Soroptimist International | National Association of Clubs of Trinidad & Tobago | Best for Women - Improving the lives of women and girls everywhere

“When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Agnes C. Webbe This is what Soroptimism is all about, making a contribution to women and girls throughout the world, to ensure equal access to education and training throughout their lifespan.

The statistics are overwhelming, eighty million of the world’s children do not go to school, and one-fifth of the world’s adults, the majority of them women, are illiterate.

All these people live in poverty, and are unable to take control of their lives.

However in spite of these statistics, Soroptimist women continue to work and undertake projects which have made a difference to many lives throughout the length and breadth of our twin island state.

Mention must be made of the project which St. Augustine has been undertaking for well over 20 years in the women’s prison at Golden Grove, and which they were highly awarded at SIGBI conference in Barbados in 2008. San Fernando also with their Senior Citizen Home, Shangri-La, which has been the centre of the community for many years, and is totally managed and operated by Soroptimist women. We are also proud to speak about the project which SI Port of Spain embarked on many years ago, and can now boast of their own accommodation and Headquarters at 15 Nepaul Street, St.James, which is also an Activity Centre for Senior Citizens.

As our first Soroptimist club in the Caribbean, SI Port of Spain celebrated their 50th anniversary this year and was marked by varying activities, such as a Church service, Dinner and a Tea Party hosted by Her Excellency Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards at Presidents’s House, Botanical Gardens.

Even though we are faced with many challenges when undertaking projects, we try to work with a wide range of projects which provide learning opportunities and skill training, recognizing that the need for literacy is the key which opens the door to education, and in this regard SI Scarborough was the recipient of an Environmental Award from the Rotary Clubs in Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, which enabled them to produce the booklet KYTE (know your Tobago environment), which they are hoping will be used in schools throughout the country.

As we pinpoint issues faced by women in our country, we have to wonder why we have not made greater progress, but this has been due to many reasons which I will not address here, but it is gratifying to see that today, many women’s organisations and tertiary learning institutions have now taken up the challenge to train women as leaders in politics, government and business, as well as science and technology, thus encouraging progress on other crucial issues, including social justice and expanding economic opportunities for women.

Our organisation supports many World celebration days, such as World Peace Day, HIV & Aids day, World environment day, International Literacy day, and many others which clearly demonstrates our participation and involvement in International Goodwill and Understanding, particularly when we have representation and recognition at the United Nations Assembly.

As we continue to face these challenges we develop friends along the way and hence the reason we continue to make a contribution, and commit ourselves to helping others.

We welcome you to join this recently changed business organisation and be a contributor to the development of our women and girls.

May God continue to bless us all.

Agnes C. Webbe
President

National Association of Trinidad & Tobago