6 February is International day for Zero tolerance of FGM ( Female Genital Mutilation) and Club members organised a Zoom Burns Night Supper on 25 January to raise funds for the charity Beyond FGM and Springfield Women’s Refuge in Kendal. Beyond FGM works in Pokot in Kenya to provide an Alternative Rite of Passage Ceremony for girls and education to all of the community to stop FGM. Springfield provides a refuge for women fleeing domestic abuse and also provides support through their Community Hub.
The evening was a great success with plenty of fun but also fundraising, with an amazing £1100 raised. There was the usual Address to the Haggis, The Selkirk Grace, The Immortal Memory, The Toast to the Lassies and the Reply on behalf of the Lassies. There was no communal haggis eating but the evening was rounded off with a Scottish Quiz and the singing of Scottish songs finishing with a rousing Auld Lang Syne.
During her “Reply on behalf of the Lassies” Isabel also replied to say thank you from the women of Springfield Refuge and Asante Sana ( thank you very much in Swahili) from the lassies in Pokot in Kenya who will benefit from the fundraising. We were delighted that Cath Holland the midwife who founded Beyond FGM joined us for the evening.
To find out more about Soroptimosts work eradicating FGM see our recent blog , our page on FGM or Club member Isabel’s blog on the SIGBI Website
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