Blogs

Keep Healthy and Happy Carnival at Orang Asli Settlement Kampung Kuala Masai, Johor

Blog by Nora Lam from SI Bangsar

Saturday 23rd February 2019

The run up to the Carnival involved Nora Lam SI Club of Bangsar (SICB) Project coordinator setting out to recce and enquire about the possibility of educating the villagers and particularly the children about health, cleanliness and the importance of education.

The sight of many unhealthy people inactive without purpose, resideing in the homes that had been built by the Government, and a few of them cleaning mussels for a living at Ringgit Malaysia 7-8 ( Aus$3) a bucket meant they all earned a meagre income. Economic development is an important factor for these women.

Their children may be older than me and they may sometimes misuse the “reply all” in an email chain. Yet since becoming a member, I have learnt so much from the incredible women who call themselves Soroptimists.

SI Melba, held an Empowering Young Women through Education Breakfast on 17 August 2017 at the National Australia Bank (NAB) Headquarters located at Docklands, Melbourne. 128 Year 9-11 girls who are disengaged at school, along with their teachers and women mentors from the community, come together to see how the education opportunities they have now will shape the lives they have in the future.

Leadership - what does this entail - what does this mean?

Many women shy away from taking on leadership roles in Clubs, organisations and business. Why - the question that is often asked. Too often women feel they are not suited to the role, not good enough or simply lack courage and conviction to take the next step. In fact the whole issue of Leadership and women is something that is high on many agendas around the world. We need women to stand up and take on a leadership role in all facets of our business, service organisations, not-for-profit and for-profit organisations and we all need to work with women to make this happen.

Article by Soroptimist member Kerry Beer (SI Melba) ,  Kerry writes about her recent visit to Cambodia.

In February 2017 I made a holiday trip to Cambodia as well as to represent SI Melba in the official ceremony to recognise the donation of 200 bicycles from the joint Cycles for Cycles Project, involving SI Singapore, SI Damansara (Malaysia) and SI Melba (Australia). The project was created to raise funds for the purchase of bicycles for volunteer malaria workers (VMWs) in Oddar Meanchey, a province in Northwest Cambodia (see separate report on this Project in another article currently on the SI & SISWP website).

As part of my holiday, I also decided to connect with the SI Phnom Penh (SIPP) club as well as visit Sampav Loun the location where the Hands Across Borders (HAB) Project was delivered between 2004 and 2015. I had on previous occasions been involved with SIPP and the HAB project and was keen to catch up with the friendly people there as well as see how their work was progressing. Susannah Dax also from SI Melba also decided to take a Cambodian holiday and weave the SI plans into her time.

Author Soroptimist Maree Lubach, Cofounder of KinKare, grandparent support group on the south side of Brisbane, established in 2002,  Council of Grandparents representative for grandparents, from its inception in 2003 and I am currently President of QCOGs.

In contemporary society, elders are more visible, more active, and remain independent much longer than before. All individuals deserve to remain safe from those who live with, care for, or interact with them on a consistent basis. The fundamental belief that every individual, no matter how young or old, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect reflects the basic premise of human rights and gender equality.
Margie Eckroth-Bucher, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC
Aging Well
Vol. 1 No. 4 P. 24

Most of our Elders/Seniors are grandparents, so why write an article titled this way?
Because there are some very unique sets of circumstances where our grandparents are being abused which are rarely acknowledged, let alone addressed. This abuse falls mainly into the category of emotional abuse.

Both emotional abuse and abuse specific to grandparents seem to have become “taboo” topics. Hidden away and not falling under anybody's definitions or areas of concern, emotionally tormented and tortured grandparents are slipping through the cracks in the social assistance programmes and law reform initiatives of many different cultures and societies.

Emotional abuse, of all types and forms, is usually given only “lip service” by our authorities and medical practitioners. Just try to find some sort of meaningful definition and you will quickly understand my point here. It is as slippery as an eel and equally as hard to pinpoint. However, many professionals agree that emotional abuse can have worse long term effects on the victim than physical abuse with some even maintaining it has worse effects than either this or sexual abuse.

This blog brought to you by Past South West Pacific President and committed environmentalist Eileen Mitchel.

Listening to the car radio just last week, I was astounded to hear that May 27th was "World Hamburger Day". My immediate reaction was "you must be joshing!" but there it was - World Hamburger Day! My mind then drifted through to the contrast of such insignificance i.e. designating such a day as a "world" day, versus the upcoming actual United Nations Day and the call from UN Environment seeking the biggest global call and mobilization for action on 5 June, World Environment Day (WED).