Events – Best practice award 29th October 2005

As well as enjoying the company of Soroptimists from across SIGBI we were presented with a Soroptimist International Best Practice Award for our work with SI Ipsae in Mauritius. This is the first such award within SI Wales South Region. The citation on the SI website reads:

SI Great Britain and Ireland

SI Cardiff and District, Wales and SI Ipsae, Mauritius

Mauritius Crèche

• It began with a casual call by a Cardiff Soroptimist in 1994 trying to make contact with the Mauritius Club while on holiday. Her visit to a newly started crèche in the poor Black River area of the island developed eventually into the first Soroptimist International Working Partnership.
• Since that time the Cardiff club has formalised a link with SI Ipsae and has seen the expansion of the crèches. Cardiff members have continuously raised and donated funds to pay for the rent, staff salaries, electricity and food for the crèches; sent educational toys and clothing by freight and even included infants' high chairs in personal holiday luggage!
• This year the Ipsae club celebrated its 20th Anniversary and much as Cardiff members would have wished to attend it was not possible. Currently the crèches are running well.