CELEBRATING 50 years of “commitment to humanism” is Zonta I with Minerva “Minnie” Yuvienco, daughter of the club’s founder and first president, Dr. Suga Sotto Yuvienco, at its helm. Waxing nostalgic, Minnie shared a clipping of an article by her mother, published in the defunct Republic News on July 26, 1981, which shows the spirit of Zonta, to quote:
“Members of Zonta International are known all over the world for their commitment to service, their dedication to humanism, their involvement and willingness to give freely of their time, talents and resources. Zonta clubs have earned the admiration, respect and affection of the world, mainly through the sterling qualities of their members and the success of their local, national and international projects.”
“Zonta International to the world is a group of informed women, articulate, persuasive, interested, compassionate, caring. Zonta’s leaders are women of stature and achievement. The world knows that membership in Zonta is a privilege and that each member is chosen because of her qualifications and expertise.”
Indeed, the Cebu Zontians have proven to be true to their commitment to the association they have chosen to belong to. Minnie says that the main project started by her mother is the Pink Center at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital which is a refuge for battered women which Zonta I and II have helped all these years (though Zonta II, the “baby” of Zonta I, has chosen, two years ago, to leave the project so as to concentrate its efforts on its Mandaue projects). It is a center that is also partly helped by Sen. Tito Sotto. They undergo skills training in Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) or elsewhere—cooking, sewing, hair styling, crocheting, bag making—in order for them to earn a livelihood and thus need not go back to where they have been abused, battered and violated.
This year also marks the centenary of the club worldwide. And the international thrust of the association for 2018 to 2020 is “Say No to Child Marriage.” Minnie reflects that “teen pregnancy can destroy the future of the girl. As well it can break up families.” Minnie says Zonta I has lined up a series of activities in chosen schools and communities against teen pregnancy and early marriages: interactive seminars, wholesome plays, jingles, comics and posters, inter-school oratorical and declamation contests, women forum, plus media publicity and Zonta centennial stickers of “No to Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy.”
Minnie says it has taken her decades before joining Zonta, and she joined in 2006 partly because of the prodding of her mother. She had been busy with her dress shop (Best of New York) and only when she closed the shop and turned into dairy farming and cattle raising could she find the necessary time to be with Zonta, to be truly active in the group. But she said she joined not just because of the prodding of her mother but also because, to quote, “I was attracted to the advocacy of Zonta to stop violence against women.”
From Dr. Suga Sotto Yuvienco to daughter Minerva, Zonta 1 has been in good hands and members can say: “It has been truly 50 golden years of a job well done.”