Join Us Help us to Make That Difference to Women and Girls in Barbados.
What We Do
New Horizons Programme
Provides mentorship and developmental programs for at-risk girls who are wards at the Government Industrial School (Girls). The program, which was founded in 1992, is held most Saturdays throughout the year at the school currently on hiatus.
Weekly Developmental Programs at the Government Industrial School, Girl’s school (GIS) – Currently on hiatus.
Senior Citizens Village & Activity Centre
Located at Eden Lodge, St. Michael, the Soroptimist Senior Citizens Village caters for fully independent senior living within a community of similar individuals. The Village comprises 24, very affordable, one-bedroom self-contained residences arranged in duplexes. Twenty-two are currently in use.
Also includes the Hildegarde Weekes Activity Centre which is open to residents and visiting seniors who come to the centre to participate in the social and vocational activities. The Activity Centre provides recreational and educational activities for senior citizens three days a week such as tours, bingo, exercise, concerts etc. There is also a full kitchen and all seniors attending the Activity Centre are given a hot lunch and a mid-morning snack.
Purple Tear Drop Campaign
The Purple Tear Drop Campaign is aimed at building public awareness about the scourge of human trafficking and abuse against women with the goal of eliminating both. SIB educates through marches, panel discussions, public education campaigns, work with other women’s groups and also lobbies for legislation to aid in the fight.
School Leavers Program
The School Leavers Program targets girls in 4th and 5th form in the Secondary school system. The program is geared towards providing educational insight into matters faced in the transition from secondary school to young female adulthood. This includes areas such as “The Difference between Gender and Sex”, “Finding Your Career Fit and Job Applications”, “How to Vote” or “How to File Income Taxes”. – Currently on hiatus.
Hibiscus Literacy Program
The Hibiscus Literacy Program targets at-risk girls incarcerated at the Government Industrial School who have been evaluated and identified as having severe literacy challenges. – on hiatus
Professional Developmental
We work to enhance the skills of female job-seekers and entrepreneurs through our professional and entrepreneurship development programmes. This includes our annual Sister Put Your Best Foot Forward professional development workshop which provides training in resume writing, interview preparedness and other workplace skills. We also offer the Sister Forward Academy for female entrepreneurs which provides free training and capacity building in areas such as financial management, legal requirements and social media marketing.
Period Dignity Project
This is a combination of advocacy and action. On the advocacy front, we successfully lobbied government for the removal of VAT on period products. At the same time we have taken action by donating over 500 period dignity packages to schools and community organisations so that products are more readily available for women and girls who need them. We have also signed and are carrying out a MOU with The Ellerslie School under which we provide period products at the start of each term for the next two years.
Scholarships & Grants
We work to advance educational opportunities for women and girls through our scholarship programme at the University of the West Indies which provides a scholarship for students in the social work programme. We also promote food security and advance opportunities for women in agriculture through our annual Frances Chandler Memorial Award.
In addition to these longstanding activities, we are also proud to mount The Frances Chandler Memorial Award – an annual scholarship for women working and/or studying in the field of Agriculture.
Funds can be used for further research in agriculture or agriculturally-related fields. The Award can also be used to purchase agricultural equipment, or to attend conferences or special meetings.
