Project SIerra: transforming a girl’s life Alison Sutherland, SI Quadrennial Project Liaison 2007-11, reports


Julie had a happy early childhood with her parents in Freetown. However, her parents’ marriage ended, her father moved away and cut off all support or contact with his children. Julie’s mother couldn’t support the family, and Julie drifted into selling her body to earn money for basic household needs. When her mother re-married, Julie’s


receives from the programme help her to cope with the impact of her past life. She is an extrovert, enjoys playing with her friends and is a role model and young leader among other Project SIerra beneficiaries. Through Project SIerra, YOU are giving


step father provided for the family and was unhappy at Julie’s street life-style. There were arguments, and Julie became angry and left home to stay with a friend. She would hang around night clubs


looking for men for commercial sex. Sometimes she stole from men when spending the night with them. Social workers first met Julie in mid-2009


at a night club around midnight, smoking a cigarette and scantily dressed. She was just fourteen years old. When she told her story, the social workers encouraged her to meet them again. After several meetings at the Project SIerra


The counselling and encouragement she


young women like Julie the opportunity of a transformed life! At the Kissy Centre where 70 young people are enrolled (several with histories like Julie’s) Soroptimist funding is training more social workers; 80 per cent of the children in formal schooling passed their exams last academic year, and have now received uniforms, kit and tuition fees paid for this year. During the SI Study Tour this year Julie


supported centre, where Julie was counseled on dangers of street life and encouraged to think of something she would like to do, she showed interest in joining the “children living alone” programme.


changed dramatically. She is back in school and doing well. After counselling, she was successfully reunited with her mother and stepfather, has returned to the family home and has good relationships with her family and neighbours. Her health is improving, though is sometimes affected by her harsh experiences.


Project SIerra helping other young girls! Julie is now 15 years old and her life has


thanked Soroptimists in person. There are many other young women and girls in similar plight, so please continue your support for the rest of the quadrennium, and enable many more young women and girls like Julie to transform their lives! Get updates on SI’s Quadrennial Project


at www.projectsierra.org and join Friends of Project SIerra on Facebook.


project.liaison@soroptimistinternational.org Soroptimist International Convention 10-14 July 2011


Thank you for your patience as we worked to get registration open. I know many are anxious to register and finalise travel plans and that our members are enthusiastic about Convention. I am delighted to announce that registration, hotel, official airline and social event information will shortly be available on the website. As a committee, we made the decision to have this convention as green as possible. As a result, registration is available online only. We know that clubs will assist those members who don’t have access to the internet and thank you in advance. We have planned some wonderful


social events to enhance your Convention experience. While all the events will be enjoyable, the concert on Monday evening is one that the Convention Committee is especially excited to offer. A concert in Notre Dame Basilica (pictured) has been designed just for us! This breathtakingly beautiful building is an exceptional venue for the performance by Tocadeo. This is a must-see and one of those “only at Convention” events that delegates will be talking about for years e. There are two choices. You can attend only the concert or attend the concert and then participate in a dine-around with other Soroptimists in Old Montréal in specially selected restaurants reserved for Soroptimist Convention delegates and accompanying persons.


TIS December 2010 Page 12


Montréal 2011 Will you be with us?


asks Yvonne Machuk, Convention Chair


Hong Kong and came to Canada as a refugee during the war in 1942. She settled with her family in Ottawa, later earning an Honours BA and an MA in English Literature from the University of Toronto’s Trinity College, followed by post-graduate studies at the Sorbonne in France.


We expect a sell-out crowd for this extraordinary event.


our daily themes for Convention. As Soroptimists, we are role models – in our families, in our communities and in our professional lives. The speakers are all Canadian women who are role models in their various endeavours.


Adrienne Clarkson, will open the Convention. Ms. Clarkson was born in


Former Governor General of Canada, “Women as Role Models” is one of


of the Order upon her appointment as Governor General in 1999. We are delighted that she has accepted our invitation to join our Convention.•


winning career at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre (CBC) in 1965. After taking time to serve as Ontario’s first Agent General in Paris, and president and publisher of McClelland & Stewart, she returned to the CBC in 1988 becoming executive producer, host and writer. Ms. Clarkson has been recognised for her outstanding contributions and honoured as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1992, and becoming Chancellor and Principal Companion


Ms. Clarkson began her award-


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