SOROPTIMIST NEWS PROGRAMME FOCUS
SI SOUTH KOLKATA
SI of South Kolkata has taken-up educational programmes with children living in slums and shanties of the city of Kolkata under the banner ‘Beyond School’ as a major tool for building their confidence and self-esteem. Through varied education projects they develop their creativity and talents that often remain dormant. Communication Skill & Personality
Development (CSPD) classes are organised by SI members twice a month for a group of 35 children. This is an innovative effort to impart life skills to children as well as develop communication and social skills in them. They enjoy different multi-cultural activities like visits to science museums, excursions and film shows. In Shikshakiran – ‘Ray of Education’ SI of South Kolkata adopted nine girls from the slums with support from SI Birmingham West to sponsor their school education and midday meal in collaboration with IPER, a voluntary organisation. Support and guidance are given with regular monitoring by SI members. Mohan a boy from a very poor family has his education and midday meal sponsored by a Club member. Through ‘Nurturing the Talent’, three girls and one boy who are economically disadvantaged but showed proficiency in their school performance are sponsored to pursue higher education with the Japan KOBE fund. This year a girl and a boy have excelled in their leaving examination and are joining the University. Finally, ‘Adoption of Free Primary School’
helps 65 children studying from Pre-primary to Grade IV struggled with limited resources. SI South Kolkata visited the school and took initiative to support a part of the cost of the salary of five teachers and facilitated the morning breakfast for the children while attending school.
SI PERTH If you were to visit a care home in Perth you
might find two Soroptimists reading aloud, chatting and sharing memories with a group of residents. They may be discussing how the city has changed, remembering shops like the local Co-op, the schools they went to and the games they played. Or be looking at photographs of the changing seasons while listening to a poem like Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ in spring! SI Perth was looking for a service opportunity and Perth & Kinross Libraries were recruiting volunteers to pilot a new project, called Books Aloud, aimed at developing services to older people living in care homes. The project proved an instant success and a valuable working partnership has developed. Library staff prepare themed boxes of books, provide training and ongoing support and arrange the sessions.
6 SEPTEMBER 2010 Soroptimist News
SI CALCUTTA SI Calcutta’s “Hold My Hand” is a challenging
and much appreciated project in the premises of the municipal corporation school at Chetla. The beneficiaries are the students of class 4 and 5, the two last classes of the primary section. These children are mostly first generation students who do not get any help at home. Their parents are mostly illiterate and poor. Often they find the rigours of the secondary education too tough to cope and tend to drop out. The subjects where they most need help are English and Mathematics. Classes are held on weekdays, after regular school hours, each student is given personal attention.
The students need development in personal skills and English speaking, on Saturdays they are taught dancing, drawing and English. Apart from that there is emphasis on good, civil behaviour, manners and kindness. They know that they will be rewarded at the end of the year on these accounts.
The Club members provide small nutritious tiffin (snack) to each child before the classes start. SI Calcutta reports that they have had an
overwhelming response from the students and their parents. “They touched our feet (a Bengali gesture of greeting the seniors), held our hands and blew kisses at parting”. One year on, the project is going on very well.
The children enjoy their lessons and many are very eager to learn. Their results at the ‘end of year’ exams have been good. On average each child achieved about 20 marks more than in their previous exam.
Equally rewarding, the dance lessons were so good that the Club recruited the children to give a performance for the Charter Day Celebrations. The Club continues its project ‘Hold my hand’.
Club members read out short poems and stories from books, using these and other resources to encourage residents to relate to the particular topic. It is really rewarding to be part of a discussion where everyone shares aspects of their lives and experience. Even though the group often includes people with dementia, the reminiscence element helps everyone to participate in their own way. During 2009, eight members provided 45 sessions in nine care homes. It’s a valuable link between the library service and the social activities. Soroptimists meet some very interesting people whatever their age and enjoy ‘making a difference’.
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SI PUNE METRO EAST SI Pune Metro East conducted a two day
workshop on Women’s Empowerment in June, 2010 for 26 girls in conjunction with Deep Griha, an NGO involved in the improvement of the lives of women and children living in slums. Education is free for girls up to Class XII in
the state of Maharashtra, India, but there is a gap between the skills acquired at school and the life skills that are required to step out into the world. The workshop was an attempt to bridge this gap and provide a sense of empowerment both personally and professionally. The aim was to create awareness among the girls about what they can achieve and that there is a group of women called ‘Soroptimists’ who want to bring about a small change in their attitudes and lives. A young Club like this does not have enough
funds to support the higher education needs of the girl child as yet. However this was an endeavour to make a contribution to widen the horizons of these young girls and give a boost to their confidence. The workshop was conducted with the cash gift made at the Charter by the Club’s friendship link Club SI York Ebor. The workshop was organised at the Deep Griha Cultural Centre. Seven interactive sessions of forty five minutes each over two days, were interspersed with tea, lunch break, entertainment and games. Most sessions were conducted by Club members, they included Home Budgeting and Personal Savings, Pre-Marital Counselling, First- aid, Etiquettes and Personal Grooming. On the second day they were Family Relationships, Painting and Decorating earthen lamps, Handling Domestic Violence, Nutrition and Personal Hygiene. The enthusiastic response of the girls has motivated the Club to plan more workshops.
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