I would like to take this opportunity to personally update you on the outcome of our Malawi Partnership AGM that was held online on Wednesday April 7th.
Unfortunately, due to growing personal commitments, I must stand down as CP of the Partnership Team. Equally unfortunately, our Treasurer, our Secretary and two more of our founding members also need to stand down. We have tried to recruit new members but sadly, no others have been able to come forward and we know this is due to the many demands on everyone. However, it means the Partnership in its current form with a clear focus on fundraising projects to support the many challenges in Namulenga, is now unsustainable.
This meant that a motion to close the Partnership had to be put to the AGM and was passed by a clear majority. The motion, detailing how this would be done to minimise the impact on both parish communities and to ensure that it is done in line with our constitution, is included in the AGM minutes on the Church noticeboard & the parish website.
The school partnership between St. Bernadette’s P S. and Namulenga Girls’ School will continue under its own different Partnership Agreement based on shared learning. It is also unanimously hoped that we will still maintain a Spiritual partnership of prayer between our two parish communities.
As a parish, St. Bernadette’s and indeed our local community, have given outstanding support to our Partnership with Namulenga and have helped us achieve way beyond our hopes and aspirations. On behalf of our Partnership Team and the Namulenga Community, I thank you for that support from the bottom of my heart.
I want to reassure our current sponsors that the funds to support their students, who are due to complete their Secondary Education in June 2022 is ringfenced in the Partnership Account so they will be supported until that date. All other monies remaining in the Partnership Account will be transferred to Namulenga to provide some further support to students in the future. The feeding of the Nursery children has been funded by the 50/50 club since January 2015 and this will close in Mid-June, but I am overwhelmingly delighted to confirm that Mary’s Meals have agreed to continue the Nursery Feeding programme along with the Feeding for both Primary Schools. This parish has always supported the work of Mary’s Meals and that has been recognised and I am sure it will continue.
If I may, I would like to put two final requests to you today.
• Please, consider making one final donation to the Partnership to help support the students for longer and to help the orphans and most vulnerable children in Namulenga.
• Equally, please, more than ever keep them in your prayers as they will keep you in theirs.
Finally, I would like to read the message from Fr. Christone on hearing that the Partnership had to close.
“ let me begin by thanking you, the whole Partnership Team and the whole Parish community. You have been very wonderful to us and we have seen what LOVE means through you. You have supported us in hard financial times, we will always remember you and continue praying for you. Please extend my words of thanks and gratitude to everyone. It is a blow for us to lose the Partnership, but we take it with a thankful heart and a sense of humility when we consider all that you have done for us.” May God Bless You. Mrs G. Fleming.
Find attached the Chair Person Report and the AGM Minute.
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