The Zonta Club of Berry will celebrate International Women’s Day with a breakfast by the river.

The event will be held at the Nowra Golf Club from 8am for an 8.30am start. 

A delicious spread, raffle prizes and champagne on arrival will be on offer and attendees will hear from two guest speakers; lawyer Theodora Ahilas and founder of Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation, Kelly Foran. 

Theodora Ahilas is head of Maurice Blackburn's asbestos and dust diseases national practice. She has more than 25 years of experience in asbestos law and is a passionate champion for equality and access to justice regardless of age, race, gender and financial situation.

Coming from a non-English speaking background and fluent in Greek, Theodora takes a particular interest in clients from similar circumstances.

“I knew from a fairly young age, that I wanted to go into law and do the kind of law that helps people,” she said. 

Theodora finds working in asbestos law inspiring and said she find strength in her clients, the personal stories they tell and their courageous and tenacious will to ensure the compensation they fight for will stand their loved ones in good stead.

“In these trying circumstances, I witness the best of the human spirit and the lengths that people go to live,” she said.

“The thing that stays with me is the integrity with which they accept the end of life.”

Theodora won the 2012 Justice Medal for her work with victims of asbestos exposure. 

Kelly Foran will also be speaking at the event and is the founder and CEO of the Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation.

She knows first hand the frailty of life and of the often overwhelming challenges faced when country people become ill or injured.

For several years from 2002 Kelly and her young son endured a harrowing list of illnesses, which saw her family leaving their home in rural New South Wales and spending large amounts of time in hospitals in Sydney and Brisbane.

The logistics of handling not only operations and depleted funds but of finding basic services in a strange environment led Kelly to form Friendly Faces Helping Hands, a foundation which links country people to major hospitals and invaluable health services.

In the five years since the Foundation’s inception more than 60,000 people have been assisted by sourcing information on the website and by ringing a hotline, which Kelly answers herself. 

Tod Adams, director of advocacy for women for the Zonta Club of Berry encouraged everyone to head along and enjoy the chance to network, win a prize and support the work of the Zonta Club of Berry.

Tickets are $40 per person. Payment can be made to NAB: BSB 082 435 and account number: 571 397 013. Reference is IWD and name.

For more information contact Mary Seelis on 4464 1191 or sel4957@bigpond.net.au