My Soroptimist Story

Kristeen Johnston, SI Wellington & SI SEAP Sisters Online

I joined Soroptimist International thirteen years ago, inspired by a fellow member and our shared commitment to empowering women and girls through education and sustainable employment.

This organisation aligns perfectly with my values and goals, providing me opportunities to grow personally and professionally through various leadership roles, which have enhanced my confidence and skills.

The support from mentors and fellow members has been invaluable, and I cherish the lifelong friendships I've formed while working on impactful projects that truly make a difference in our communities and beyond.

Natasha Vavrek, SI Launceston

I was first introduced to Soroptimist International as a third-year medical student, when I was honoured to receive the SI Launceston Dame Marjorie Parker Scholarship. I remember being in absolute awe of the remarkable women who interviewed me. In 2016, I was delighted to be invited to join SI Launceston and was officially inducted into the club.

Since then, my Soroptimist journey has run alongside some of the most transformative years of my life. I’ve had two children, served as Club President, and currently hold the position of President Elect, while also recently completing my term as President of our region. The opportunity to advocate for women and girls through our projects has deeply influenced my professional path—ultimately fuelling my drive to establish two women’s health clinics in Tasmania. I was proud to be named the 2024 Young Professional of the Year by the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, and to receive the 2024 Australian Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership (Tasmania) from Women & Leadership Australia. Being a Soroptimist continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of my life!

Enkhsaikhan Gombojav, SI Erdenet

In 2012, I became a member of the Soroptimist Club, which has united over 200,000 members who sincerely wish to help others. Life is filled with so many beautiful things. I am truly grateful to have joined people with pure, kind hearts—like fresh milk—and to learn from them and work together toward a shared purpose with such inspiring individuals.

It is truly a blessing to go to sleep feeling content with the good you've done in a day. Despite our busy lives and work, taking the time to help others, doing good for them, and seeing their joy and improved lives is a deeply moving experience.

Between 2012 and 2024, the Erdenet Soroptimist Club implemented the “Reach” Project to protect young children from violence in collaboration with the Developmental Disabilities Center and middle schools in Orkhon Province. As a result, many girls gained knowledge and habits to protect themselves from abuse, which is truly wonderful.

In 2017, we organized a speech competition titled “What Do Girls Want?” among teenage girls. Through this, we discovered many issues that we had previously neither known nor understood. We also saw potential solutions to those problems. This led to the establishment of a Girls’ Center where teenage girls could be heard, supported, guided, and educated, with referrals made to appropriate organizations when needed.

As part of this project, we established Girls’ Clubs in 20 schools, reaching and serving over 21,000 children. This project is now in its 8th year of continuation.

During this time, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding women who have stood by my side, sincerely dedicating their valuable time and efforts to many projects and programs.

As time passes, photographs and magazine pages become history. The love and help we have given to others will remain as part of that legacy.

Jill Nicholls, SI New Plymouth

After being a guest of the local Soroptimist Club’s meeting where there was a presentation on the projects the club had done in Darkhan Mongolia I was in awe of what had been achieved by this small group of women. A Mongolian woman and her daughters had their lives changed forever by the donations and time of this club who built them a home (a ger) and provided the mother with a source of income - an industrial sewing machine.

I left the meeting inspired and thought I have found my tribe. As I was coming up towards retirement and my life was less busy with no dependent children at home, I was looking at what else I could get stuck into. The excellent infrastructure of Soroptimist International with its reporting templates and SDGs sealed the deal for me. As well as having exciting projects their impacts were measured.

Leonie, SI Gold Coast

I was invited to join SI Melbourne in 1998 and was quickly involved in the Fundraising Committee and before I knew it, served as Treasurer and President. When I moved to Queensland in 2007 I transferred to SI Gold Coast where I have enjoyed every minute of true support and friendship and satisfaction from improving the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally. I have enjoyed taking many different roles, learning more about this amazing organisation as I went. We have worked with clubs around the world to bring change and hope to many by educating and empowering and enabling disadvantaged women and girls. Becoming a Soroptimist is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Together we do make a difference! But there’s still a lot to be done. We need more women to join a Soroptimist International club and help bring change.

Kris Pearson, SI Wellington

Why did I join Soroptimist International of Wellington? Because my bank manager invited me – not that I knew it was her.

This was more than thirty years ago, when everything was pretty strict. It hadn’t been possible to invite me (a retail advertising manager at that stage) until Betty Loughhead (another retail advertising manager) had been a member for the required number of years so someone else in the same category could be asked to join. Names had to be put to the Club so members could object if they wanted to. Presumably no-one objected because I received a beautifully worded letter from an influential-sounding women’s organisation I’d never heard of. Of course I joined! Who wouldn’t want a direct link to the United Nations? And at the first meeting I discovered my lovely bank manager – Maureen Zust - who died tragically young only a few years later.

All these years later I’m still a proud Soroptimist. I took my turn at President when invited, and had a fairly hairy time because the Secretary rushed off to Canada and I ended up doing both jobs until she returned. Except that she didn’t. I happily looked after Friendship Link co-ordination for years, including hosting a party of ten visitors from Sakai here at home. Being a Soroptimist has got me into some interesting places, and these days, as one of the ‘older girls’ I’m happy to take a back seat and fill in where needed. One of the jobs I’ve fallen into is making any posters or graphics required for fundraising events. We all have different talents, and it’s good to be able to make use of them and spread the tasks around.

Maria Tsovleas, SI Joondalup

I joined my local Soroptimist club, Joondalup, in 2016 just before retiring from full-time employment in the
Education sector.

From the very first Club meeting, I was impressed with how members warmly and respectfully interacted with one another and made me and everyone feel so welcome. I became a member of the Events Committee to learn about Club projects and soon found myself involved. I could see first hand how they did make a huge difference to improving the lives of women and girls, their families and communities. I very quickly involved myself in Club affairs taking on various roles, including Constitution, Program UN and Advocacy Convenor and served as President of my Club then President of the Region of Western Australia. A personal highlight for me and a source of pride was inducting my daughter as a member during my term as Club President.

This month I became a dual member and joined SISEAP Sisters Online. I’m looking forward to expanding my
involvement with my sister Soroptimists through this online community. Eight months ago I was appointed a SISEAP Company Director and am learning more about how our Federation operates, what it does, the amazing projects our Clubs have and how our work collectively impacts on communities.

Becoming a member has allowed me to further develop professional skills, meet and interact with people from all walks of life, contribute to causes and help others, and make many firm friendships, which I cherish. I'm very proud to be a Soroptimist, becoming a Soroptimist is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Dulambayar Dorjzovd, SI Ulaanbaatar

I am a Soroptimist because of my deep commitment to creating meaningful change. Since 2000, I have been part of SI Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia, supporting impactful projects helping women and girls in need and strengthening a global community of compassionate women.

In everyone's life, there are unforgettable years that leave a lasting impression. For me, one of those years was 2000, when I joined as one of the first members of Soroptimist Mongolia.

The year 2000—standing alongside women who shared a common vision for the well-being of women and children, I proudly became a member of Mongolia's first Soroptimist club. This was not just an honor but a meaningful endeavor that brought value to my life. Together, we successfully carried out numerous good deeds and made a tangible impact on society.

At that time, Mongolia was facing economic difficulties. The severe winter of 2000 had led many herder families to lose their primary source of livelihood. In response to this crisis, with the warm support of sisters from Japan and other countries, we initiated the "Soropti-Sheep Project," helping families who had lost their livestock to rebuild their herds. The gratitude in their eyes and the heartfelt smiles they shared were the greatest rewards for us.

In 2005, another significant memory was created when we collaborated with Soroptimist sisters from Germany to launch the "Guardian Accommodation" project. Parents from remote areas who were caring for their severely ill children had struggled to stay in Ulaanbaatar for long periods, but through our collective efforts and support, we found a solution. Their teary-eyed appreciation and genuine joy strengthened our resolve to continue making a difference.

Anthea Penny, SI North Canterbury

I’m a Soroptimist because…. My values are aligned to the Soroptimist Mission where I can give back to help support women and girls in my community while enjoying the friendship and fellowship of my club’s members.

Being new to the district and just retired in 2018 I joined the local Soroptimist club which has enriched my life enormously.  Meeting, sharing and working together with other members has meant the development of new friends, new experiences and new opportunities.

Working together on projects has been an extremely valuable and worthwhile experience not only personally but for the women and girls in our community that we support. I have felt involved and a sense of collective pride in the outcomes that our Club has managed to achieve while at the same time I have learnt new skills and enjoyed working with my fellow members.

Now in 2025 as President Elect of SI South East Asia Pacific Federation and as a Director and Chair of Governance in Soroptimist International, I meet and interact within my Federation and with my Soroptimist sisters from around the Globe. This experience has not only educated me further on our relationship with the United Nations and the advocacy work that we do around the globe but also how embracive the sister-ship of Soroptimism is and the impact it has in its work world-wide.

Christine Johnstone, SI Beenleigh

I’m a Soroptimist because…. My volunteer work is valued by the women and girls who benefit from the projects I help implement. 

The friendships and kindness of fellow Soroptimists is a gift which I value, sharing the laughter and the conversations make for good times.

Being a member of a global organisation such as Soroptimists keeps me abreast of current issues and provides opportunities to assist women and girls.

Yvonne Simpson, SI Westland

I have been privileged to have Soroptimist sisters around the world. It is humbling to meet with Soroptimists who, because they espouse the same values, have seamlessly become close friends and sisters to me. 

I remember people before places and most of those who are so very close have also welcomed me into their homes. It might be to stay, it might be for an evening, it might be metaphorical. Each gave me a gift; they may not have been aware of the gift, but they were significant and meaningful to me at the time. 

• I am grateful to Asha, Dorothy, Alice and Rose from Kenya who shared so generously.

• GianCarla is from Venice. Her mantra is “My home is your home.”  and it truly was. It was a refuge from a whirlwind time as international president. Katarzyna from Gdansk, Poland, shared her home and family. It was like we had known each other all our lives.

• Rhonda, from Germany, offered unconditional hospitality. “This room is yours”, she told me. I learned that crying for joy was because “I live near the water”. Rhonda and Pia, from Denmark, shared their expertise in a Leadership Academy. Pia empowered us to sing. It enabled me to breathe, drop old messages of failure, and sing anyway. Batia, from Israel, brought healing and peace.

• RoseMary, Canada, offered the connection with her former club, enabling a young Scholarship recipient from Kosovo to have a home. Dawn Marie, California, reminded me that joy and generosity, colour and a positive philosophy were great energisers.

• Pat, from Edinburgh, gifted me with her thoughtfulness and depth of understanding of international issues. A woman of great intellect and yet human in her kindness. Kate from Crewe, England, gave me unconditional friendship. We met on a study tour to Bosnia, shared a room and talked into the wee hours about what we had seen and experienced together.

• Robyn, from Perth and Jenny from Port Pirie are simply kind and caring friends, who welcomed all my “dumb” questions, never judged me and so lifted me up. 

• There are so many more……a book of names from New Zealand and Westland.

I count my blessings that these women have been in my life and added texture, colour, insight and depth. A well known Māori Proverb sums it up: He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Translates to What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. Thank you, Soroptimist sisters, for being “my people”.

Christiane Kitchakarn, SI Bangkok

I’m a Soroptimist because…. We support, we celebrate, we empower and we enable women around the world. Soroptimist gives the opportunity for likeminded women to meet and empower each other to support the community we live in. We become a sisterhood across borders and language barriers. Soroptimist enables us to provide support to the community which the community needs, there are no limitations in what we can do and what we can get involved in, in order to enable, empower and educate women and girls.

Dr Donnell Davis, SI Moreton North 

I'm a Soroptimist because.... I found my tribe. During my working life, my educational life, my blended family commitments -now with grandchildren, and my personal ambition to be applying myself to something meaningful, I needed to belong with like-minded people. 

One of the leadership and eldership aspects in life is to enjoy where you are and make the most of people you work with - including nurturing their potential. But that can be exhausting if you are working with difficult people in complex projects to conquer wicked problems. How do I renew my energy? 

In Soroptimist I can enjoy the women from diverse backgrounds and interests who share the same values of fairness, compassion and intelligence. I have some lasting friendships from my time in Soroptimist International, internationally and locally:

• Locally, I am a member of SI Moreton North about an hour's drive from me. However, I am part of an 8 club region and I enjoy the diversity and humour of many of the members of these clubs in South Queensland.
• At the UN Habitat Governing Councils, we organised womens meetings every morning to share outcomes of the day before and plan our moves for the coming day's agenda.  Soroptimists from Brazil, Bangladesh and the Netherlands were in my corner. Habitat is about the right to shelter and this UN program was always feminist because "woman is where the hearth is/ home is" and our first Secretary General was Dr Anna Tibaijuka who I worked with for more than a decade. Now we talk about sustainable communities and regenerative cities. 
• During the UNODC Vienna event where I spoke on femicide, the highest impact was from a typhoon disaster in 2 hours where 72% of the deaths being girls and women. On one day in France, more people died of heatstroke than in the twin-towers terrorirsm. So my concern for urban design and climate solutions were inextricably linked. Internationally, Climate became the greatest killer after gangs, unsafe transport systems, conflict zones and disease.   This was a shock for people who only wanted to think about domestic violence. I was supported by Soroptmists.  
• I am adamant that women should be represented properly in decision-making systems - government, corporate, professional bodies, Universities, community organisations.  Therefore women need to be in Parliament House, Senate, Boardrooms, Industry Reforms, Professional Societies, Advisory Bodies, Commissions of Inquiry, and be a voice for the voiceless or vulnerable. 
• Sorptimist provided scholarships for girls, open doors for older women, and second-chance education for young mothers in order that all can develop and realise their potential.  

Soroptimist International links me with like-valued friends, helps provide meaning in my retirement, allows me to nurture younger women so they can be more effective than me, and advances progress on the most ugly inequalities in urban climate governance by having more women designing our safer common future.   

I think I have found my tribe. 

Ninjmaa Orgodol, SI Darkhan

I’m a Soroptimist because, We are global voice for woman and girls. Soroptimists are supporting projects, organizing events, working together and being friendly can lead to real friendship in local, regional and word level. We create the present and future happiness together with our sisters with same goals.