Dr Dorothee Schmalz, founder president of our Friendship link club of Freudenstadt in Germsny was on a visit to Pune. Si Poona members met her over tea at the residence of their president Ms. Kulsum Abid. There was much camaraderie and a good exchange of project ideas and activities of both clubs.  She was presented with a gift and a club brochure by president Kulsum.    

This year SI Poona celebrated their 27th Charter Anniversary at member Ranjana Taskar’s residence. Her beautiful garden was the perfect setting for an enjoyable evening with all members and their families.

Soroptimist International Club of Poona celebrated International Literacy Day in their September meeting. Under their ongoing project ‘Let me Bloom’, scholarship cheques were handed out to fifteen deserving girls, pursuing different branches of study.. Each girl talked briefly on their vision for the future, their dreams and aspirations. Members of SI Pune mentor and advise these girls on the need to pursue job oriented courses. The objective is not only to make them financially independent, but also to help support their families in future.

A special meeting was held in June to celebrate World Environment Day which falls on the 5th,  and we had a special guest for the occasion, Dr. Seema Ghate, a Ph. D in Environmental Botany doing research in plants that minimize indoor pollution. She gave a talk on the  various pollutants we have in our environment, whether our home or workplace, and a simple solution is to grow plants to reduce this problem. An age old belief that plants emit carbon dioxide in the night and hence should not be kept inside the house is a myth. She talked at length on plants which are beneficial if we keep them not only in our drawing and bedrooms, but even in our kitchen and toilets. She had brought along a few of these varieties which are beneficial if grown indoors for demonstration. Many of them can also grow

Soroptimist International Club of Poona celebrated their 26th annual Charter Night on the evening of Sunday, 9th April 2017, at the PYC Gymkhana. Ms. Lata Krishnan, NASI president, was our special guest for the occasion. She commended SI Poona for the good work they were doing, and all members participated in a wonderful interaction with her, sharing their ideas and views. This was followed by an enjoyable dinner with family and friends of members joining in.    

  SI Poona celebrated International Women’s Day along with the staff members of Jagruti, a local NGO run by their senior member Ms. Jayashri Kale.Jagruti helps underprivileged women and girls to stand on their own feet by imparting education, training, financial and medical help whenever needed. Every year SI Poona celebrates this day by felicitating women who have overcome all odds to establish themselves, and Make a Difference. This year they felicitated Ms. Halima Shaikh, a simple woman, who has risen from utter penury to establish a business of her own. She was thrown into poverty and despair by a sick husband who could no longer work, and four young children. She started out by making lamps for Diwali, which she sold in her neighbourhood. Her artistic qualities led her to make more decorative items and a wide variety of lamps, which were much appreciated,

World Food Day was celebrated in October with great bonding and camaraderie among the members. They met at a local restaurant for a sumptuous lunch to mark the day, as well as a celebration of the Diwali festival, a few days ahead. It had been earlier decided to also share the celebrations with the less privileged, and all members donated generously for the occasion. The total amount collected was used to buy sweets and savouries for the inmates of a local orphanage, and distributed to them on the occasion of Diwali.