Soroptimist International Foundation is delighted to help fund the efforts by Willing Hearts International Society Canada and Canadian Soroptimists in delivering a recent leadership and mentoring training camp for girls at the Lugari Community Resource Centre, Kenya.
The Lugari Youth Leadership and Mentorship Training Camp is a 10 day intensive programme run by Willing Hearts International Society Canada that annually equips 200 girls from diverse Kenyan communities with leadership, career, and life skills. The training camp provides accommodation and meals, ensuring participants can fully engage in training that promotes gender equality and sustainable development. Through sessions on leadership, mentorship, human rights, communication, media literacy, and career development, participants gain confidence, professional etiquette and advocacy skills.
They also receive training in financial literacy, personal safety, menstrual health, emotional intelligence, sustainable agriculture, and team building. The camp’s impact extends beyond the girls themselves, empowering their families, schools and communities as they apply their knowledge and leadership skills to create lasting change.
Soroptimist International Foundation has supported this year’s Leadership and Mentoring Training Camp with a donation from its Educating Women from or in War Torn Countries fund. This fund, restricted to assisting women who live in, or are from countries which are recognised as currently experiencing ongoing armed conflict by the UN, originally donated by SI Taiwan remains open for further donations. Soroptimist International Foundation champions education at all levels for women and girls and wholeheartedly supports the aims of this camp, advancing education and community development in Africa. Education is a key tool through which Soroptimist International delivers many projects and programmes for all women and girls, thereby playing a critical role in attainment of SDG4.
Past Soroptimist International President Sharon Fisher visited the camp and took part in activities with the girls. She is pictured above with some of the programme participants, during a session on environmental stewardship. A proven programme the camp has successfully nurtured over 2,100 young girls equipping them with essential leadership skills that have enabled them to excel in academics, community development, and career pursuits. Soroptimist International is very proud that a graduate of this programme is now appointed as an SI Representative to UN Nairobi where she advocates for all women and girls, demonstrating the leadership skills she gained from the programme.
Soroptimist International Foundation Chair, Cathy Cottridge said “We look forward to seeing the positive results which this year’s camp will deliver and following the progress of the participants”.
Watch the below video to see camp leaders engaging with the girls.
Further information:
Soroptimist International Foundation is a Charitable Trust overseen by SI (Soroptimist International) Limited. Soroptimist International Foundation is currently managing legacies, a fund to Educate Women from War Torn Countries and projects in Kenya, Haiti, Nepal and Sierra Leone.
Donations to Soroptimist International Foundation to help us deliver future projects for women and girls are gratefully received.
For further information or to make enquires regarding legacies, please email hq@soroptimistinternational.org
