‘The best for women’ in Sierra Leone is topic of next Freetown Society lecture
An international speaker on women’s rights will be visiting Hull tomorrow to deliver a Freetown Society lecture on the work being done to help children and women in our twin City.
Alison Sutherland is the International Liaison Officer for Project SIerra, an organisation that runs the ‘A Family And A Future’ project which aims to raise £1 million to help disadvantaged women and children in Sierra Leone to face their futures with confidence.
The lecture is hosted by the Freetown Society and Hull City Council and will take place on Wednesday 6th August at 7pm in the Reception Room, Guildhall.
Michael Rouse-Deane, Vice-Chair of the Freetown Society said: “It is fantastic that a speaker of Alison’s calibre will be visiting Hull to deliver this lecture. Soroptomist International are developing some highly significant projects in Sierra Leone, and it will illuminating to listen to her plans and her experiences.”
Project Sierra has been chosen by Soroptomist International as their programme focus until 2011. Soroptomist International has a common goal of ‘A better world for all, by making it a better world for women and girls.’
Every four years Soroptimist International launches a major international project in partnership with a charity, NGO or United Nations agency. Each project is designed to be self-sustaining by the end of SI’s four-year commitment.
Soroptimist members around the world join forces to give active support to the chosen project and in doing so, have improved the lives of many thousands of women and children across the globe.
Each Federation takes it in turns to propose an international project: our current project was initiated by Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland.
Cllr Pat Ellis said: “We very much look forward to welcoming Alison to Hull. She has significant practical experience of international development projects and her lecture promises to be of great interest to anyone with an interest in West Africa, and in particular Sierra Leone.”
The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’. From the founding of the first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California, in 1921, through to the present day where over 3000 clubs are flourishing throughout the world, Soroptimists have continued to strive to achieve ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives.
The Sierra Project aims to help women and children by strengthening families at risk of breakdown, helping young children living on the streets return home and empowering vulnerable young mothers. Project SIerra will enable more children to grow up in a caring family environment – giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
The event is free to attend, pre-booking not required.
Published: 5/08/08
