FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN RAFAEL, Ca May 7, 2008 — Two Marin women stole the awards at Soroptimist International regional conference. Hannah Njuguna and Jessica Assaf claimed top honors at the Soroptimist International Founder Region Conference held in San Ramon last Sunday May 4. Nearly 400 women attending the conference cheered them on. Both Njuguna and Assaf were selected as Soroptimist International of Marin County’s (SIMC) Club level winners in January by a panel of Marin community leaders.

Njuguna, a nursing student at College of Marin, was Soroptimist International of Marin County’s Women’s Opportunity Award winner. The Women’s Opportunity Award honors women who are the primary wage earner in their families and who are returning to school in an undergraduate program to improve their lives. At the conference Njuguna was awarded $750 as the District winner and then, as regional winner she was awarded an additional $5000. Hannah brought down the house when she spoke, describing briefly the challenges she faced as a poor young woman in Kenya, facing poverty and gender bias, how she was saved by the good hand of her church from a very dismal future. Hannah supports her five children and her elderly parents. Hannah is simply unstoppable.

Jessica Assaf was crowned the regional winner of the Violet Richardson Award which honors, a young woman from age 14 to 17 who participates in community service. Jessica was honored for her role as one of the founders of Teens for Safe Cosmetics, an arm of the Marin Cancer Project. Jessica’s dedication and determination to make the powerful cosmetic companies make products that are chemically safe is outstanding. She helped lobby for the successful passage of California’s Safe Cosmetics Act. Teens for Safe Cosmetics, born in Marin, is now a national program. Jessica received $250 as the district winner and then as regional winner secured an additional $1000 for herself and another $1000 for her program.

Both Hannah and Jessica’s names have been forwarded to the national award program. They will be honored at the SIMC Awards Banquet on May 21st. Each will receive their club award of $1500.