Valentine's Day or St Valentine's Day has been celebrated since time immemorial and while its beginnings are vague, history has narrowed its origins down to three possible events. It is suggested that the day may have started in commemoration of St Valentine of Terni who defied his emperor’s law and secretly married young couples to spare husbands from war. Another possible beginning is in commemoration of another member of the clergy (some believe it is the same man), an imprisoned priest named Valentine who befriended his jailor’s daughter and wrote a letter signing it “From your Valentine”. Still others believe that the day was meant to commemorate the Roman festival of Lupercalia which celebrated the coming of spring and included fertility rites. Whichever origin story is preferred, over the years the day itself has sparked a thriving trade for florists, chocolatiers as well as the

The new year ushers in the proverbial blank page where one can look towards an endless horizon of possibilities. For most, the resolutions start rolling in accompanied with the hopes of breaking bad habits and embracing healthier and enriching lifestyles. The beauty of new beginnings has the power to fill our hearts with so much inspiration and joie de vivre, it’s almost magical! Our own sisters at Soroptimist International Anaparima have been blessed with new beginnings in various forms. We have new mothers feeling the euphoria of unconditional love for their precious newborns, newlyweds on the path to creating lives together with their significant others, new career opportunities that present the chance to live out self-fulfilling dreams and aspirations and new academic achievements that restore our belief in just how much we are capable of both as Soroptimists and women seeking change. As we walk

As another year comes to a close, we instinctively think back at our year to assess whether it’s been good, bad or indifferent. We are also prompted to evaluate our accomplishments by the media outlets’ “year-end reviews” and all the social media applications who create slideshows of the moments we were lucky enough to capture.  As I look back at my year, my heart is filled with joy at the many wonderful things and experiences I was blessed with. In my professional life, I have had many opportunities to grow and do what I love with the support of my team. In my personal life, my best friends have welcomed husbands, babies and new academic accomplishments of which I am so proud. My family has celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and watching my niece successfully transition from primary to secondary school. I also took up the

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign which begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day. It is an opportunity to place focus on the global challenge that is violence against women and girls, which continues to be the most pervasive human rights violation around the world. Unfortunately, although this was started in 1991 – which may sound recent to some of us but is actually over thirty years ago! – we are still not in a position where this push for women’s rights is no longer needed. In 2021, around 45,000 women and girls around the world were killed by family members, of which 65% were perpetrated by current and former intimate partners (UN Women). And around the world really does mean around the

Change is the only constant. Globally, there is an evolving change paradigm regarding education availability for women and girls. We  still however have very far to go. In Trinidad & Tobago we are very fortunate to enjoy education as a fundamental right for all.  One of the biggest challenges however for many families is low income. This was further exacerbated due to Covid-19, many girls were forced to exit school at a very young age. There is the ever-present lack of basic supplies  needed for a proper education.   While to many this is not a reality, many young girls today are unable to enjoy their right for a proper education due to lack of resources. Parents are unable to purchase schoolbooks and uniforms.  Inherently, these girls leave school  as young as thirteen and that cycle that society is trying to break of girls getting married

A simple old fashioned rocking chair has become our most beloved piece of furniture, although it stands out completely from anything we own...it's somehow the very centre of our home. I wear pink for my grandmother, who despite successfully beating breast cancer died from aggressive metastatic recurrence. The glue that held our family together, the sparkle of our Christmas and Mother's Day forever lost to a disease that affects 1 in 8 women worldwide. Though it is 15 years after her death and the age old saying that time heals all the loss has never really lessened. Her rocking chair is still our favourite spot and it never fails to bring a smile and sense of comfort and peace no matter what the day holds. It will forever be "moi's chair" and the best spot to sit and watch anything on zee tv! I wear

Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. Approximately 1 in 8 women during their lifetime will develop breast cancer.   Over the past few decades, mammograms have been the mainstay of screening patients with no symptoms, in an attempt to detect cancers early. Yet, it is common for women to be nervous when it comes to getting mammograms. Many women fail to benefit from mammograms because of: Assuming everything is fine because there is no lump Fears of discomfort during the procedure A previous negative personal experience with breast cancer Fears over the results of a mammogram But this should not keep us from having them done. It is important to remember: Mammograms have helped to increase the detection of breast cancer at early stages AND have helped to decrease mortality from this disease by almost 20% With advances

In May, we had an idea to collect used handbags, fill them with hygiene and beauty products and donate them to less fortunate women whose budgets had no room for personal care items. We set a loose goal of 100 bags. We raised enough funds for 56. Over the July-August vacation, we did mentorship sessions with 17 girls, educating them at the point where school sometimes stops: finances, career paths, mental and physical health. We tried to encourage their goals, to widen their dreams, to push them toward excellence. In August, we did our usual Back to School project where we managed to fill the booklists for 67 children from less fortunate homes. I’ve heard it said that numbers like these are so minimal, that they ought not to be bothered with. That unless our leaders allocate more funds to education, and poverty eradication, our

It was finally Sunday 21st August 2022 and our excitement had reached a pinnacle as it was the day we were meeting our SIGBI Director of PR and Marketing and Soroptimist Sister, Nisha Ghosh from SI Pune Metro East. Our club members had meticulously planned a fun filled day to share with her small pieces of SIAN and by extension South Trinidad. The morning started at the Wild Fowl Trust, where we introduced Nisha to our latest project, our Pollinator Garden. This project spoke to the importance of pollinators and their crucial role in our ecosystem. It was the passion to the environment that inspired some of members to spearhead this project and it was truly a success. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing this garden with Nisha as it showcased a product of one of our club’s ideals; choosing projects which our members are passionate about

The term “Soroptimist” can be best interpreted as “the best for women”; it was coined from the Latin “soror” meaning sister and “optima” meaning best. In 1921 a group of over 80 business and professional women from California, banded together to form the first Soroptimist club. Their purpose was debating service projects and hearing speakers on worldwide issues that would inspire and broaden members’ horizons. While their initial work focused on the preservation of “ancient trees” their efforts soon turned to the growing concerns for women in their community. In the years that followed, many similar clubs sprung up unknown to each other until upon discovery, they finally joined together to form the international organization we know today – Soroptimist International. This organization consists of 3000 clubs across five federations, which boasts Category 2 Consultative Status with Economic and Social Council, United Nations! SI Anaparima