Soroptimist International President, Mariet Verhoef-Cohen brings news from the 2017-2019 SI President's Appeal, 'Women, Water & Leadership'. Two transformative projects are now underway in Kenya, and Bulgaria, thanks to the generous donations of Soroptimists and all Federations.
WeWash, a new transformative and sustainable project is now underway as part of the SI Women, Water & Leadership Appeal (WWL) 2017-2019. Beginning early May, WeWash (Women empowerment through water, sanitation, and health), is reshaping the lives of unemployed and low-income women and girls in the villages of Sulitsa, Sladak kladenets, Preslaven and Kalitinovo in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
The first of five projects to be supported on five continents, the International President’s Appeal 2017-2019, ‘Women, Water & Leadership’ is funding the Mwihoko Women Group in Kenya, which formed in 2005, with the aim of improving the economic and social livelihood of its membership of 22 women.
29 July 2017, Rotterdam, Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, Netherlands was inaugurated with overwhelming support as President of Soroptimist International (SI) for the 2017 – 2019 biennium; the first Dutch President in the organisation’s almost 100-year existence. In our first interview for the new SI Members Area, we talk to Mariet about her history as a Soroptimist, her love of Gender and Water, and her plans for the coming biennium.