LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Every year in December members of Soroptimist International of Clear Lake gather at the home of Kathy Freeborn to celebrate Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

Each member brings an unwrapped gift for a silent auction and all proceeds go to fund the international
president's chosen project. 

This term 2015-2017 International President Yvonne Simpson chose “Educate to Lead: Nepal.”

She chose Nepal because of the need woman and girls have as they work to rebuild their lives following devastating earthquakes that hit the country.

Nepal is a small landlocked country lying between India and Tibet. In the hills and valleys of Nepal, in small isolated villages, live 30 million of the poorest people in the world.

Educational and medical facilities are limited, many children are undernourished and half the population is under 23 years of age.

Women are frequently second-class citizens, both legally and socially. Young girls are a financial
liability, putting them at risk of being trafficked. Women and girls are deprived of basic rights. If a family can afford to send a child to school, it will be their sons who are sent first.

On April 25, 2015, a devastating earthquake followed by aftershocks displaced millions of
people. Despite the huge amount of funds raised, little aid has or will reach the rural areas. These people have no political power and are a low priority for support.

Soroptimists know that in a disaster women and girls suffer disproportionately. The organization also knows that education for women and girls is the key to economic empowerment.

By uniting the four Soroptimist federations in support of the only project they do together, the group can impact the lives of more than 1,000 women and girls in Nepal.

In her announcement of the Nepal Educate to Lead project, President Simpson wrote to the more than 80,000 Soroptimists worldwide: “Women can be change agents too – and it is imperative to have women in leadership positions so they can empower their communities. Education is the key. Education empowers women with new skills and new hope for economic independence. It provides the confidence and ability to stand strong and be partners with men to lead the future. The situation needs our long term commitment to make this difference.”

She said that the project “will educate, empower and enable women and girls to overcome their adversity, stay safe and develop leadership skills that will in turn benefit their communities.”