III Meeting of the Financial Team

Br. Mario Meuti and Angela Petenzi took part in Malawi (Lilongwe, 17-21 October 2011) at the Financial Meeting of the Provincial Economes of the 5 Marist Administrative Units of Africa and M.I.C. (Marist International Centre) in Nairobi. The aim of the meeting was to achieve what was suggested by the General Chapter of 2009: to draw up a plan for the self-financing and economic development of the Provinces of Africa (Read more).

After a technical (S.W.O.T. Analysis) and very detailed analysis of internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external factors (Opportunities and Challenges), relative to the Marist presence and life in the various zones of Africa, some major objectives were outlined: ways of organizing, managing the economic and commercial development which should constitute the common path of all 5 AUs in the coming years.

Obviously, the contribution of FMSI lay along the line of fundraising: how to find sources of financing for the educational activities, for human promotion, development of the person, in particular of the least favoured children and young people, typical of our Marist mission?

It was seen that there exist local organizations, special offices in charge of social assistance activities with the big multinationals present in the different countries, as well as the classic European and American donors we know already… But what will have to be given body is especially a development plan for each Province, in such a way that all the projects from now on will be the fruit of shared programming and lead therefore to a durable and definitive development of local activities.

One proposal emerging from the Marist representatives of Africa themselves, seemed to us particularly interesting and promising for future development: to appoint in each country a person who had at heart the subject of fundraising, to ask FMSI to give them the opportunity of an appropriate course, so they might learn how to write up projects correctly, follow up developments and make a final report. In each of the 5 Administrative Units, a Fundraising office should be set up, with a person representing FMSI locally and with his own team (the link-persons of each country) able to evaluate projects, prioritize them on the basis of the Province’s Development Plan, dialogue with the local NGOs, find new resources and collaborate closely with the FMSI Office in Rome.

This proposal coincides exactly with the strategic plan of FMSI, which provides precisely for the creation of a network of small local offices, in a position to enter into dialogue with NGOs outside the usual EUROPA-USA circuit.