Dear sisters of SI Madurai,
I am extremely happy that we could all get together once in April 2021, despite the odds, and am grateful to all those present for the AGM, which was certainly reassuring. I had always treasured being with this august gathering as a purpose-driven relaxation with a sense of satisfaction through the meaningful projects I have been associated with, either directly or indirectly. It is a joy to help women and children who are less fortunate than us. Being with all of you gives the additional warmth, especially when you stay far away from home.
We always try to work closely, centred on the themes of Soroptimist International. The theme is – BRIGHT PAST & BRILLIANT FUTURE, which is now celebrating its centenary. The theme for SIGBI is WE STAND UP FOR WOMEN and for NASI it is AMITY.
THEME for our club for this year is to BRIDGE THE GAP, for women and for the environment.
- BRIDGE THE GAP – by planting more native trees mentioned in the ancient books like Silapathikaram and by trying to restore a part of the past glory of this ancient city famed in the Sangam era. This will also bring in a good ecosystem in our locality.
- BRIDGE THE GAP – by advocacy of the best cultural practices of the past for a better future for our younger generation.
- BRIDGE THE GAP – by empowering, educating and enabling less fortunate girls so that they improve society.
Hope, this year we will be able to fight the pandemic and do more, and we will try to reach out to many through the new platform of the internet and Zoom, if not possible physically in the initial months. Together we can try to make a small change, wherever possible, to make our surroundings a better world for the future generation to live in. Saptapadinam Sakhyam. Friendship starts when we walk 7 steps together. So, we have come a long way then, in Soroptimism, and may Goddess Meenakshi bless us all to have this bonding for several years to come.
In friendship
Dr. Manju Anilkumar,
President 2021–2022,
SI Madurai.