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Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree

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Recently, members decorated a Christmas tree in the St Nicholas Church, Kenilworth, display. The theme was purple and white to recognise the club’s support for the Purple Teardrop campaign. Purple Teardrop is a Soroptimist International initiative against human trafficking and the exploitation of women and girls. Purple is the colour of the campaign.  

Public Speaking in Istanbul

Public Speaking in Istanbul

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The 20th Soroptimist International Convention in Istanbul certainly lived up all the expectations of a great Convention, but for me the highlights came on  Sunday July 12th 2015 with an all inspiring “Public Speaking  Showcase” Fresh ideas and Empowering Women was a theme effortlessly demonstrated by five highly capable young  women, aged 18yrs to 22 yrs, setting out on their own paths from different countries across the world. Our own Flora Garner representing England, Ciara Maguire from the Republic of Ireland, Alana Hughes from Northern Ireland, Rose Lakoro Pitoj from Papua New Guinea and Ton Yan Ru from Singapore were the chosen speakers. They each inspired Soroptimists from around the world with their ambitions, conviction, knowledge and vision for their own lives and those of women and girls.   At the end of this session the whole, packed auditorium, arose and gave these five extremely

October 2015 – So what did I learn?

October 2015 – So what did I learn?

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It’s not all doom and gloom in Malawi – just because it’s different doesn’t make it wrong. I overheard a medical student say that they should just drop in a ready-made hospital complete with equipment and that would solve everything – I couldn’t disagree more.   The people I met have shown great ingenuity and inventiveness, coming up with pragmatic solutions that work in very trying circumstances using simple local resources.   Like all of us, they love people to take an interest and enjoying being praised for what they can do.   It’s up to us to encourage and support them to achieve more to meet their needs, not give them what we feel is best. Malawi is known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’ and it deserves its reputation. The people we met were endlessly kind and caring, whether we were lost in the maze of

October 2015 – Has it really been a week?

October 2015 – Has it really been a week?

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We’re back safe and sound, enjoying the novelty of hot and cold running water, power and reliable internet.   I’m back at the day job; Dave is happily sorting through his one thousand plus wildlife photos down to a respectable number that we can inflict them on our friends. So what did I achieve on my Madventure?   It didn’t turn out at all how I had anticipated.   On reflection it was perhaps rather arrogant of me to think that I could go for two weeks and help in the pharmacy as a spare pair of hands.   I did my best to promote pharmacy as a profession beyond that of just supply both within Queens and the School of Pharmacy, and get the ball rolling about including pharmacists as part of the whole health care team.  I thoroughly enjoyed giving the talks to the medical and

September 2015 – A day in the life of a Soroptimister.

September 2015 – A day in the life of a Soroptimister.

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Well, it’s my chance to become a blogger! Sharon has a calendar clash, and reluctantly agrees that even she can’t be in two places at once.  We had planned to meet Dr Neil Kennedy for a guided tour of the One Stop Centre for victims of abuse, supported by SI Kenilworth in the past through FOSCiM.   Neil is justifiably very proud of it. However, Sharon has managed to arrange to link up with SI Blantyre for a business meeting at the same time!  For some reason, she thought it preferable for her to go to the Soroptimist meeting, leaving me to visit the One Stop Centre. Neil and I escape from the mid-morning heat and step into the welcoming foyer.    We are welcomed by Lucy, a very friendly and motherly nurse who is the first contact for the often distressed young abuse victims on arrival. As I am shown around,

September 2015 – Kanga and Roos

September 2015 – Kanga and Roos

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Next stop is the Kangaroo Ward, one of the projects we’ve supported by funding  meals for the mums via Friends of Sick Children in Malawi.   Here babies with birth weights of around one kilogram are kept skin to skin with mum until they reach one and a half kilos, staying as long as this takes.  Traditionally babies are carried using a big scarf on mum’s back but these babes nestle safely next to mum at the front, feeding on demand 24 hrs a day.   Mums even sleep with them like this and no baby has been squashed yet. This is probably the happiest ward we’ve been on, the mums are eager to have their photos taken, calling to each other to join in.   They’re delighted when Dave shows them on his camera, laughing and giggling.   I’m not sure what the average birth weight is in