RAYJON ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

 

 

Trip Coordinator’s Report:

 

Summary:

 

Breakdown of trips held between July 2007 – June 2008:

 

2   Awareness Trips – Haiti & DR

2   Eye Glass Clinics – Guatemala & Haiti

3   Hope for Haiti Work Groups – Uganda, Malawi & Guatemala

5   Nursing Student Trips – Lambton (1) & Barrie (4)

4   Project Monitoring – St Marc (2) & Cap-Haitien (2)

4   Special Trips – Haiti (3) & India

 

Total Trips = 20

 

Highlights of Trip Leaders’ Meetings:

Sustainability of Trips:

·                    Trip Leader succession planning

·                    Future of Eyeglass Clinics in Haiti

·                    Age of Hosts

 

Sustainability of Projects:

·                    Linking Work Groups to Projects

·                    Skill Transfer Projects

 

Some other key points included:

·                    Is there an opportunity for some of the DR groups to “team” up – and focus their efforts in one area, e.g. Consuelo?

·                    Interdisciplinary teams well received in the DR. On-going teaching opportunities.

 

May 2008 Retreat Highlights:

·                    Why are we doing trips? What’s their purpose? Who benefits?

·                    Should we build in more focus to our Awareness Trips so we don’t “flit” from one activity/location to another.

·                    Invite trip participants to complete a specific learning task that causes or encourages them to search.

·                    Have more guided preparation for Awareness Trips to encourage thoughtful reflection vs. “I played with happy kids”, e.g. give participants specific questions to answer.

 

 

 

ICDP Project Director’s Report:

 

Highlights of 2007/8 Year:

 

July – Sept. 2007         Wrapped up Innovation Fund Project which closed in June 2007

                                    Final report written and accepted.

 

July 2007                     Projects continued without CIDA funding due to delay in approval of Project #1.

 

August 2007                 Project #1 approved (Education, Health Care & Good Governance) 6 months after submission. 2-year project. CIDA contribution = $500,000 & Rayjon = $200,000. Process complicated by splitting projects into 2. Project #2 delayed. Project #1 carried full overhead burden of Projects #1 & 2 for 7 months.

 

Aug. 07 – June 08        Project #1 progressed well, i.e. Schools – Clinics, incl. new lab. & health care outreach – Good Governance initiatives. First progress report submitted to CIDA in February 08. Project #1 = approx. $50,000 overspent due to delays in approval of Project #2.

 

January 08                    Group of 3 visited Save A Family Plan projects in India.

 

March 2008                 Project #2 approved (Agricultural Development, Environmental Protection, Capacity Building) over 12 months after initial submission and many re-writes. 2-year project. CIDA contribution = $500,000 & Rayjon = $166,000 (3:1).

 

Mar. – June 08             Project #2 getting off the ground well.

 

Notes:

·                                                        2 Project Monitoring Trips conducted – November 07 & May 08

 

Current Status:   (as of September 26, 2008)

·                                                        Project #1 only 10 months to go at current spending

·                                                        Major disaster relief efforts implemented

·                                                        Assessing impact of severe weather (Aug. – Sept. 08) on both

                              projects.

 

Future Plans:

·                                                                    Team to visit Haiti in October.

·                                                                    Need strategy & plan for funding beyond Project #1, i.e. July 09 onwards.