PRESENT

• Father Joseph Healey
• Cephas Agbemenu – on WhatsApp call
• Margaret Ireri
• Elias Bushiri
• Francis Njuguna
• John Kevin Baraza — Maryknoll guest

Apology

• Sr. Ann Grace Njau

AGENDA

• Opening Prayer.
• Minutes of the previous meeting.
• Responses from the previous minutes.
• African Proverb of the Month polls
• APWG Facebook updates report.
• APWG laptop.
• 2018 calendar.
• Proverb of the Month editing.
• Finances
• 2018 Grants
• Matching grants report.
• Annual membership fees.
• Project Proposals 2018.
• Date of APWG full members’ meeting.
• Any other business.
• APWG community-based organization.
• Closing Prayer.

 

 OPENING PRAYER

The meeting started with a prayer in French by Elias.
Margaret welcomed the members and gave an apology for Sr Grace Njau who was committed elsewhere.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

Members had been encouraged to read the minutes ahead of the meeting.

RESPONSES FROM THE MINUTES

• African Proverb of the Month Polls

  The Moderator, requested each member to identify the proverbs they have been voting for in the January – March, 2018 Poll. October – December, 2017 Poll had 482 votes. This is lower than the July – September, 2017 Poll that closed at 552 votes.

• APWG Facebook updates report.

  Francis Njuguna thanked the APWG executive committee for providing him with a
  Smartphone to enable him to take photographs and update the Facebook Page. The members appreciated his performance and encouraged him to post items more frequently. Internet bundles would be provided to support his work. (6GB Safaricom 90 days bundles package for 3,000/=)

• APWG laptop.

  The purchase of a laptop had been successfully done as requested in the previous meeting.
  Elias Bushiri thanked the APWG executive committee for providing a laptop to facilitate his work with the production of the 2018 APWG calendar and editorial work for the group.

• 2018 calendar.

  Fr. Healey confirmed that the 2018 APWG calendar had been produced, published and posted on the African Proverbs Website for all readers to access. A few hard copies had been printed and presented to the executive committee members.

  The members agreed that the previous budget for the services of production and editing of the calendar be maintained and applied each year. The budget would be $100. The producer would receive $70 and formatters/proofreaders $30.

• Editing of the Proverb of the Month.

  The committee in collaboration with the Moderator agreed to engage a person qualified to edit and proofread the Proverbs of the Month before they were posted on the African Proverbs website. This would ensure best quality of work and relieve Fr Healey of this duty. Ben Chebweche Mabuto was accepted as suitable, after editing the March, 2018 proverb of the month.

  The members agreed to pay $15 for the editorial services of each proverb. This would be charged from each member’s second half grant. A selection of a Proverb of the Month can only be done after each member completes his or her collection of 100 African proverbs.

FINANCES

• Change of signatory for APWG Bank Account

  The name and signature of the former online signatory Francis Kuria Kimani had been replace with that of Catherine Z M Wambugu who works at Maryknoll.

• Grants 2018

  Funds amounting to $4,790 (only $10 bank charges) had been transferred into the APWG account on 1 February, 2018 from the Apostolic Trust Project of the Maryknoll Society. This would support the activities of the APWG during the year. The members thanked Fr Healey for the support.

  The 2018 first half grants will be distributed to facilitate the collection of 100 proverbs by the members. At present we do not have enough money in our account for the second half of the grants. The members will present their new project proposals for vetting at the next full members’ meeting. The executive committee will make the final decision on the proposals to be funded.

  The guidelines guiding the APWG work will be re-posted to the members.

• Matching grants report

  The Fund Raising Committee had not been successful in sourcing for extra funds to support the Endangered Proverbs Booklets production. Francis Njuguna informed the members that they had approached UNESCO but they confirmed that they had suspended their support towards various organizations.

  Other benefactors had given contributions to Fr Healey on behalf of the APWG that would not be released until the APWG had sourced for extra funds. These matching grants would facilitate the payment of the 2nd half grants.

• Annual membership fees

  The 2018 member subscription of $10 (Ksh.1000) would be deducted directly from each member’s first grant. The other members would be expected to pay in cash or through Mpesa.

  Fr Healey paid his subscription on Ksh.1,000 (one thousand shillings only) in cash at the meeting.

PROJECT PROPOSALS 2018

The Secretary confirmed that 14 proposals had been received from members, and would be presented at the next members’ meeting.

Member Name Ethnic Language Country of Origin

• Anastasi Oisebe Pare Tanzania
• Angela Katabarwa Bafumbira Uganda
• Devotha Cikuru Medumba Cameroon
• Elias Bushiri Yao Malawi
• Gabriel Odhiambo Dinka South Sudan
• Hondi Muhimanyi Anuak Ethiopia
• Joseph Kai Kariuki Zigula Tanzania
• Kevin Namatsi Toro Uganda
• Margaret Wambere Nuer South Sudan
• Ricardo Benon Lopit South Sudan
• Atemu Ishiabwe Nuba South Sudan
• Laur Mwepu Lunda Angola
• Alimas Kaluta Lusoga (Soga) Uganda
• Sr Grace Njau Bemba Zambia

 

DATE OF APWG FULL MEMBERS’ MEETING

The committee proposed that the full members’ meeting would be held on Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 10.00 a.m. The venue would be at the Fine Arts Department at Kenyatta University. Cephas confirmed the venue and date.

Communication would be sent out to the members immediately the venue was confirmed.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• APWG as a community based organization (CBO).

The secretary informed the members briefly about the plans to register the APWG as a community based organization, which would run independently. She confirmed that she had obtained:

• The Application Form
• A draft CBO Constitution
• Minutes of a meeting carrying the resolution to register as a CBO.
• List of members which would be confirmed at the full members’ meeting.

These documents would be shared with the committee members before the next meeting. The committee would discuss finer details at the next Executive Committee meeting.

CLOSURE

There being no other business the meeting ended at 3.00 p.m.