MINUTES OF THE BOARD MEETING DATED 31st JANUARY 2019
Venue; Montfort father's conference hall
Members present; Fr Anthony, Fr Gamba, Simmonetta, Mrs. Mtemangawo, Mrs. Mangochi, Mrs. Mwangata, Mr. Duwa, Mr. Kaula and Blessings.
APOLOGIES
Mr. Khaula (sick)
Mr. Masamba
Mrs. Maloya
AGENDAS
Agronomist report
Library report
Educators report
Mr Kaula opened the meeting with a prayer.
AGRONOMIST REPORT
He is still under pressure and he is still hiding at Blessings home and he does not know what is going on in the court.
He reported that since this is so, he is not selling anything and he cannot report on the sales he has made so far. Since the beginning of this issue, everything is complicated.
The board also told Mr Kaula to go back and leave in his usual house because people from the village have taken part over the matter and he is supposed to take their phone numbers in case there could be any fraud again.
Father Gamba then said that the case is still at the high court and we are waiting to hear what they say or do about this issue. He added that he could not have any answer about it because he was away for some time.
Mrs Mtemangawo then talked about changing the lawyer because the current one delaying to speed up the case. It will look like a threat when Mtamigo will do something dangerous. She added that this negligence will put the life of the agronomist in danger and all other concerned people.
The board agreed to go and meet the officer in charge to talk about this issue. With them, there shall be Fr Gamba, our lawyer, the village headman Chauluka, Mtamigo and his lawyer and also his sister.
Fr Gamba promised to call the officer in charge to organise a day for that meeting to take place.
This was a welcome development since it seemed to bring the truth and resolutions over the matter.
LIBRARY REPORT
Loyce has been coming to the library on the assigned days to help the youth with computer studies although some other computers are not functioning well.
The technician came to fix all the computers with problems and they are working but the keyboards and some mouse have problems. They have to be replaced.
There are leakages from the roof which leads to the wetting of some other books in the shelves.
The laptop which we normally use in all our typing has now completely gone and it has brought problems to type and send reports in time.
The old printer hasn’t been replaced since there is a need to buy a new one. This is so because to repairing it might be expensive.
The processing of the books to be ready for use is still going on but slowly due to understaff but here and there it is being done especially Saturdays since Loyce is always around.
The buying of new syllabus books is on pause due to other cases that the administration is facing but still these books are needed.
The member registration went well and 60 people registered but only 30 of them fulfilled all what was needed and paid the membership fee.
In the whole month of December he worked with the educators in all activities planned and had a good cooperation in everything. During this holiday we had a lot of things to do with the youth and children e.g. learning how to use the library and reading.
He has planned to share books with Chaone library because when he went to national library he collected books in their name after registration.
READERS BEHAVIOUR
As usual, during these two months, the library was always full due to the examinations which led to overcrowding in and outside the library.
The youth and children of Cecilia youth centre dominated to the library with their assessments and their home works to do them.
Those from secondary school came to the library after examination to prepare for other examinations of the other day especially in the afternoon.
The tertiary education clients also appreciated the services we provide such as free use of electricity to their laptops.
Community people are still coming to read newspaper daily in the library and they are also happy with this since it making access to information easier.
Finally there is a good cooperation with the clients and they are able to express their views and opinions.
EDUCATORS REPORT
In the month of December they did a lot of activities based on their pillars as follows;
ENIVIRONMENT
We went to all our forest to make water basins and clearing the bush. We also did the thinning to all the big trees.
EDUCATION
We went to the library to read and learn how to use the library. We also corrected the school reports which we gave the head teachers of the primary schools.
ARTS AND RECREATION
We did embroidery, knitting and sewing simple skirts. We also did the drawings, moulding cows and different animals for Christmas khola.
CHARITY
We did a lot on charity for example visiting all our Agogo, visiting the sick and poor people in different villages. We also did the household chores when we visit these people.
Unfortunately we have lost one of our Agogo by the name Gogo Mailesi Kaumphawi.
SPORTS
In this area we did internal sports e.g. boys and girls sometimes by age. We did netball preparations to the coming bonanza which Balaka district has programmed. We also prayed Tamborello competitions.
RELIGION
On religion we also had a lot of activities e.g. Christmas drama, songs, attending every Thursday and Saturday morning masses. We also went in different organisations and houses to sing Christmas songs to get some money that worked in charity by buying groceries for Agogo. On this, we corrected K46, 680.00 that assisted the needy people.
We had also the Angel tree mass and lunch with children whose parents are in different prisons.
ENTERTAINMENT
We did Christmas play and with that play, we went to Chikala youth centre to show them as part of preaching the gospel of the lord. Some of our friends went to Mangochi to swim in the lake on 28 December as a trip organised by Balaka parish council.
On education, they brought results of the end of first school term and it is as follows,
BALAKA PRIMARY SCHOOL
- Number of children- 5
- Passed-3
- Failed-2
BAZALE PRIMARY SCHOOL
- Number of children-12
- Passed-4
- Failed-5
- Not written-3
MPONDA PRIMARY SCHOOL
- Number of children-27
- Passed-8
- Failed-8
- Average-5
St. AUGUSTINE PRIMARY SCHOOL
- Number of children-75
- Passed-33
- Failed-42
Looking at these results, Mrs. Mwangata complained on the shortage of staff members that led to overlook on children. Like now Baxton Khaula is sick, she cannot manage to handle 200 children alone.
She told the house that it could be better if the administration would help by adding another educator to give a hand at Cecilia youth centre.
This will sound much better and it will help the children to work hard at school because they have another teacher at the youth centre.
Responding to this, Fr Gamba told the house that all that was true and it could be better to have a temporary educator to be in for a while and later on, the administration would see a way forward.
But lucky enough one of the board members, Mr. Duwa who is also a teacher at St Augustine primary school volunteered himself to help at Cecilia youth centre with his friend who is a teacher at Bazale primary school in the education sector.
It was agreed that these two will start with one month probation and they will receive 20 thousand kwacha each by the end of February. This will go with an evaluation to see if what they are doing is going to be productive.
Finally Mrs. Mwangata was happy with the coming of these gentlemen at Cecilia Youth Centre to help because she could have not managed to help the children and the youth alone.
Next meeting will be held on 21 February 2019.
Fr Anthony closed the meeting with a prayer.