Many remote, rural communities are characterised by problems of social and geographic isolation and where they exist they tend to affect women in particular. Typically, such isolation feeds into other issues of self-esteem, experience and confidence and in the long run prevents the social and economic potential of affected communities from coming to fruition.
In Uist and Barra a recently established project has sought to address these issues and after only a little over a year’s operation the results are impressive.
With the help of LEADER+, Connect was established with a view to providing women throughout the southern isles with opportunities to meet, share experiences and develop skills.

“We’ve run a series of events dealing with a range of diverse topics and they have taken place in different parts of the islands”, reported Connect’s co-coordinator, Laura Donkers. “ The topics we’ve covered and the venues visited were actually identified by local women as a result a number of questionnaires we circulated. So sessions on such diverse topics as pensions, posture, dance and slow food have taken place. Our experience is that people from the area make the best tutors at such events because they have an understanding of local issues and conditions. Encouraging local women to believe that they have the necessary skills and experience to become tutors is an important aspect of Connect’s work.”
The events run by Connect typically attract attendances of between 15 and 35 and over the past year or so more than 200 different women in Uist and Barra have benefited from them. Connect’s events programme aims not only to be stimulating, informative and practical but, with each event including a buffet or lunch for participants, they also fulfil a useful social function. Laura is delighted with the response there has been to Connect. “It’s going really well and what’s most gratifying is that it has appealed to local Uist and Barra women and that each event has attracted a new and different audience rather than just a core group travelling to all the events.”

One of the LEADER+ Programme’s principal ‘Target Groups’ is ‘women’ and as such it chimes with the aims and objectives of the Connect Project. As a result the latter was able to benefit from LEADER+ funding of more than £18,000 towards the total costs for the of around £25,000 for the two-year project.
Among the initiatives Connect has in the pipeline for its second year of operation is a trip to India to visit an orphanage that is supported by Love and Share Uist, a local charity. In addition to this the group which includes Barbara MacDonald, manager of Cothrom, and Angela Monk, administrator with the Wholefoods Co-op will visit a literacy project which is designed specifically for older rural women who aspire to improve their prospects and that of their offspring by becoming literate. They will also gain an insight into the subject of ‘fair-trading’ by visiting a small farm and local market. Connect will be producing a short film which aims to illuminate the role of rural Indian women in modern society that will have a resonance with Island women. This film will accompany a small travelling exhibition that will visit various venues throughout the Southern Isles during 2006, and other islands as requested.