Three projects were shortlisted for the Best Practice Awards in the Educate category. The winner was SI Esperance for the Sustainable Harvest Programme, with SI South Kolkata and SI Castlebar being runners up. Full details of their projects are below:
SI Esperance – Sustainable Harvest Programme
Started in 2023-Ongoing
In Partnership with: The Digicel Foundation; Shell Trinidad Ltd; Trinidad & Tobago Association of Energy Engineers; ASJA Girls’ College Barrackpore
SI Esperance has supported ASJA Girls’ College through several prior projects.
ASJA Girls’ College is a school with a population of 458 students located in a rural, low-income community which is based in a flood-prone region in southern Trinidad. Traditionally based on agriculture and farming livelihood, the region is also subject to the challenges of food and energy security, with education being one of the major tools for residents to rise out of poverty.
The project created a self-sustaining “Sustainable Harvest Programme” that benefited both students and the surrounding community. The project developed a working farm which utilizes solar power, hydroponics and conventional agriculture, The students were taught about agriculture and provided fresh produce to the school’s cafeteria, school feeding programme and wider community.
The project included site preparation, crop selection, garden development & management, harvesting & sales, The solar panels used to power the pumps of the hydroponics system were procured & the systems were installed by experts who offered training, with hands-on participation by the girls. The girls were involved in the physical set-up, planting & maintenance of crops.
The girls now see agriculture as a viable career option & better understand its entrepreneurial benefits. The garden which once yielded 48 lettuce & kale now yields some 500 crops, comprising a variety of 6 crops. Sales of produce have moved from $115 to $1000. Interest and enrolment in agriculture have doubled. Staff & students have received the requisite training to operate & maintain the system which the community is keen to replicate.
The club created an awareness of new techniques; advocated for improved systems; & acted to educate, empower & enable students & the community to aspire to a better future.
This project directly impacted 458 girls and 27 staff members. However, the awareness created and educational reach has extended to its immediate community and nationwide. There was excellent coverage on TV, in the newspapers and on their Facebook Page, their videos were impactful, and have generated great interest in the subject.
Beneficiary Quote
“My family was so excited about the project, that Daddy helped me set up a system at home in our back garden, and Mummy set up a unit with her Standard 3 class. I taught them what I learnt!”
SI South Kolkata – Cervical Cancer Awareness, Vaccination and Screening
Date of project 20/01/2024
Outside Partners: Cancer Foundation of India, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Institute of Psychological and Education, Calcutta Social Project Research. The event was attended by other organisations such as Rotary, Lions, Inner Wheel as well as SI Calcutta, SI Dundee and SI Barnstaple.
South Kolkata strongly felt the need to spread awareness of Cervical Cancer, the only cancer that is totally preventable with Immunisation of HPV and is curable if detected in the early stages.
Cancer Foundation of India (CFI) was approached for a joint programme. Sutapa Biswas founder and ex Director CFI addressed more than 100 women and girls. Her presentation made the session extremely lucid and informative. Pap smear test for women and HPV Vaccination for girls 9 – 14 years of age were advised.
SI South Kolkata decided to also create awareness about good genital hygiene, the risk of early marriage and sexual activity as well as enabling women to continue with an active life, maintaining their physical and emotional well-being.
It is important for them to identify the initial symptoms and tackle them.
Tremendous awareness was generated. SI South Kolkata decided to sponsor the vaccination of 5 under-privileged girls, and undertake screening tests for underprivileged women (30 – 60 years) after another follow-up.
SI South Kolkata feels happy that the Club have been able to serve underprivileged women and girls of their community by bringing this awareness home to them through expert talk. Furthermore, such sessions convinced women to engage in an HPV screening camp, organized for them.
5 mothers agreed to have their adolescent daughters vaccinated with the HPV vaccine. The second dose being due in October.
This project is in sync with Cervical Cancer Working Group ethos.
Issues addressed were the Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing
The most important outcome was that 58 out of 74 registrations actually had their HPV screening done at the camp and 5 girls (9-14yrs) got the first dose of HPV vaccination.
SI Castlebar – Girls’ Conference
Partnered with St Josephs School Castlebar
SI Castlebar have run this Transition Year Conference for 5 years.
Working with 10 young women from the school, the girls picked their own theme “there is always a Rainbow”, chose and arranged activities and speakers for the full day conference, which was held for their peers.
Recognizing the need to empower and educate from an early stage, the Club decided to pick this project to help the younger generation grow and prosper. Members had the skills and time and wanted to support these young women in what is an enriching activity for both club members and the students.
All members of the Club were engaged with the Project. The Club formed a working group with the students themselves, ensuring they were involved in the conference from the outset, helping them build skills in organisation, time management, stakeholder engagement, and public speaking.
The Planning involved Five Team Training Days and one Review Day, as well as the creation of posters and promotion of the conference with students and class representatives. In addition, the Planning Team members were also interviewed to speak on local radio
The highly successful conference was attended by almost 100 young girls, and had amazing speakers from the Chief Medical Officer of Ireland, a future Olympic Boxer, an International Basketball player, Business women and Social Media Leader with over 200,000 followers, and a Life Coach. A Self Defense class and a Zumba lesson were also included on the day.
The Sustainable Development Goals that were covered were 5, Gender Equality and 17 Partnerships for the Goals.
Beneficiary Quote
“Amazing day, learned so much and had great fun. Thank you to the ladies in Soroptimist Castlebar, you listened to what we wanted and we enjoyed it.”