SI Scotland South Projects
Each Soroptimist International club identifies the needs of its community, then establishes specific projects to address these needs. All our projects relate to one or more of the six Programme Focus Areas: Economic and Social Development, Education, Environment, Health, Human Rights and the Status of Women, and International Goodwill and Understanding.
More information is available in the Our Work pages, where you can read more about the current Programme Focus aims and the Quadrennial Project, supported by all clubs in the Federation.
The projects listed below include some of the local and international issues we research and support in SI Scotland South:
3S Trust
In 1991 Scotland South Soroptimists set up a fund – The 3S Trust Fund – to provide personal sponsorship for work or study which would be of benefit to a country or a community.
Since then we have provided assistance to over 80 individuals and projects and disbursed in excess of £33000.
So far we have helped to set up the nursing side of a healthcare programme in Tajikistan, sent 2 newly qualified pharmacists to Malawi to help set up a hospital dispensary, assisted with living expenses for Romanian students in Scotland and helped a translator to support a medical/dental team taking supplies to remote areas in the Amazon basin to name but a few.
Anyone can benefit from the Trust but all applications must be channelled through a Soroptimist Club.
We continue to seek both applications and donations
Programme Action Notes
Clubs have been active over the last few months in all Programme Focus areas and details of some projects follow.
Fairtrade.
Motherwell and Wishaw have been actively involved in the campaign to achieve Fairtrade Status for the Motherwell area – this was awarded in January 2007. Four members are on the Steering group and all members have learned about the problems facing third world producers. They are also involved in ongoing work to produce a Fairtrade Directory.
As a result of their involvement, members were invited to attend the launch of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum Strategy in the Scottish Parliament in October. Scotland is hoping to achieve Fair Trade Nation Status within 3 years, so there will be opportunities for other Clubs to get more involved as well.
Remember Fair Trade Fortnight 25 February – 9 March 2008
www.fairtrade.org.uk
Scottish International Relief
Clubs continue to support this charity in its work, especially fundraising for Mary’s meals, putting together Backpacks (containing essential items such as pencils, paper and a set of clothes) and knitting blankets. As a Region we have raised in excess of £2200 for Mary’s Meals and provided more than 324 filled backpacks. When you consider that £5.30 pays for a meal a day for one child for a year you can see the difference this makes. Many hundreds of blankets and knitted teddies have also been handed over for distribution to children in many countries.
www.sircharity.org/
UNICEF Give Hope to the children of Pakistan Appeal (Previously School in a Box for Pakistan) adopted by Federation, this project has been well supported by Clubs and the amount raised has now exceeded £37,000. Now that the immediate post - emergency situation has passed, UNICEF is helping to rebuild and re-equip schools and infrastructure and more children than ever before are going to school. This project will run for a short while yet.
The members’ only section of the UKPAC Website is now active – ask your Club Programme Action Officer for the password. www.soroptimist-ukpac.org