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SIGBI Programme Awards

Federation (SIGBI) Programme Action Awards were introduced in 2003 to honour the excellent work done by Clubs throughout our Federation. These are the most recent awards (2011) made to projects in the Federation.

The programme area titles have changed in November 2011, to reflect the updated SI Programme Objectives 2011-2015, but as these awards were made for projects undertaken in the last year, the original programme areas have been used.

Economic and Social Development

The Winner is SI Banjul, The Gambia “Enhanced Sustainable Agricultural Programme”.

This project was supported by friendship link club Slough Maidenhead & Windsor, and also by SI Cardiff and other clubs in our Federation.

The project started in 2008 when the club responded to a request for help. Women farmers in 16 villages were in desperate need of fencing around their 3 large community gardens to stop the intrusion of animals, mainly cows from either eating up the vegetables or tramping and ruining the crops.  Members from SI Banjul visited the farms where 300 women and their families were affected. They found there to be little or no income generating opportunities, poor access to portable water, and literacy levels in this area of the Gambia of only 35%, all of this has led to chronic food insecurity.

SI Banjul obtained a project proposal to understand the extent of the cost and what was involved to fence, provide seeds, implements and borehole wells for the 3 gardens. These details were given to friendship links to ask if they wished to contribute to the programme.

Fencing of the largest garden has now been completed, production has improved and higher returns are yielded, as about 75% of the crop is sold, thus generating income for the women farmers and their families. 25% is consumed adding nutrition to their diet particularly for the women and children.

In this excellent project $6500 has already been raised by Soroptimists and the lives of 300 women farmers and their families have been transformed

Congratulations SI Banjul.

Other Nominations were

SI Barbados Jamestown, “Self Leadership and the Development of Youth”

The club worked with girls from the St James Secondary School in Barbados and the project was in partnership with The Barbados Ministry of Health and members of the Barbados 4H Organisation. SI Barbados Jamestown wanted to improve access to economic empowerment and sustainable opportunities, enabling girls and young women to prepare for gainful employment and assisting the girls to make informed choices for their futures based on their talents, gifts and strengths.

Topics were prepared in modular form, and facilitators were invited to teach the various topics, Catering, Jewellery making etc. The students received certificates for their achievements, and gained insights into their respective areas of strength. Many have started to develop their gifts, and some have made definite career plans.

The girls worked in groups to learn effective communication and also conflict management. In the future the project will include the teaching of skills in accounting and money management to assist the girls in their development. So far this project has helped 10 girls, and more courses are being planned

Congratulations SI Barbados Jamestown

SI Northwich and District “Women in Prison – Foston Hall Women’s Prison”

This project began in April 2010 when the Club visited Foston Hall Women’s prison. Most members had not visited a women’s prison before and wanted to find out why women offend and to learn what happens to women in prison, the members wanted to show that they were interested in supporting the rehabilitation of women in prison.

The club members were lead on a tour of the prison by 3 women prisoners and 2 officers, and enjoyed lunch with the prisoners, staff and governor. They discussed why women came to offend – and found that many of the women came from abusive and drug centred backgrounds and were themselves victims as well as offenders.

The women prisoners were happy to share their thoughts and goals for the future and SI Northwich members felt that a rapport had been established. An immediate need was identified for basic toiletry packs and clothing for new prisoners, who arrived at Foston Hall with nothing. All club members were involved in this project, collecting items for the packs and also clothing. These were sent or taken by members regularly to the prison, and have been much appreciated by the women. This helped to promote self esteem and self worth.

A sponsored walk was organised to raise funds for Project Sierra, this proved very successful, and the women prisoners were really interested in the young women of Sierra Leona who had suffered in similar ways to themselves, this made an excellent Social Development project and  the results were empowering.

Congratulations SI Northwich

Education

The winner is SI Bonaberi-Douala, who has been running an Adult Literacy Programme School since  2008. The club aimed to provide opportunities for older women who were deprived of education when younger because of discrimination against girls.

They also wanted to help female school dropouts and street girls, so that they could acquire and develop some skills and become motivated and self reliant and so avoid prostitution, unwanted pregnancies and criminal abortions, with all the related problems.  In the first year there was an intake of 157 students. Classes ranged from Primary Class One to Secondary Form 3, with a staff of 14. In the following years the intakes have been similar.

Members of SI Bonaberi-Douala are proud of the academic achievements of the pupils. Of the first intake of students, 9 candidates were presented for the Cameroon Government First School Leaving Certificate Examination and all 9 candidates passed scoring 100%. 19 pupils have been entered for the same exam this year. Members of staff continue to work hard with the help of all the members S.I. Bonaberi who are the school board governors.

The project has not been without difficulties mainly because of limited resources to cover staff salaries, rent and utility bills. The Club have just about managed to continue with donations from some local women who have believed in the project.

Despite the difficulties, the club’s vision is to develop and run a full vocational post primary institution to train and assist young girls and underprivileged women to gain skills that will enable them to generate income, to become productive, independent and self reliant

S.I. Bonaberi-Doula is to be congratulated for carrying out this project that will make a difference to the lives of women and girls.

Also nominated are:

SI North Bombay, who wanted to inform everyone that though there are 37 civic primary schools in their area at which approximately 10,000 children are enrolled there is only one secondary school.  SI North Bombay believes that all children should have free and equal access to quality education. The poorest children rely on the civic schools for their education and, with only one secondary school, many children are being denied the opportunity to continue and complete their education. Unfortunately gender disparity still continues. Many of the poorer parents prefer to send their sons to private schools but girls are sent to Civic Schools.  There is also concern that the quality of education and basic amenities in these schools are also steadily deteriorating.

In partnership with other organisations and NGOs, North Bombay decided to hold a large high profile event to publicise their concerns.  A mini marathon was planned and organised to publicise the ‘Right to Education and Equal Education for All.’

This was a highly successful event and over 1,000 people took part, including club members, people from all sections of the community and a team from the Mumbai Police. Celebrities lent their support for the cause. Placards were carried saying “Equal Education for All” and “Save Civic Schools”.  Over 2,500 people came out on the streets to show their solidarity. The event got excellent coverage in the media and leading news papers.

This was a remarkable achievement and an imaginative way to advocate for the right to education for all.

SI Pune Metro East for their project “Girls Moving Forward”, which has been carefully thought out and well  planned by the club and is aimed at young girls and women in the slums who are first generation learners. They have had some education and some will be going to school but they grow up in very deprived conditions and are unable to make use of their education. They get little help and guidance from the home as their parents are often ill educated and illiterate.

The club decided the best way to help them was to provide them with life skills sessions. The sessions were on home budgeting and personal saving, grooming, anger management, health and nutrition, personal hygiene interpersonal relationships and first aid. These were to be followed was followed by craft classes.  The project consists of a two day workshop of 6 sessions. The girls who took part responded well and two more Girls Moving Forward workshops were held in the first year.

The fourth set of workshops was during the club’s first anniversary celebrations. Soroptimist visitors from other clubs as well as overseas were there each of them leading a workshop. It was a wonderful experience of bonding and giving. The fifth set of workshops was held in August 2011.

Because of the positive feedback from the girls who have gained confidence and skills, the club plan to run this project for three years and hold at least 4 workshops a year. It is successful mainly because the club work in partnership with friendship link clubs and local NGOs and also because all the sessions are conducted only by club members, who are putting their own skills to very good use. SI Pune Metro East is to be congratulated for their commitment to this project.

Environment

The winner is SI Calcutta Downtown for their “Provision of Toilets” project.

With financial assistance from SI Loughborough, SI Calcutta Downtown have provided sanitary facilities and clean water at 3 separate locations.

The NGO Mahila Seva Samity runs a home for destitute women and girls in Rajpur. This organisation requested help from SI Calcutta Downtown. Members visited the site to assess the requirements and found that the sanitation facilities at the home were dilapidated and unhygienic; they decided to completely renovate the 3 toilets and 3 cubicles for bathing. The construction work was carried out by local builders using locally sourced materials. The residents are now enjoying the use of clean, hygienic facilities.

The club sees the education of girls as a very important step in the social and economic development of the nation:

Makhana and Guptipara schools are located in remote areas of Bengal.  Guptipara Girls High School was built with much fanfare in 1951 but the authorities did not realise that 60 years later more than 1000 village girls would be studying there. There were only 5 toilets for 1100 girls and those that existed were in a very bad condition. Six more toilets with proper sanitation facilities have been built using local workers.  Makhana High School in the interior of West Bengal has 700 students. There was no proper water connection to the school and no toilets. All the 700 students belong to the Muslim community, who are still very orthodox, resulting in large drop-outs for the girls due to lack of toilet facilities. Lack of safe drinking water also contributed to the unhealthy conditions .SI Calcutta Downtown have built separate toilets for girls and boys a total of 4 toilets and provided a water connection to the kitchen and drinking water kiosks to serve the students and staff. This work was funded by SI Loughborough and the school authorities. The school organised the construction and club members visited the site to oversee the work. The staff and the students are overjoyed to receive fresh and safe drinking water with their mid-day meals. The surroundings have become healthier and more hygienic. (Pictured: 2 club members with some of the girls of Makhana High School).

Both the schools have gratefully acknowledged that the school drop-out rate has become zero

Also nominated are:

SI Bilston and District for their “Balloons Project”.

“Please don’t let go” was the theme for the project by SI Bilston to reduce the damage to the environment, by the mass release of balloons.  Their main aim was to help the Marine Conservation Society with their excellent work and to persuade the government to class balloon debris as litter in the Environmental Act, therefore to stop the unnecessary suffering of wildlife.  A number of local councils already have bans in place and they set about discovering how many have such a policy, starting from the list provided by MCS.

Data from the Marine Conservation Society and other scientific organisations was used as a basis for the production of a leaflet stating aims, concerns, actions and to include good practice. This highlighted concerns about the impact of balloon debris on the environment and encourages safe use of balloons.  A balloon ‘cemetery’ was established in August 2009 in the garden of a member to dispel the myth that balloons would degrade at the same pace as an oak leaf that is 6 months. Various types of balloon were buried, placed on top of the ground and hung on a garden fence along with oak leaves. The balloons did not alter after 18 months in sunlight, wind, rain and snow.

As part of the publicity and enquiry, links were made with interested parties including Girl Guiding and London Olympics Committee. The latter stated that there would be no balloon releases associated with the 2012 Olympic Games.  In 2011 a final report was produced which has been used to lobby MPs and so  persuade central government to include balloon debris as litter in Environment Protection Act 1990. HRH Prince Charles and Bill Bryson have given Bilston’s work their personal endorsement.  A copy of the report is available from SI Bilston, use the “contact us” page on their web site http://sigbi.org/bilston-and-district/contact-us

SI Karachi Central for their “Light up a village with solar energy” project.

In Pakistan an NGO called Connect – Woman and Child Welfare Organisation approached SI Karachi Central for assistance with a project to provide solar energy for a village. The village is a small island, surrounded by tributaries of the Indus River, which eventually drain into the Arabian Sea. It had been reconstructed after the floods but had no electricity.

SI Epsom and District had provided funds to assist flood victims and they agreed that the money could be used for the Solar energy project. The project was jointly funded by SI Epsom and District and SI Karachi Central.

Each solar panel powers two bulbs and a cell phone charger; it costs around £100 to light up one house. The installation includes batteries to store the electricity. This village had 65 households. Previously mobile phones had to be sent to a nearby town to be charged. These phones are the villagers’ only way to have contact with the outside world.

The whole village has been illuminated; the impact on the community is immense. Children are no longer afraid to go out to the toilet at night as it is no longer pitch black. One young lady is now able to teach at the village school during the day and then do her own studying at night by the electric light.

Solar energy is the way forward in third world countries where power shortages are a norm.

Health

The winner is SI Harrogate and District for their “Mosquito Nets” Project.

The Mosquito Net Project led by Pauline Link is helping to improve the lives of women and girls by preventing the spread of malaria. It is a service project and it is enhanced because it is a three-way partnership and friendship between SI Harrogate and District, SI Paisley and SI Banjul in The Gambia. This ensures that the correct nets are purchased and that they reach their proper destination.

Also nominated are:

SI Tynedale for their “Mooncup Research Project”.

SI Tynedale undertook to research the use of Mooncups with a view to promoting their wider use throughout the world but in particular in Third World countries. This project aims to improve the health and hygiene of girls and to enable girls to attend school during their monthly period. It will also reduce costs and prevent waste. It is a healthy Eco-friendly menstrual system, saving money over a lifetime and ensuring sanitary protection for girls and money.

SI Wakefield for their “The Truth about TB” Project.

SI Wakefield’s Project –‘The Truth about TB’  began because the Club wanted to raise awareness of the re-emergence of TB. West Yorkshire is a high risk area for TB , especially among the Asian population. It can lie dormant for many years before symptoms become obvious. The Club contacted TB Alert and obtained publicity materials –including DVDs. A DVD was given to each Club in Yorkshire and posters were sent to 24 Health Centres, public libraries and community centres in the Wakefield area.

Human Rights and the Status of Women

This section will be updated shortly

International Goodwill and Understanding

The winner is SI Cockermouth and District  for their Food Bank Project.

The members of SI Cockermouth & district investigated how to redirect food to prevent wasteful disposal. They liaised with supermarkets / schools/ vol.orgs to make this project successful.  The idea was to stop the wastage of food and find a way to support those in need of that food. A feasibility study was done to find out what was possible and how could it be achieved. They approached another group who had an experience in collection and distribution of food to those in need.

The idea took shape following the devastating floods in 2009, where many families needed help and the Food Bank was set up by the members, but later once things had gone back to being normal, it was realized that there were still many families requiring the service and food parcels are now distributed on a weekly basis.   Food items are collected at meetings; members take these to the Food Bank. At other times members go to the base and sort, date and pack the items. Collections are also made at local supermarkets and members help there too.

Other nominations are:

SI Bingley and SI Keighley for their Child Contact Centres Project.  This project is now in its 18th year, and the commitment shown by the clubs is  commendable. It is a project which is very important in today’s world.  Broken marriages, relationships that have gone sour, and the problems faced by small children as a result of this, is a factor that is becoming very common in today’s world. Finding a simple, safe and easy solution to restore the confidence of parents and children is the first step towards conflict resolution.

Aire valley child contact centre does just that. Two Soroptimist clubs work together to provide this facility to nonresident parents so that they can meet their children in a neutral but safe place. The contact is frequently arranged through courts and health visitors or solicitors, so we can all imagine the organization that must go into this project… Soroptimist volunteers from ensure that the needs and interests of the children and their parents or siblings are appropriately met within a warm and welcoming environment. Both clubs run the centers and members volunteer giving their time freely to run them effectively. A team of 24 volunteers and 6 team leaders facilitate the contact, working approximately 8 sessions across the year.

SI Elmbridge for their project “The Veil”.

It was a simple project where a group of Muslim ladies were invited to explain the concept of veil and the Islamic way of dressing. In today’s world  so much human suffering is caused by wars and conflicts. Taking steps to understand each other’s religion and culture would be the first step to resolving issues and finding lasting Peace.

Members of SI Elmbridge arranged a meeting where a group of Muslim women explained the veil and the Islamic way of dressing in  the context of religious and cultural influences. This gave an opportunity to the participants and audience to have a new perspective about the reasons behind the adoption of veil or Hijab. This must not have been an expensive project for the club, and this is what I would like to stress here. Many times a simple low cost project can stand out for its effectiveness.

Through this project, members of SI ELMBRIDGE gave a message of peace and also made the community, the participants, and the muslim women who came that evening for the presentation, aware that Soroptimists believe in Peace, International goodwill and have the will to really understand and appreciate the diversity of the human race.

 CONGRATULATIONS to all these Clubs for being nominated for a 2011 Federation Programme Award.