Present

1. Joseph G. Healey — Moderator ­ +254 723 362 993       JGHealey@aol.com
2. Elias Bushiri Elie — Vice-Secretary             +254 741 497 556       ebushiri@gmail.com
3. Grace Njau (host) — Executive Member +254 722 260 078   annegracenj@gmail.com
4. Francis Njuguna — Executive Member         +254 720 434 819 osnjuguna@yahoo.com
5. Joseph Kai Kariuki —- Executive Member +254 700 446 884 josephkaikariuki@gmail.com

Apologies

6. Margaret W. Ireri                      +254 722 537 774       margwireri@yahoo.com
7. Cephas Agbemenu          +254 714 553 031       cyagbemenu@yahoo.com

 

Opening

The meeting started with a prayer which was said in English by Joseph Kai.

Sr. Grace Njau welcomed members to the meeting; apologies from Margaret Ireri and Cephas Agbemenu were received.

Members were requested by Rev. Joseph Healey to present one proverb each, the following are some of the proverbs presented by members.

1. Joseph Kai: “An old man sees farther when he sits than a boy on top of a tree.”
2. Joseph G. Healey: “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
3. Elias Bushiri Elie: “If relatives help each other, what evil can hurt them.”
4. Grace Njau: “When there is something wrong in the forest, there is something wrong in the society” (Zambia-Proverb).
5. Francis Njuguna: “Forests are made by bushes.”

Min.1.7.2020  Challenges experienced by members

1. Loss of income: The members have been experiencing challenges with communication because of lack of finances.  An executive committee member, Elias Bushiri, was most affected since he had lost his jobs due to the closure of schools and the tourist business during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Other members of the APWG had also lost their jobs for similar reasons.
2. Use of digital gadgets: The use of modern technology is still a challenge to many people.  In order to observe the social distancing guidelines, the members held a virtual meeting on the Zoom platform, which posed a challenge for some participants, and especially accessing the meeting on a smartphone. Francis Njuguna failed to join the meeting on this platform and through the ubunifu or creativity of Rev. Healey, he was able to join the meeting on a smartphone call. All future meetings will continue being held on Zoom and members agreed to continue familiarizing themselves with the application.
3. Members agreed to support Elias with some monthly internet bundles fund from the “Mfuko wa APWG.”
4. It was suggested that Cephas Agbemenu be given some financial support. The members agreed that he would be contacted to get information on his situation whether he has been participating in the APWG group’s activities before any help is processed to him.

Min.2.7.2020 Finances

1. Sustenance of the African Proverbs Working Group activities

Between 2016 to 2019 the APWG had published more than 15 book projects on Endangered African Proverbs. The group has also produced booklets and e-books each with a collection of 100 or more Endangered African Proverbs.  However, since 2019 the group has not been able to undertake more projects due to lack of funds.

The benefactors have suggested that the APWG source for a “Matching Grants” which meant that the members would raise at least a half of the funds required for the projects, then it would be added to by the benefactors.

Joseph Kai proposed that a fund-raising event be planned to be held in early December, 2020 if it would be possible. The members agreed to organize a dinner here in Nairobi.  The proposed venue was the Red Cross social hall in Kawangware. Further discussions would be held during the next meeting.

1. Requests For New Gadgets

As the saying goes: Go Digital or Die. The African Proverbs Working Group members decided to Go Digital not to Die. Members noted that some members were posting African proverb videos on the APWG Facebook Page.  These were recorded using the smartphones and did not require professional recording with commercial gadgets as had been requested by some members.  To enable better quality videos and drawings for Oral African Proverbs and Short African Stories, Joseph Kai and Elias Bushiri were given the Admin rights to be able to post and manage them on the Afriprov Facebook Page. The request to purchase a digital camera and better smartphones to enable high quality recordings was not given consensus by the members. The treasurer would be consulted to confirm the availability of finances.

1. 2020 Annual membership fees

The members were encouraged to pay their annual membership fees.  Since January 2020 a good number of members had made their payment of Ksh.1,000.00 (one thousand shillings = $10).

The following paid Ksh.1000/= (one thousand shillings only).

1. Joseph Healey
2. Francis Njuguna
3. Margaret Wambere
4. Grace Njau
5. Don Sybertz (Marehemu)
6. Zacharia Kashinje
7. Eti Dayan
8. Stanislaus Agava
9. Edward Karanja
10. Bundu (of SAUT, Mwanza)
11. Emmanuel (of Bujora, Mwanza)
12. Paskali Kassase (of Shinyanga)
13. Paschal Mahalagu (of Segerea Seminary, Dar es Salaam)
14. 1 – Lay representative (Kamati ya Utafiti) in Ndoleleji, Tanzania.
15. 1 – Lay representative (Kamati ya Utafiti) in Ndoleleji, Tanzania.
16. Joseph Kai Kariuki
17. Yohana Maswizilo (seminarian)
18. Emmanuel Sebastian (seminarian)
19. Elias Bushiri
20. Ricardo Benon

Four members paid their membership fees twice in the year (in January and July 2020).  These amounts would be transferred to be their membership fees for 2021.  These were:

1. Stanislaus Agava
2. Fr Zacharia Kashinje
3. Francis Njuguna
4. Fr J G Healey

 

1. Internet bundle support

Ricardo Benon, a member visiting the USA had sent Ksh.6,268.00 on 17/7/2020 which would support the purchase of internet bundles to assist the communication and other auxiliary services. Ksh.1,000.00 would be used to pay his annual membership fee for the year 2020. The members appreciated this support.

Min.3.7.2020  Important Updates

1. Relocation of the African Proverbs Resources Library

To ensure that the collection of the African Proverbs resources at the Maryknoll Society House in Westlands, Nairobi continued to be maintained and managed safely, it would be relocated to a new office at the School of the Precious Blood Sisters in Riruta/Kawangware.  Sr Grace Njau confirmed to the members that this space had been availed for the purpose.

This was one of the transition processes which Fr. Healey has on-going. The relocation of these resources would begin once the Covid-19 pandemic subsided.

2. Don Sybertz’s Will of Testament

Fr Healey informed the meeting that he was awaiting information from the USA about the outcome about the Fr. Don Sybertz’s Will of Testament. He would also follow up when he travelled to the USA after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Min.4.7.2020  Year 2020 projects

1. Proposals for the collection of 100 African proverbs.

The projects for the year would be considered once the funds were available.  However, the members would send in proposals for their intended African proverbs collections.  Only 3 had been presented:

• Suba – Kenya – by Elias Bushiri
• Banyabindi – Uganda by Alimas Kaluta
• El Molo – Kenya – by Margaret Ireri

 

1. African Proverbs of the Month – 2020

These had been prepared and were scheduled as below:

• July 2020             Nuer – South Sudan
• August 2020 Rufumbira – Uganda
• September 2020 Kooki – Uganda
• October 2020 Gikuyu – Kenya
• November 2020 Sukuma – Tanzania
• December 2020 Kalanga – Zimbabwe/Botswana

Any other business

The members agreed that the next Zoom meeting would be held in a week or two.  There being no other business the meeting ended.

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