ANGUILLA— Themed ‘Redefining Hardships, Challenges and Embracing the Future’, the Soroptimist International of Anguilla (SIA) hosted the twenty-sixth biennial regional Soroptimist International Caribbean Network (SICN) conference via social network on Saturday, July 23 at their Headquarters building in The Valley. Blondell Rogers, a long standing member of SIA who was elected to serve as President of the 2019 to 2022 SICN, welcomed club members from the nine regional clubs. All clubs shared a synopsis of their activities and successes over the past year with the regional members
Current SIA President, Angelina Carty, and Programme Action Officer, Oluwakemi Linda Banks, led the activities throughout the morning, which began with a keynote address by Minister of Social Development and Education Dee Ann Kentish-Rogers. Noting that this was the perfect time to address challenges and options, Kentish-Rogers said: “The future as we know it in this global, inter-connected world seems so uncertain, leading us to feel more panicked and uncertain than ever, less open and more afraid. Challenges, hardships and traumas can be re-defined if accepted as experience and not as your identity. Inter-dependence allows us to share what we have access to.”
Stressing the positive concept of community and helping others, she ended her presentation noting: “In a room full of Soroptimist, I too can breathe a little bit easier knowing that there are those who have worked actively to share light and hope.”
The programme then continued with each club reporting on their respective positive and successful programme actions, despite the challenges of natural disasters and the many prohibitive restrictions caused by the COVID pandemic. The Soroptimist International of St Vincent received the club award for its work and diligence coordinating the receipt and distribution of donations from across the Caribbean following the 2021 La Soufriere volcano eruption.
– Contributed
