Alan Taylor - Vision Aid Overseas

670 million people – 10% of the world’s population – are disadvantaged by poor vision and a lack of glasses.

For 25 years we have been helping some of the poorest people in the world gain better sight. Whether it be a teacher in Ghana, a seamstress in Zambia, or a school pupil in India, deteriorating sight can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

And what Vision Aid Overseas and its professional volunteers have shown is that something as simple as a pair of glasses with the correct prescription can turn such potential despair into hope. Eyecare services are beyond the reach of most people in the developing world. At Vision Aid Overseas we believe that everyone has a right to an eye test, and if needed, glasses to help correct poor sight.

Our Vision
Vision Aid Overseas works for a world in which everyone has access to eyecare and glasses.

Our Objects (our formal objectives as a charity in our Memorandum of Association)
The objects of the charity are the preservation and protection of eye health and treatment of eye defects among poor persons overseas, in particular by providing or assisting in the provision of optometric and optical services, eye surgery and other related facilities.

Our Mission
To transform access to eyecare services for people in developing countries by establishing Vision Centres, training healthcare workers and utilising the expertise of volunteers to undertake outreach programmes in areas away from existing facilities

Vision Aid works in 8 countries but Alan has been involved since 2005 in the work the organisation undertakes in Uganda. Alan gave us an interesting about the work he has been involved in, the setting up of vision centres and also gave us an insight into life in parts of Uganda.

June 23rd

Platform 51 were our visitors this evening.

Platform 51 wants a world where women are in control of their own lives.

Girls and women are at the heart of all they do. Their activities, services and campaigns are about things women need and want. They give them a platform to have their say and challenge discrimination.

They want girls and women to:

• be inspired and determined
• be healthy and safe
• be in control
• speak out and be listened to
• gain opportunities, and
• give back.

Platform 51 works with girls and women of any age or background who are in need 

They aim to always work in the ways that get the best results

Very similar to the work of SI aren’t they!

Linked to the focus of our regional project Platform 51Cwmavon have been undertaking a project with the young girls who attend the group, raising awareness of the dangers of alcohol. The three grils spoke enthusiastically about their project and certainly gave the group food for thought – as part of the evening the girls asked us to take part in a True of False quiz relating to alcohol  – Cath was our champion until we realised she had done the quiz before!

Dr Joan Richards has been a member of Soroptimist International for half a century, and during that time has been Port Talbot’s Club President on two occasions, in 1973-74, and 1984-85.

A still busy 80 year old from Aberavon, she is currently the President of the local St. John Ambulance Brigade; President of Cymric Male Voice Choir – and Medical Officer for the Welsh Amateur Boxing association.

On a sunny afternoon of September 11th 2010, Members of SI Port Talbot joined representatives of Soroptimist International Wales South for a walk along Aberavon Seafront , Port Talbot, to acknowledge the “International Day of Peace”.

21 September is the UN recognised day for special emphasis on Peace. Peace within ourselves, our communities, our countries, our world. It represents a day to focus on global ceasefire and building non-violent communities. It’s about joining together globally to create a sustainable world for all people. In 2006, Peace Day on 21 September was recognised by all 192 nations in the United Nations (www.internationaldayofpeace.org).

Soroptimists are encouraged to promote Peace through empowerment of Women. This can be done by urging governments to invite women from the community to the Peace negotiation table as part of fulfilment of the UNSC resolution 1325, “to involve women in the creation of sustainable peace”.

Given the huge scale of this task, it is imperative to pause and reflect why we keep striving for World Peace because without a spirit of friendship, world peace will not be an option. September 21 is a day set aside for this purpose.  

Soroptimist International Wales South’s acknowledgement of the International Day of Peace is part of the  International concentrated effort to be part of Peace Day and adding Soroptimist voices and actions to the global community.

More than 200 ladies attended the event and after morning coffee, the show began. Quality garments and accessories provided by local dress agency “Glad Rags” were modelled by local ladies who excelled in sashaying along the length of Margam Park’s elegant Orangery.

There were numerous craft stalls selling, amongst other items, beautifully made jewellery, handbags, cakes and silk scarves. Throughout the day students of Hair & Beauty courses at Afan College demonstrated their skills to great effect. After a delicious lunch the ladies present relaxed and enjoyed the magnificent surroundings of Margam Park.

Proceeds of the event, over £2000, are to be donated by SI Port Talbot President Cath Phillips to SNAC at Taibach.

Twls Ar Gyfer Hunanddibiaeth CYMRU – Tools for Self Reliance CYMRU

SI Port Talbot have been working in partnership with “Tools for Self Reliance Cymru” an organisation which refurbishes tools,sewing and knitting machines which are then sent to Tanzania where local people are taught to use the tools and set up workshops.

Club Members were pleased to welcome Tony Care to February’s Speaker Evening. Tony gave an illustrated talk on his work as co-ordinator for the project ; Members were pleased to see how a huge variety of tools and sewing machines are gathered and packed by volunteers into a container which was craned onto a lorry for transportation to Portbury Docks in Bristol and then shipped off to Dar es Salam, Tanzania.

Some two months later Tony and his team were at the dockyard to recieve and unload the container. Local groups have been trained to refurbish and make tools, to restore sewing machines etc and to help with their distribution to the remote regions of the country. There were numerous photographs to illustrate the work being carried out and the conditions endured by the team as they journeyed to many villages of the regions.

They welcome they recieved was incredible, so much could be gained by these communities with just a few tools provided. Tailors are trained and among many types of garments produced are new school uniforms for the village children. Old Singer sewing machines are prized possesions – so much more reliable than the Chinese Butterfly machines, available but so costly. Members saw how workshops are being established in the remote villages and local blacksmiths trained, so important to improve their economy. 

So much was demonstrated by touching slides which made members realize how important it is to continue the collections – Tony stressed so much is still needed and the organisation is in place to “collect, pack and dispatch”.

To learn more about the project , do visit our page “Tools for Self Reliance” which can be accessed from the menu to the left.

Happy Birthday Dr Joan -

Club Members joined in the recent 80th Birthday Celebrations for one of our Club’s longest serving members – Dr Joan Richards.

A Celebration Concert was staged by the Port Talbot Cymric Male Choir at St. Paul’s Church, Aberavon. The choir, accompanied by Matthew Lewis and Wendy Murphy under the direction of Mair Jones, performed many favourites for her, her family and the many friends present that evening. The choir has always taken great pride in supporting new talent and the evening’s young soloist was the delightful seventeen year old Catrin Sian Harris whose singing was enthralling.

Dr Joan and her family have served the choir with distinction in a variety of roles. Initaially Dr Joan was a choir Vice-President and subsequently became President, a role she has enjoyed for some twenty-five years.

A musical treat that evening was enjoyed by all, as was the “After Glow” where the choir continued to entertain ’til late.

SI Port Talbot are a Fairtrade Club and Members are supporting this year’s Fairtrade Fornight by joining in “THE BIG SWAP”

Swapping your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff is a brilliantly small step to making the world a fairer place. It means that you get to show your support for developing world producers through what you buy. Two billion people – a third of humanity – survive on less than $2 a day. Unfair trade rules keep them in poverty, but they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too.

For this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight  we are being asked as a nation to join in The Big Swap. For two whole weeks you will be asked to swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. Your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, your usual cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks, and your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa. This means that every time you go shopping, you can use your wallet to make a stand.

JOIN US !  To find out more please use the link below :-http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/thebigswap/about_the_big_swap/

Come and join her at Jersey Quay, cost £3 on entry … Hope you can call in …..  a Warm Welcome for All

President Sue was pleased to welcome new member,Sue Prosser, at the Club’s October Business Meeting. Sue works with Dewis, an organisation devoted to working with young people aged 16 – 25 in numerous ways including social needs, housing and pastoral support. 

Welcome Sue – enjoy SI to the full