A wonderful response to our December 10th Appeal


Thank you for your generosity! By Alice Wells, President, Soroptimist International


Soroptimist International A global voice for women PRESIDENT: Alice Wells


president@soroptimistinternational.org


PRESIDENT ELECT: TBC president.elect@


soroptimistinternational.org


IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Hanne Jensbo


ipp@soroptimistinternational.org TREASURER:


Patricia Carruthers treasurer@soroptimistinternational.org


INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME DIRECTOR: Hilary Ratcliffe


programme.director@ soroptimistinternational.org


INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMME DIRECTOR:


Anusha Santhirasthipam programme.assistant@ soroptimistinternational.org


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Rosie Coutts


executive.director@ soroptimistinternational.org


HEADQUARTERS OFFICE: 87 Glisson Road, Cambridge CB1 2HG, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)1223 311833 F: +44 (0)1223 467951 hq@soroptimistinternational.org www.soroptimistinternational.org


EDITOR: Sheila Manchester


editor@soroptimistinternational.org T: +44 (0)1825 733843


Articles, letters and other materials published in this magazine do not necessarily express or reflect the official views of Soroptimist International or those of the Editor.


TIS December 2011 Page 2


members in each Federation who were selected to receive the SI Best Practice Award. I recently had the honour and privilege of attending the SIGBI Conference in Brighton, England and present the 2011 Best Practice Awards to their Federation winners.


each project had Education and Leadership at the core of the project. The SoroptiVoice Blog on the SI website has been featuring the story each of these winners from each Federation. What varied and exciting projects we have throughout our four Federations! One of the joys of attending meetings and conferences is having the opportunity to meet and interact with Soroptimists (and non-Soroptimists) during these events. It is a time to renew friendships with women whom I have met before, but also the opportunity to meet new friends.


in attending the UN/DPI Conference in Bonn, Germany back in September and then travelling to Paris with International Programme Director Hilary Ratcliffe to visit the UN Centre and meet the outstanding UN Representatives there and many Soroptimists from the French Union. That same camaraderie continued while


Such was my experience Each project had a different focus but Congratulations to all of the clubs and


Your donation of $100 can provide a clinical birth attendant with a ‘Karim work bilum’ which is a pouch of essential work tools for safe deliveries… or it will provide buckets and goggles to a “class” of village birth attendant graduates to ensure clean deliveries for those women unable to go to a birthing centre. A donation of $300 can send a registered midwife to a Midwives’ Society professional development course or cover costs for village birth attendants to attend a local training course covering basic reproductive health care and hygiene or support community health workers to attend a five month Dept. of Health maternal competency course.


President Alice presents the overall winner SI Best Practice Award to SI Weston Super Mare (SIGBI).


attending the excellent SIGBI Conference in Brighton. I love hearing about your club experiences, your club projects, your dreams and visions for a bigger, stronger Soroptimist membership. I am very excited about the wonderful


responses that I have received regarding the 2011 December 10th Appeal Project, Birthing in the Pacific. Your generous donations to this project will indeed make a difference in saving the lives of women and their babies.


obstetric wheel which is a calendar that uses events such as Christmas and Easter to help birth attendants and pregnant women work out a due date so that they know when to go to a facility to deliver.


Your donation of $1 can provide an


EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP! Be sure to check out the SI website for all the information and downloadable brochures that you can share. I am so grateful for the talent and expertise of our SIHQ staff, Reilly Dempsey and Anna Aiken, who keep the website current and fresh. They have accomplished so much with our website in the past 12 months! It is relevant, it is exciting, and it features Soroptimist members throughout our world-wide organisation. As the year winds down and the holidays


approach, I wish each and every one of you a most joyous holiday season. May your new year be overflowing with health, happiness, and success in whatever you do.


Alice Wells


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