Soroptimist International Club of Penang (SIP), chartered on 23rd Nov 1996 is part of a worldwide voluntary organisation for women in management. We are a Global Voice for Women working together to transform the lives of women and girls, through our network of over 80,000 club members in 133 countries and 4 federations, we work at local, national and international level through AWARENESS ADVOCACY and ACTION to EDUCATE, ENABLE and EMPOWER women & girls to promote human rights for all, equality, development and peace.
 
Through the years, members of Soroptimist International Club of Penang joined forces supporting projects to improve the lives of women and girls. SI Penang has 2 main sustainable projects i.e. SI Penang Education Fund & Project Blossom besides other annual community projects for children from various homes for movie, play time, educational and lunch outings.

SIP Education Fund

Established in 2010, the fund focus to support students from poor families in pursuing further studies in a vocational or technical institute or training. The Fund also helps to fill a gap as there are often scholarships or grants available for the brightest academic students but not for motivated and able students who need support to start a practical career or who need short-term help given their families circumstances. In exceptional cases where students and families have faced great hardship, we have supported students in completing the final stages of university degree courses. We monitor examination results or school reports that the candidates submit on a regular basis. Payments for fees are usually paid directly to the colleges. At our recent Conference of Clubs, the SIP Education Fund was recognised for its excellence in planning, administering and evaluating a project to transform lives for women and girls around our Federation.  

Project Blossom

A self-help project for low-income women-headed households and underprivileged girls. In 2008, Soroptimist International Penang (SIP) initiated Project Blossom designed to empower underprivileged and disadvantaged women and girls by conducting skills training such as needle craft, tailoring, handicrafts, floral arrangement, and embarking on marketing of the products, combined with programmes on education and health care. Girls from lower income families who are about to leave school were equipped with life’s skills training necessary to enter the job market and survive in a working environment. This is a self-help project that aims to build self-confidence, increase self- esteem and the ability to adapt to an urbanized environment.

There were two parts to this project:  activities were carried out to benefit BLOSSOM Women and BLOSSOM girls.

BLOSSOM Women
Specifically, the activities undertaken included:
-       Sewing & Embroidery
-       Making Beaded Jewelry and Crystal accessories
-       Artificial and Fresh Floral Arrangements
-       Conversational English

BLOSSOM Girls
Specifically targeted to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to communicate in English and acquire transferable skills that can be utilized in jobs/career they will undertake in the future.
-       Familiarization with varied accents of English speakers
-       Resume Writing
-       Writing Job Applications
-       Preparing for Job Interviews
-       Healthcare & Personal Safety for Women
-       Motivation and Leadership skills