Present

1. Joseph Healey – The Moderator of www.afriprov.org website, +254 723 362 993
2. Cephas Agbemenu –   cyagbemenu@yahoo.com +254 723 307 992 – Chairman
3. Margaret W. Ireri –   margwireri@yahoo.com +254 722 537 774 – Secretary
4. Elias Bushiri Elie –   e.bushiri@yahoo.com +254 792 556 909 – Assistant Secretary

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1. Ricardo Benon Benjamin –   ricardobenon1@gmail.com +254 701 606 346
2. Ben Mabuto – bmabutoz@gmail.com – +254 720 994 093
3. Kevin Okubo Namatsi –  kevinnamatsi@gmail.com +254 715 307 874
4. Annastasi Oisebe –   annastasioisebe@gmail.com +254 705 600 979
5. Angelique Chelo –  angelcheylo@yahoo.com +254 707 367 671
6. Francis Njuguna –   osnjuguna@yahoo.com +254 720 434 819
7. Kaskile Mtembwa –  kaskilemtembwa23@gmail.com +254 710 242 157
8. Antoinette Civisila – nsongaantoinette@gmail.com +254 713 861 587

Apologies

1. Alimas Kaluta Adrien –  alimusikaluta@gmail.com +254 715 576 517
2. Hondi Muhimanyi Placide –   hondimuhimanyi@gmail.com +254 701 408 731
3. Cikuru Bishangi Devotha –   devothac200@gmail.com +254 718 227 541
4. Sr. Grace Njau –   annegracenj@gmail.com +254 722 260 078
5. Gabriel Odhiambo –   gabrielodhiambo1@gmail.com+254 726 369 593
6. Joseph Kai Kariuki –    josephkaikariuki@gmail.com +254 700 446 884

 Absent

1. Roger Akouete Adjomayi –   akouete4@gmail.com +254 725 932 201
2. Atemu Ishabwe –  ishibwetemu@yahoo.com +254 723 129 499
3. Laur Mwepu Luiza –   laurjudithmwepu@yahoo.fr +254 725 806 611
4. Etoka Malisawa Peter –    etokae@yahoo.ca +254 714 695 659

Opening
The meeting started with a prayer by Angelique Chelo in the Swahili language. The chairman then welcomed all the members to the meeting.

The Future of the African Proverbs Working Group

Fr Joe Healey’s Five Year Transition Plan (2019 – 2024)

Doors that are closing

1. Funding Booklet projects
   Funds for the 2019 projects had been received. This would be the last funding received towards the production of African Proverbs booklets (paper booklets). $4,800.00 (Four thousand eight hundred dollars) had been received.
2. Maryknoll Society future funding
   Future funding will be for the Internet and Website costs only. This would enable future publications to be sold online so that readers will be able to “print on demand” or buy the material online.
3. Free tea and lunch at meetings at Maryknoll Society would be phased out gradually.

Windows that are opening

1. The African Proverbs Website and Facebook Page will be migrated to the “AFRICANA” section at Tangaza University College, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya and hosted by the IT department.
2. The African Proverbs Website will be migrated from the Joomla content management system which was set up in 1998, to Word Press platform. The material held on Joomla platform would be formatted to Word Press version and would, therefore, not be lost.
3. Using new funding options provided by our Finance Sub-committee. The fund raising committee was making efforts to raise funds but it was difficult to achieve. The members proposed to write letters to educational institutions and universities dealing studies related to African Studies to appeal to them for funds to continue with publication of booklets and other materials. Ricardo Benon was given the mandate to write and send proposals to as many as possible.

Appeals would also be sent to other organizations which fund and support community activities.

1. New digital/online opportunities
   The statement “Go digital or die” encouraged the change from paper production to digital/electronic publications. The proposal to sell them through Amazon online retailers was necessary.

It would require that a publication editor and a marketer be engaged to ensure the success of this venture. Members proposed that the African Proverbs Website be improved to allow for online sales (E-commerce) and payments. E-publishing training would be carried out before these projects could be undertaken.

2020 APWG Calendar
The theme of the year 2020 would be “Equality, Inclusiveness and Fairness” The proverbs carrying this theme will be from the 2019 – 2020 proverbs collection. These are Universal Values which embrace all communities of the world.

Proverbs of the Month 2019 – 2020
These were already being prepared and posted on the African Proverbs Website.

Month of posting Proverb Publisher
April, 2019 Soga (Uganda) Alimas Kaluta
May, 2019 Gweno (Tanzania) Etoka Malisawa
June, 2019 Sukuma (Tanzania) Zakaria Kashinje
July, 2019 Gikuyu (Kenya) Francis Njuguna
September, 2019 Haya (Tanzania) Rita Ishengoma
October, 2019 Sukuma (Tanzania) Donald Sybertz & Fr. Joe Healey
November, 2019 Toro (Uganda) Kevin Namatsi Okubo
December, 2019 Pare (Tanzania) Annastasi Oisebe

YEAR 2020
January, 2020 Sukuma (Tanzania) Charles Bundu
February, 2020 Manyika (Zimbabwe) Elias Bushiri
March, 2020 Lopit (South Sudan) Ricardo Benon
April, 2020 (Luhya sub-group) Stanislaus Agava
May, 2020 Yao (Malawi) Elias Bushiri
June, 2020 Sukuma (Tanzania) Donald Sybertz & Joe Healey

July, 2020 to December, 2020
Proverbs of the month from the on-going projects would be used to cover this period.

2018 -2019 Projects for the Collection of 100 African Proverbs
Out of 14 projects only 4 members had not yet submitted their first drafts. By the date of the members’ meeting only two members had completed their projects fully. They would receive their second half grant before the end of the new week.

The other members were requested to complete their work and have them approved and print before the 8th May 2019. They would be presented to Fr J Healey before then.
The members reported that they had challenges with collaborators, who were not available always, and were often out of Kenya.

2018 Membership Contributions

A few members had made their payments in cash. These were:
Member Ksh.

1. Fr Joe Healey 1000
2. Cephas Agbemenu 1000
3. Fr Don Sybertz 1000
4. Eti Dayan 1000
5. Francis Njuguna 1000
6. Zacharia Kashinje 1000
7. Charles Bundu 1000
8. Jim Roy 1000
9. Ernie Brunelle 1000

It was resolved that members who had projects for 2019 would be charged directly from their Second Half Grant, the amount of Ksh.1,000 ($10).
Some members still had arrears for 2017 and were requested to settle.

Other Responsibilities

1. Fund Raising Appeals
   Ricardo Benon was proposed to handle the fund raising appeals, the related documentation for that communication, and do constant follow up. This will be a continuous procedure for as long a period as possible. He will liaise with the Executive Committee. This would be undertaken immediately.
2. Proverbs of the month editing
   Ben Mabuto has been editing the proverbs of the month. This would continue.
3. Coordination of electronic publications
   Some members would be trained on E-publishing when funds were available. They would collaborate with Peter Kyalo ensure that the E-books were correctly done and uploaded on the African Proverbs Website. They would also assist with the electronic posting and online sale of the published materials. The Executive Committee would finalize about the choice of the members to be trained.
4. 2020 African Proverbs Calendar
   Elias Bushiri has been preparing and publishing the annual calendar and would continue with the responsibility.

Any Other Business

1. Date of next meeting
   The next full members’ meeting would be held in August, 2019 to allow for E-publishing training for all members.

 Closure
There being no other business the meeting ended at 4.30 p.m.