CONGOMA with its member NGO’s on 20th November held an Annual General meeting at Cross roads Hotel in Lilongwe which brought together almost 250 of its member NGOs. The agenda of this year’s AGM had issues ranging from NGO charter re-affirmation, alignment of membership fees, adoption of 2013 & 2014 financial reports for both CONGOMA and NGO Board to selection of Board of Trustees for CONGOMA and nomination of names for NGO Board of Malawi.
The discussion session which took all day was opened by the Honorable Patricia Kaliati, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare. The deliberations started soon after the opening with reports for NGO Board followed by awards for best performing NGOs in the year 2015. Trocaire and Development Fund of Norway were awarded for the best performing and runner up NGOs respectively for going beyond their requirements of just submitting financial reports and general report in time. Since the AGM came in the same week as the NGO WEEK, recommendations raised at this flagship event were brought to the AGM forum for planning on how best these can be presented to the authorities.
Financial reports were presented by the Auditors and were adopted. . The NGO Charter was tabled. However, despite the AGM 2014 Select Committee agreeing on an amendment of the Charter, the NGO Charter was re-affirmed for implementation subject to further enquiry on Section 4.1 of same. In keeping with the resolution and spirit of 2008 AGM on ensuring that subscription fees maintain buying value by pegging it to US dollar value, it was agreed that the subscription basis of MK256.00 per US Dollar be revised to MK580.00 per Dollar in 2016 subscriptions. On this basis Local emerging NGOs now paying MK 38,400.00 will be paying MK87, 000.00 membership fees from 2016. Local established NGOs currently paying MK51, 200.00 will be paying MK 174,000.00 from 2016. International NGOs will from 2016 pay MK 290,000.00 from the current MK128, 000.00. It was further resolved that in future, subscription will be based on income level of a member NGOs to avoid overburdening the weakest NGOs.
On Trustees elections for CONGOMA, the following were elected unopposed as there were exactly the same number that were duly nominated and required for elections. The following are the new Trustees; Debbie Shomberg- Catholic Relief Service; Emily Banda- Participatory Rural Development Organisation (PRDO); Benedicto Kondowe- Civil Society Education Coalition; John Makina- OXFAM; Pansi Katenga – Christian Aid; Wales Sakala- Help MalawiOn nominations and voting for NGO Board of Malawi as required by NGO Act 2000, the following have been recommended for appointment into NGO Board of Malawi by the Minister responsible for NGOs:- Rodrick Mulonya- Angaliba Foundation; Cossam Munthali- FOCUS; Mercy Masoo- Water Aid; Rachel Kachaje- Disabled women in Africa; Andrews Gunda – Clinton Health Access Initiative; Shallifa Mia- Muslim Association of Malawi; Maxwel Matewere- Eye of a Child; Dalitso Kubalasa- Malawi Economic Justice Network; Emmie Chanika- Civil Liberties Committee; Abigail Dzimadzi- MANASO; Maziko Matemba- Health Rights Education