SIGP was pleased to host Dr. Ifufu Ilingio Djire, Vice President of Soroptimist Club Abidjan Famboyant at the April 1 meeting.  Dr. Ifufu, a doctor of radiology in Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast of Africa, made her first visit to the United States to visit friends in the Detroit area earlier this month.  During her visit, she spent time with SIGP to learn more about how Soroptimist clubs run in the states.  Club President Diana Langlois and Friendship Link member Ann Cunningham spent the day with Dr. Ifufu taking her on a tour of the east side before the Club’s monthly meeting.  They visited the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, followed by lunch in the Garden Tea Room.  Then the group headed to St. John Hospital for a tour of the state of the art radiology department, as arranged by SIGP member Dr. Mariann Channell.   Dr. Ifufu, Ann and Diana then met up with Soroptimist Mary Bryk, an administrative nurse at St. John’s, for a tour of the pediatrics unit birthing section.  On the way to Diana’s home, they stopped to say hello to Soroptimist Nancy Schleicher.  It was all fabulous!!!

Dr. Ifufu, speaking in her native French, addressed the club by thanking everyone for their hospitality and extending an invitation to everyone to visit her in Africa.  She shared that their club has 26 members.  She was surprised SIGP has been a service club for 53 years!  The Soroptimist Club Abidjan is part of the European Federation and has more of a European focus.  Their club helped build an HIV center in the area, and they hope to continue to support more projects that benefit the local community as their club grows.  As for Ifufu, her dream is to open her own radiology clinic in Abidjan. 

SIGP would like to thank Dr Ifufu for taking time to share information about herself, her country and her Soroptimist Club.  We wish her much success and look forward to staying in touch!

                                          - Lisa Brancato