Fashion raises thousands of euros to help eradicate malaria

Soroptimist club Merwekring's annual clothes sale raised a total amount of €6,000. Hundreds of women and a few men came to watch models show second-hand clothes. There was a queue outside De Nieuwe Doelen in Gorinchem at 7 p.m. already! On Sunday, the Soroptimists sorted, ironed and price-tagged all of the clothes. Some of the clothes were held back for Hungary; the rest were shown and sold on Monday evening.

Twelve ladies showed clothes varying from sporty summer clothes for young women to modern elegant clothes for elder women. At the Malaria No More! Netherlands stand, visitors could pick up information about malaria and the supported project in Kenya, and buy products such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, Healthguard® treated socks and mosquito repellent. Before the last show, Margret van Gaalen of Malaria No More! Netherlands explained what Malaria No More and the Soroptimists had in common: they both actively campaign for the rights of children and women – Malaria No More! for their right to good health and the Soroptimists to improve their social standing.

The successful evening ended with a parade of women dressed in mosquito nets, which help prevent malaria. There was a real run on the shown clothes.

Part of the money raised went to the hospice in Gorinchem. The other part was augmented with the revenue generated from the products sold at the stand and went towards the project Malaria No More! is supporting in Kenya. Wilde Ganzen also augmented the amount with an own contribution, bringing the total amount for the project in Kenya to €3,593.

Soroptimists are united in the 'Unie van de Soroptimistclubs in Nederland, Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen' (Association of Soroptimist clubs in the Netherlands, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles). The association is part of the worldwide Soroptimist International service organization, which has a network of 90,000 members spread across 124 countries. The Dutch chapter has 3,400 members spread over 100 clubs. The Soroptimist club Merwekring has members as far afield as Asperen, Gorinchem and Hardinxveld-Giessendam.