Since its foundation in 1978, the Zonta Club of Waverley, now Melbourne’s East, has made a significant contribution to our local community.
By joining with other clubs in our Area and District, we have an impact through programs implemented across Australia.
Our regular financial contributions to Zonta International, through our fundraising efforts and donations from the public, allow us to make a difference to the lives of women and their families in other countries of the world.
Local Level Projects
Some local Service Projects we have supported over the last 5 years are:
• School Scholarships for young women entering Years 11 and 12
• Kara House – supporting domestic violence victims by donating toiletries and funds
• Christmas presents for children at Kara House
• Cara – supporting educational programs for disadvantaged girls
• Emerge – women’s and children’s support network
Our future support will go to:
• Royal Women’s Hospital – Pamphlet to increase awareness and understanding of FGC (female genital cutting)
• A Girl’s Way – educating girls that it’s OK to say “NO”
Scholarships and Awards
• Young Women in Public Affairs Award
The Award recognises young women, ages 16-19, who demonstrate superior leadership skills and a commitment to public service and civic causes, and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life. More…
• Women of Achievement Awards
• Women in Business Scholarship
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship is awarded annually to women pursuing undergraduate or master’s degrees in business management. More…
International Level Projects
At international level, we commit a third of our fundraising to international projects.
Current International Service Projects:
UNFPA: Eliminating Obstetric Fistula in LIBERIA (continuing project)
UNICEF: HIV-Free Generation in RWANDA (continuing project)
UN TRUST FUND: Gender Responsive Schools in VIETNAM (new)
We also support ZISVAW (Zonta International Strategies to End Violence Against Women Program) which aims to eradicate violence against women:
UNFPA: Delaying Early Marriage in NIGER (new)
UN WOMEN: Voices against Violence in 12 countries (new)
District Level Projects
The Club contributes to two District 23 Service Projects. Both projects have added greatly to the well-being of women here and overseas.
• Zonta Breast Care Cushions
These are made by Club members and distributed to local hospitals to provide comfort for women and men who have had mastectomies.
> Flyer
The Club held a Breast Care Cushion Working Bee on 9 August 2015 and the club members completed 35 breast care cushions on the day which will be donated to various hospitals.
Breast Care Cushion Working Bee, 2014.
• Zonta Birthing Kits
The birthing kit was designed specifically to be a cost effective tool to promote safe hygiene in childbirth in developing countries.
The contents are intended to promote hygiene in childbirth and thus prevent the most common causes of related infections. They contain items for the birth itself (eg. plastic sheeting, soap & disposable gloves), for the baby (clamps and a blade to attend to the umbilical cord) and to prevent common post-natal infections (eg. gauze to clean the baby’s eyes).
The kits cost less than a dollar to make and they are assembled in the thousands by Zonta Clubs in Australia.
Once assembled, the birthing kits are distributed by the project organisers with the help of Non-Government Organisations in a variety of developing countries (who train local women to be birthing attendants and in the use the kit). Over one million of these birthing kits have been distributed so far by Zonta Clubs.
> Birthing Kit Foundation website
Three students from Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), Melbourne with some of the completed kits from the PLC assembly day. These boxes will be forwarded on to third world countries.
Projects the Club has supported
Walk In My Shoes Awareness Project
Our club has been very fortunate and is very proud to be able to bring to the City of Monash a display called Walk In My Shoes. This display has been very much supported by our Mayor, Rebecca Patterson.
The Walk in My Shoes display resulted from a project conducted by the Zonta Club of Adelaide to raise awareness of domestic violence in the community. The display celebrates the courage of women who have walked out of situations of domestic violence and begun a new life. It consists of women and children’s shoes each with their own story attached. Their stories are profoundly personal and inspirational.
The display so far has been around WA and SA and at present, for the first time in Victoria, it is located in the Civic Centre here in Monash for 2 weeks. It then moves on to the Glen Waverley Library and then on to the Clayton Library.
A Girl’s Way
Our Club is a great supporter of A Girl’s Way and provided the morning tea at Catherine Gerhardt’s presentation to the girls at Ashwood College on 8th October 2014.
A Girl’s Way is a unique and life altering three hour program that supports the transition of girls from childhood to teenage years, showing them how to setting limits and boundaries when it comes to behaviour (both in person and online), self-respect and personal safety.
Days for Girls
The Days For Girls project aims to supply girls in Africa with hygiene kits during their menstrual cycle. The project was started in the USA through a mission to an African orphanage where it was realised that girls were confined to their rooms during their period because of lack of a proper means of keeping themselves clean.
At the conclusion of Michelle Gate’s talk to the Club in November, Pam Sloss presented her with a cheque for $1,000.
Share the Dignity
Brea Tsesmetzis from Share the Dignity was the guest speaker at our April meeting in 2016.
Share the Dignity gives homeless women their dignity back by providing sanitary products to homeless and at-risk women. It provided 150,000 sanitary products to homeless and at-risk women last year alone.
Share the Dignity is about to launch its April collection for sanitary products. Collection bins will be available at more than 1000 sites, including Terry White Chemists, Fernwood Fitness Clubs, and Australian Hearing Hubs.
One Million Stars
One Million Stars to End Violence is an international weaving project that aims to end violence by bringing people together to weave stars and is part of the G20 Cultural program.
Four of our Club members got together to weave stars. These stars represent light, courage and hope to end all forms of violence, including violence against women. The goal is to weave One Million 8-pointed stars by 2018 for display in Queensland.
