8 Theme Sessions (Congress 2009)

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AMSTERDAM JULY 2009

Eight theme sessions wil be presented during the Congress. Sessions 1-4 will be held on Friday 10 July 2009 afternoon, sessions 5-8 on Saturday afternoon. The Friday sessions will be repeated once, giving you the opportunity to participate in two sessions that afternoon, and in one on the Saturday. Most of the powerpoints used in the sessions will be in English and the presentations will be given mainly in English.

1.: WATER a Human Right or a Need?

Professor Joyeeta Gupta and Rhodante Ahlers PhD MSc (both of Delft University of Technology and UNESCO/IHE Institute for Water Education) will introduce juridical and political aspects of access to water and sanitation as a human right. The issue will be further discussed by Professor Ellen Hey (Erasmus University Rotterdam; member of SI Club Rotterdam) and Dr Kiki Bröhlmann (University of Amsterdam).

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www.soroptimistsgoforwater.nl

E600,000 for SPECIFIC WATER PROJECTS

THE WOMEN OF THE SOROPTIMISTS INTERNATIONAL of EUROPE have raised more than Euros 600,000 for SPECIFIC WATER PROJECTS WORLDWIDE

This well was installed 25 years ago by the Soroptimists and was used so much over the years, that it had to be restored recently. Restoring of this well happened in Ziguinchor, Senegal.

SOROPTIMISTS INTERNATIONAL OF EUROPE have raised enough money to help WATER Projects in more than 14 countries including:
Haiti, Ukraine, Rwanda, Senegal, Madagascar, Benin, Suriname, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia, Lithuania...
There are many projects in each country.

It only takes a little money to help many women.

By helping women you help the whole community.

The Project Exchange Pool (PEP) is a ‘pool’ or a ‘bank’ in which projects are linked together.

Where ideas for joint projects can be exchanged

Where help can be offered or asked for

Where Soroptimist solidarity can be practiced

Where hopes can be translated into action.
Working together in clubs, Soroptimists make the Projects and their own commitment stronger.

SI/E webclip: UNITY

Unity from Soroptimist Europe on Vimeo.
Soroptimist Sisters speak about "Unity"
Unity is Strength
"We need to get together!"

view more SI/E webclips and keep up to date on:
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myspace.com/soroptimist_europe

(webclips by buzzmedia.net )

SOROPTIMISTS IN MALI 2009 / Part 2

Director Heinrich Dahms saw for himself how hardworking and dedicated the Malian population is to bettering their living conditions. They are extremely dedicated to improving their own lives: they don’t wait for handouts – but get on with the job themselves.

As the Soroptimists found – the Mali women enable the Water Projects - fulfilling their side of the project way beyond the expectations of the sponsors’ hopes.

When a SOROPTIMIST chooses a village to assist in building a Water, school or Maternity project, it’s because she has compiled information about the population, hardships (such as children walking more than 6 km a day to attend school each day, and in temperatures that exceed 40 degrees!), lack of clean water (the only source of water could be an estuary which is infested with black fly and tsetse fly) etc.

The Soroptimists evaluates the needs of the village and together with the village elders and Head of the Women’s Group in each village decides which problems to tackle first. For example: building water pumps, growing vegetables, building a school or a clinic etc., these things have a natural order in a village.

CLEAN ACCESSIBLE WATER is the primary necessity from which all the others can grow.

MALIANS are not waiting to be helped, but gratefully and positively embrace any help they get – from the sponsored water pump comes clean fresh disease-free water. The villagers not only use it to wash in and drink from, but build bricks which in turn they build maternity centers, schools, grain storage rooms, community centers etc.

EVERY LITTLE DONATION IS USED TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL

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Women & Water

WATER is a precious commodity. Unfortunately in Africa there is hardly ever a ‘happy medium’: either drought or flood. In Bla (Mali) there was drought and the Soroptimists provided a well. The villages built a market garden and the next year it was flooded out – completely destroyed!

This is not an isolated incident – all over Africa communities are coping with the situation. And some walk for hours daily to collect their daily ration. Always women. Women walking, leading donkeys, women sitting on carts loaded with buckets, women on foot; with buckets, basins and pitchers.

For a women to be free to learn, earn and care for her family she has to be free from this time and labour consuming task – and that is what the Soroptimists are doing – by building wells they are giving the women in the community the chance for a better life.

EVERY LITTLE DONATION IS USED TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL.

More photo's of Soroptimist International of Europe in Africa

EMPOWERMENT- webclip Part 3

EMPOWERMENT- Key extracts from Mariet Verhoef-Cohen's speech (Part 3) at the Soroptimist International Friendship Days 2008 in Aarhus, Denmark.

(webclip by Buzzmedia Network)

Building a Better World for Women and Children!

http://www.soroptimisteurope.org

Extension of deadline for early registration 15th April

19th European Congress of Soroptimist International of Europe
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
10-12 July 2009

Extension of deadline for early registration 15^th April