Charity lunch for Project SIerra
President Alison Jenkins, second right, with from left, Valerie Mitchell, President of SI Chichester, Regional President Carole Atkinson, guest speaker Alex Ginn and Lesley Courtney, President of SI Southampton. A family illness prevented Jean Coveyduck, President of SI Winchester, from attending.
Soroptimists from 4 Hampshire clubs were given a first-hand account of the valuable work being carried out by their international project in Sierra Leone at a lunch held at Whiteley community centre. Organised by SI Gosport and Fareham, guests heard all about Project Sierra, a four year partnership between Soroptimist International and Hope and Homes for Children which aims to raise over £1million to transform the lives of some of the most deprived women and children in the world.
Guest speaker Alex Ginn, community fundraiser for Hope and Homes for Children, had just returned from visiting Sierra Leone, ranked as the world’s poorest country. She was able to tell her audience about the work being done to help tens of thousands of children orphaned, separated from their families, abducted or held by rebels as ‘bush wives’ during ten years of civil war.
The project has three components: helping needy children and their families, reintegrating girl mothers back into their families and communities and helping street children to be reunited with their relatives. In a passionate talk illustrated with photographs Mrs Ginn spoke of the very warm welcome she was given in Sierra Leone. “Nothing can prepare you for the shocking level of poverty,” she said.
“Women were so keen to say how grateful they are for the help we are giving them.”
The annual fifth lunch raised around £270 for Project Sierra.