our world.” The Road to Equality will focus on the role Soroptimist International can play in achieving gender equality as we develop capacity and raise awareness on human rights challenges that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential. Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Migration and the rights of Older Women are some of the issues that our United Nations representatives and S.I. advocate for globally.
• The S.I. President’s Appeal (2017 – 2019) ‘Women, Water & Leadership’ brought water to rural communities in Malaysia. Together with the SPARK Foundation, Phase One included construction of a gravity-fed water system to channel water from a mountain stream to the village. Phase Two saw the project assist the village women in setting up an organic farm with irrigation pipes. The women were educated in planting crops for their own consumption, which led to a steady supply of nutritious food and clean water, playing a huge role in improving the health and well-being of the villagers. In addition, the project provided education in both producing and selling crops, to provide the villagers with a sustainable source of income. The project included a series of workshops on topics such as Personal Hygiene and Sanitation; Water Conservation; Composting of Kitchen Waste; and An Introduction to Organic Farming.
This project addressed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of: No Poverty; Good Health and Well-Being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; and Clean Water and Sanitation.
