PRESIDENT’S MEMO
VOLUME ONE
NOVEMBER 19th 2010
Dear BPW Nigeria Presidents/Secretaries
This is our first official correspondence to you after the National Convention elections that took place on October 11th – 12th, 2010.
We express our warmest thanks to all our members that made the occasion a success, and we thank God for the various travelling mercies we enjoyed.
There is a lot of work to be done, and with God on our side, BPW Nigeria shall grow from strength to strength. We use this opportunity to specially thank Mrs. Tinuade Oni-Ihama, our immediate past National President, who ensured the survival of BPW Nigeria. The greatest thank you we can give her is to through our commitment and service, take BPW Nigeria to a level she will be proud of, and know that her effort was not in vain. We can do this through team work, love, sacrifice, tolerance and service to one another.
The new National Executive appeals for co-operation from all our old, new & potential members.
We had our first national executive meeting on October 12th 2010 immediately after the elections, and decided on some projects.
Project 1: To support some female political aspirants through radio jingles, cash donation, advocacy, etc.
Every club was encouraged to pay N25,000 latest by February 7th 2011.
Project II: Ensure every BPW Nigeria member does a smear pap test to check cervical cancer. Provide cervical cancer vaccination for young girls.
Project III: Membership growth, open up new clubs all over Nigeria. Have a target of at least five new clubs per year. Every club must try and open a new club, either in their state or a neighboring state.
Project IV: Educate at least a girl child through secondary school.
STATE PROJECTS: In addition to supporting the National project, every state is encouraged to have at least two (2) projects that are relevant to women in their state and will empower them. Two projects you can do well. If you can do more than two, we will be happy if it is effectively done.
The National Executive Council will comprise of all National Officers, all state Presidents and their secretaries. It was agreed that we will meet twice a year, in April and October. The April meetings will appraise our activities, and the October meeting will be combined with our Annual General Meeting.
The first of these meeting will hold in Abuja in April 2011. It is important that all our members are familiar with the International and National websites to regularly familiarize themselves with news update.
www.bpwnigeria.org
STATE REPORTS: Every state is to forward to the National, a monthly report of her activities. Since this the end of the year, we need a report from the following states.
A report of what you did in 2010
BPW Abuja
BPW Ekiti
BPW Lagos
BPW Ikeja
YBPW Lagos
We need to forward this report with your membership list to our international headquarters by December 7th 2010. These are the clubs active as at December, 2010. New clubs will be added early in the new year (2011).
NEW CLUBS: We have a number of clubs ready to kick off in 2011.
Requirements for setting up a new club:
1. An application letter to the National office including list of take off members
2. An individual National joining fee of N5000 per person.
3. A club is required to have 20 members and no more. If there are more, a second club will be opened.
4. A yearly international and National levy of N15,000 per member paid up by mid January latest of every year.
5. A National officer/s must go to inaugurate the new club. The National office will pay the transportation, but the host club will make adequate accommodation and local transport arrangement for the National officer/s coming.
6. A meeting place that is accessible and comfortable.
International Updates: We have two important programmes coming up in 2011.
1. The CSW 55 in New York on Feb. 22nd – March 4th with the priority theme “Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work”
2. BPW International Congress holding in Helsinki Finland, June 17 – 21. This holds every 3 years in different parts of the world. It is when all BPW members worldwide gather to take crucial decisions, train themselves, network with others and elect the next set of International officers to lead the organization.
Nigeria has been chosen, after the Cotonou forum of Nov. 11 - 13th to produce the next African Regional Co-ordinator, who will then be elected at the 2011 Helsinki congress.
My dear sisters, as you can see, there is a lot to be done, especially this end of year. We are aware of your tight end of year schedule, but please we crave your indulgence to help us with the following information:
1. Membership list of your clubs, written with the following information Name, address, email, business. profession, Telephone nos, birthday
2. A comprehensive report of what your club did in 2010
3. Submission of the above by December 1st so we can compile all and forward to the International office by December 7th 2010.
To all our members interested in going to Helsinki, Finland, we are making plans to avail our members of cheaper air fares available, and the route also.
The registration fee for the congress which everybody must pay is about 650 Euro, this fee covers all the activities for the entire programme, including lunch during congress, presidents night etc. You will pay for your hotel accommodation separately, but all hotels that have partnered with BPW for the congress will offer complimentary breakfast to our members. Registration for Helsinki opens on November 30th. We need to start early because of visa logistics.
What we need from every club:
a. List of your members going to Helsinki
b. They should have British visa or apply to get one because the trip is via London. For those who may find this difficult, we are trying an alternative route via Frankfurt or Amsterdam.
c. Paid up National dues of each member by January 2011
d. Registration dues of 650 Euro per member.
To set up an effective secretariat, we appeal to all presidents to send the sum of N15,000 per club MEMBER, to help us to get necessary stationery; registration with some key organizations and local logistics. This will be appreciated if given by December latest.
We will have specific details as the days go by. Please feel free to call me (08033109818) if you are not clear on any issue. The National office will not be held liable if we don’t get prompt responses to what we need to do, please and please, we appeal for your co-operation. Thank you all for the wonderful support and words of encouragement you have given me, I truly appreciate, in BPW as you lift up a fellow woman, God will lift you beyond your dreams.
Merry Christmas and a blessed prosperous happy New Year in advance.
Angela Ajala
National President
BPW Nigeria