Our History

Brief History

The idea of an African Federation of Soroptimist was born in 1987 in Athens, Greece at a Congress with Gisela Freudenberg, Soroptimist International officer in charge of Extension in Africa (1987) and Nina Koumanakou who was then President of Soroptimist International of Europe (SIE). Present at the Congress were Soroptimists from some African countries.
Reflections towards the idea of an African Federation continued in 1989 at another SI Congress in Lugano, Switzerland with Nigeria's Adetoun Bally. In 1993, a preparatory meeting was held in Dakar, Senegal in the presence of SIGBI and SIE Presidents. Since then, regional meetings and general conferences where held every year, rotationally hosted by different African cities. At the Nairobi General Assembly in 2006, Boards were set up for sub regions.