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Inspiring women articles

Inspiring women articles

SI Northern Beaches Hampers of Hope

Hampers of Hope for young girls transitioning from crisis accommodation to independent living. 

Secure Start is a dignity-first initiative that provides essential household items to young people transitioning from crisis accommodation into independent living. Developed in partnership with frontline youth services (Taldumande), it bridges the critical gap between emergency care and long-term stability by offering tailored starter kits with bedding, kitchenware, hygiene products, and other practical essentials. These kits meet immediate needs while reinforcing a sense of safety, autonomy, and respect. By working directly with caseworkers and support agencies, Secure Start ensures timely, targeted support that complements broader wraparound services.  

Club members have a meeting to discuss the kind of items they think would be valuable and cross check this with the suggested items list received from Taldumande. The packs include doonas, doona covers, pillows, towels, cutlery etc. SI Northern Beaches members go out and purchase the items from money either been given in a grant or fundraised. All members are involved in the discussions, however generally 4-5 are involved in the purchasing, packing and delivering.

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SI Kota Kinabalu Dignity Kits

Imagine losing your home in just one storm!

That’s what happened here in Sabah after 4 days of continuous rain (the equivalent of 6 months of rainfall) caused devastating floods and landslides. Families were left without homes, food supplies, and even the most basic necessities.

To bring a little relief, Soroptimist International Kota Kinabalu (SIKK), together with our main sponsor MR.DIY Foundation @yayasanmrdiy, distributed nearly 100 Dignity Kits to women and girls in 3 relief centres.

More can be read on SI Kota Kinabalu's Facebook page below. 

SI Kota Kinabalu's Facebook

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SI Penang Digital Library and Studio

On October 14th, SI Penang officially launched our first Digital Library and Studio at a local secondary girls school here in Penang. 

Fully sponsored by SI Penang, we converted an old classroom to a bright, exciting and inspiring facility focused specifically on the development of digital skills and knowledge for 322 students. 84% of them are in the low socio economic income group (B40 - Below 40). 

SI Penang fully sponsored brand new items such as 5 desktop computers, 1 brand new 65" interactive smartboard, 1 set of video light, 1 set of studio soft box, 1 unit of air conditioner and 1 DSLR camera.

The teachers and students, with the help of many parents, used their creativity and handy skills to refurbish this room. It has now become a space conducive to digital learning, creative writing and multimedia production. Furthermore, it is also a facility that is developing students' skills into e-commerce, business development and strategic planning using digital applications to enhance their skills and knowledge. 

It provides a space for many underprivileged students of the school who do not have internet access and devices at home. This space allows these students to finish their homework and assignments at school. Combined with 8 used laptops previously donated to the school, more students are able to access their work online and enhance the quality and impact of their learning. 

The official launch was attended by Mr Jagdeep Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Penang and the Minister for Human Capital, Science and Technology. He praised Soroptimist International for advancing the quality of education for underprivileged girls and providing the platform for more effective and impactful learning. 

Please find the link below to SI Penang's Facebook to see more photos from the day. 

SI PENANG FACEBOOK

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Sewn Up for Change: How Sustainable Sewing is Growing SI North Shore’s Membership

Soroptimist International North Shore’s “Sewn Up” upcycling sewing programme is stitching together a powerful story of sustainability, skills development, and Soroptimist values in action, while also inspiring new members to join our mission.
Originally launched in partnership with East Coast Bays Library and in collaboration with Trash Free Taiaotea, the initiative offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level sewing classes to local women of all ages. The aim: reduce textile waste heading to landfill, teach practical repair and upcycling skills, and build a stronger, more connected community.

Each course level introduces new techniques — from sewing basics and simple tote bags to more advanced garment alterations and sustainable fashion practices. The classes are inclusive, hands-on, and proudly free to participants, with a focus on learning, confidence-building, and environmental action.

The results have been extraordinary:

  • Over 18 women have now participated in the course.
  • More than 7.8kg of second-hand fabric was reused in just one session.
  • And most excitingly, four new members have already joined Soroptimist North Shore directly as a result of the programme, with only a few weeks left to the end of this programme we may see more exploring the option to volunteer or support our projects.

The classes also support Heal the Teal, our national project raising awareness of ovarian cancer, through sewing items to sell and promote the cause.

We’ve found that many of our learners are drawn not only to the sewing, but to the values and community Soroptimists represents. By sharing our work, providing information about membership, and inviting participants to be part of something bigger, we’re growing our impact and our club.

We have had over 50 registrations for the programme which has been publicised through Auckland Council ‘Our Auckland’ and their Instagram. https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2025/07/sewn-up-upcycling-sewing-classes/

East Coast Bays Library are keen for us to provide similar classes to a youth group which we are considering. We now have interest from a second library in Takapuna wanting to host similar classes, and plans are underway to explore this next year.

Sewing may be the thread — but it's the Soroptimist purpose and partnership that are tying it all together.

Sylvia Heywood

President, SI North Shore

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SISEAP Membership

Soroptimist International is a global movement of women, with members belonging to more than 3,000 clubs in 126 countries/territories, spread over 5 Federations