Wednesday 28th October 2015 – At the supper meeting at the Holiday Inn Tongwynlais, President Jane presented a cheque for £142 to Dr Mwenya Chimba of BAWSO, monies raised at a stall held at the Botanical Gardens in August 2015 at an Anti Human Traffic fundraising and awareness raising afternoon.
On 25th November 2014 members from SI Cardiff and SI Barry attended a Light a Candle event at Llandaff Cathedral to mark the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women organised by BAWSO.
At our club meeting in October 2014, Marcelle Davies reported that clothes, food, bedding and wash bags had been delivered recently to BAWSO. She specified other items needed including warm winter woollies.
On 10th October 2014, about 15 members supported a coffee morning held by BAWSO at which they detailed their work and introduced members to a couple of women that they have supported and helped.
BAWSO
Since 2010-11 SI Cardiff has been developing a working relationship with BAWSO (Black African Women Step Out). BAWSO was founded in 1995 and provides specialist services to women from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds who are affected by domestic abuse, and other forms of abuse such as FGM, Forced Marriage, Human Trafficking and Prostitution.
For several years Cardiff Soroptimists have been attending ‘Light a Candle’, the multi-faith event organised by BAWSO each 25th November at Llandaff Cathedral, to mark International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women. In 2013 the event was hosted by SI Cardiff member, Venerable Peggy Jackson (Archdeacon of Llandaff).
In July 2012 BAWSO’s Dr Mwenya Chimba was one of the contributors to the SI Cardiff ‘Human Trafficking, Modern Slavery’ seminar at the SWALEC Stadium. In November 2012 Cardiff Soroptimists helped with stewarding duties at the BAWSO International Trafficking Conference at the All Nations Centre.
Following the success of our Human Trafficking seminar, SI Cardiff worked with BAWSO to design and produce human trafficking awareness stickers for Cardiff taxis. £350 was set aside from club fundraising events and the stickers were presented to Cardiff City Council to mark International Women’s Day (8th March) in 2013.Cardiff taxi drivers are given the stickers when they renew their annual licenses. For more information on the seminar and to view the taxi sticker see https://sigbi.org/cardiff-and-district/programme-action-club-activities/programme-action-previous-activities/programme-action-human-trafficking/
BAWSO runs several refuges and safe houses acrossWales and SI Cardiff members support these on a regular basis: we collect store cupboard foodstuffs, make up emergency wash bags, and contribute loose leisure clothing and bedding.
Over a 6-month period in 2013 members donated 49 tins of food; 16 packets of rice, pasta etc.; 16 jars of coffee/packs of tea/sugar; 9 washbags; 24 items of bedding; 13 items of leisure clothing.
Discovering that there would be 16 babies and small children in BAWSO refuges at Christmas 2013, club members made an impromptu collection and were able to donate soft toys and foodstuffs – plus a tin of sweets for BAWSO staff!
Dr Mwenya Chimba has written to us: “I would like to say a big thank you for the donations you have been making for the women. They make a massive difference, more so in these difficult times.”