Quadrennial Projects
Every four years, Soroptimist International adopts an International Quadrennial Project. Here are the projects of the past years:
2007-2011: Project SIerra: a Family and a Future
This project will support women caring for children in extreme poverty and provide a caring secure family home for children who are alone or at risk of abandonment.
www.projectSIerra.org
2003-2007: Project Independence: Women Survivors of War
Through the Project Independence: Women Survivors of War, Soroptimist International and Women for Women International combined the forces of thousands to aid women in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Rwanda. With the help of the Sponsorship Program, Project Independence provided at least 1200 women with direct aid and emotional support.
By renewing the Women's Life Skills Program, Project Independence provided at least 1200 women training in vocational and leadership skills. Training classes in both traditional and non-traditional skills built on and strengthened women's existing skills and helped women master new trades. Weekly workshops designed to raise awareness about women's rights helped women build their self-esteem as they became leaders in their communities.
Finally, through the Microcredit Lending Program, Project Independence provided at least 600 women with loans which they could use to start their own business or income-generating projects. These loans gave women a concrete option to use their new skills and to provide for themselves and their families as they move toward self-sufficiency.
1999-2003: Limbs for Life
Anti-personnel landmines are terrible weapons that indiscriminately kill and maim civilians, mainly women and children. The end of the twentieth century was marked by many examples of these injuries and the effects of these mines will be felt for many decades to come.
In partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross, SI introduced the Limbs for Life project in Afghanistan, Angola and Georgia. The aims were to restore human dignity to the victims of landmines, to help them become mobile again and reintegrate them into society, to enable children to return to school and play like all the other children, to allow women to again lead a viable family life. This was accomplished by supplying artificial limbs, by promoting in a variety of ways to help victims recover both physically and psychologically.
To mark Soroptimist International Day on December 10 (Human Rights Day), every year the President of Soroptimist International invites all members to join her in making a personal donation to an International Fund to be used to help women in extreme poverty. Over the years, Soroptimist International has been involved in projects in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Madagascar, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey and Western Samoa.
The SI President’s Appeal 2007 is in Ethiopia.
For more detailed information, see SI website:
www.soroptimistinternational.org/html/president_s_appeal.html