Soroptimists committed to fighting poverty and climate change

By Tracy Moore

Rise, Restore and Reignite: Every Woman, Every Role Matters!

That’s the theme which the new President of Soroptimist International Barbados, Patrice Alleyne, said her executive will focus on during her tenure.

“The reason I chose this theme is because I want to remember our purpose or reason for joining SIB. I want us to remember how eager we felt when we first got installed. We came in as leaders, doers, dreamers and my desire is for us to reconnect to that. And in reconnecting with our ‘why’, with the reason we joined this prestigious club in the first place, is what will continue to propel the club forward,” she explained to the audience who attended the SIB 62nd Annual General Meeting, held under the patronage of President Dame Sandra Mason, who was also in attendance.

Alleyne said projects that will be executed to empower women and girls will align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 which speaks to ending poverty, and SDG 13 which focuses on climate change.

“These sustainable development goals are not new to us as a club, as we have worked tirelessly in the past to contribute towards these particular SDGs.… Our Period Dignity Programme has had a major impact on schoolgirls who are unable to afford period products. We will continue to work with the Springer Memorial School and aim to set up Memorandum of Understanding with other schools – both primary and secondary,” she added.

Alleyne spoke passionately about deep diving into assisting with climate action: “At some point we will become ancestors. Whatever we do now, impacts our kids and their kids. We need to start protecting them. Living on this side of the hemisphere, we can already see and feel the effects of climate change. Ask Dominicans, you don’t have to go far, you can ask me. I can tell you how Hurricane Maria affected my family back in 2017 – some of whom are still feeling the effects.”

The new SIB president set out an agenda to tackle climate change, committing her membership to beach clean-ups, “[and] we will try our very best to create innovative ways to combat climate change” through education and awareness. She called for corporate Barbados to donate and participate when called upon.

New President of the Soroptimist International Barbados, Patrice Alleyne.

“We need everyone on board. We need our sisters to continue to be active in planning and executing the best work possible. When we send our sponsorship letter, we need corporate Barbados to donate. … It takes a village and everyone sitting here within earshot of my voice, you are part of our village,” she urged.

Also in attendance was interim UN Women Caribbean Head of Office Isiuwa Iyahen who, in her featured address, offered insight and data about the care services for children and the elderly in Barbados and the region.

The care services sector offers extensive support to individuals related to age, illness, or disability. This sector includes a variety of services such as senior care, in-home assistance, and daycare, to improve or assist the quality of life for both individuals and their families. It represents a vital sector, driven by an ageing demographic, a rise in chronic health issues, and changing societal demands.

Iyahen noted that while Barbados stood out in the region by offering subsidised care for both children and elderly, there was still room for improvement as the sector was critically led by women who carried out these essential tasks which sometimes impacted their own level of growth – financially or otherwise.

She made recommendations for expanding care services to include identifying the gaps in care needs and formulating policies for those gaps, financial and mental health support and provision for sustainability in the care system and public-private partnerships to ensure universal access to care services.

In addition to the new SIB president’s address, the club’s reports were also presented along with the pinning of four new members who included Aleah Monrose, Jenelle Joseph-Jacob, Gaynelle Corbin and Danielle Millington, while the new executive was sworn in and greeted by Dame Sandra. They included: President – Patrice Alleyne, President-Elect – Stacy Ann Charles, Vice President – Tracy Moore, Immediate Past President – Peta-Lee Blackman, Secretary – Shakeelah Bovell-Parris, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer – Leyra Scantlebury, Membership Officer – Leigh-Ann Worrell, Directors without Portfolio – Karen Philip, Pamala Proverbs and Aleah Monrose.

tracymoore@barbadostoday.bb