South Africa

For several years (2018-2024) the Soroptimist International Southern Region supported the following project in cooperation with our Friendship Link Soroptimist Clubs (SI Durban and SI Pretoria/Tshwane).  The project gave young women an opportunity to gain work experience.

Barbara Watts Volunteering in Pretoria/Tshwane (VIP) Project

This project is currently under review.  More information is available on the Regional website: www.sigbi.org/southern-england. 

Ethiopia

Our Friendship Link Club, SI Stourbridge, has supported the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for many years.   Woking Soroptimists are contributing to the effort to give blankets to women who go to the hospital for repair surgery following childbirth injury.

We send a first batch of blankets in 2024.

A further 20 blankets were sent in October 2025.

The hospital aims to end fistula in Ethiopia for good.  It always needs blankets for the women who come for fistula repair surgery and for childbirth.

The Hamlin College of Midwives in Addis Ababa trains midwives to BSc degree level. They go ont to work in rural health centres across

across Ethiopia and change countless women’s lives.

Read the charity’s latest report here.

Zambia

Early in 2024, the SI Woking Microfinance Group arranged a loan for Stars 1102 in Zambia.  Stars 1102 is a group of five businesswomen in Livingstone. Thel loan will help these women to care for their 24 dependents and also to run their family businesses – market stalls, shoe repair stalls and grocery stalls.