Governance

Governance

APU Malawi Education Foundation (APU-MEF)

Canadian Charity Registration Number 808514657RR0001

The Atsikana Pa Ulendo (Girls On The Move) Malawi Education Foundation was founded in 2009 as a society in BC whose purpose, as defined in our Constitution, is:

a) To advance education in Malawi through the construction and operation of schools, including the provision of uniforms, dormitories, food, clean water and electricity.

b) To advance education in Malawi through the provision of scholarships.

More specifically, APU – MEF is a foundation committed to supporting the operation and construction of Atsikana Pa Ulendo Girls Education Project located in rural Malawi. This school, founded in 2006 by Canadian teacher Christie Johnson, and Malawian teacher Memory Mdyetseni, is an all girls secondary school that provides high quality education to 320 students, most of whom are on full scholarship.

The Atsikana Pa Ulendo Malawi Education Foundation (located in Canada) works in collaboration with the APU Malawi Trust Board (located in Malawi) to create Operation and Construction Budgets. Our Program Definition is a collaborative effort with our Malawian partners and is a dynamic document that is updated on a yearly basis. There is an Operating Agreementin place that is signed by both partners.

APU-MEF has just held its second Annual General Meeting (AGM Minutes). Our Executive Directors Report and Chairperson’s Report summarize our progress to date.

APU – MEF Board Of Directors

All of our directors are sponsors of students and or donors towards construction projects as well as active volunteers serving on various committees.

	Rob Fricker - Chair Rotary Club of St. Albert
	Larry Johnson - Treasurer Rotary Club of St. Albert
	Helene Weir After beginning her career with the YMCA of Edmonton, Helene Weir spent 13 years working with YMCA Calgary as a Branch Manager, General Manager and Vice President of Operations. She left Calgary in 2000 to become a Vice President and subsequently Senior Vice President of Operations at Valley of the Sun YMCA in Phoenix, Arizona, and later spent two years as CEO of the Westport Weston Family Y in Westport Connecticut. Helene became YMCA Calgary’s President and CEO in August, 2008, and is working to advance the organization as a leader in health and wellness. She is happy to be back in Calgary and looking forward to continuing the great work of the YMCA in Calgary. Helene has been involved with APU for many years, originally sponsoring one of the first 24 girls and later becoming a full sponsor to one of the current girls. Helene’s experience with Non profit organizations is vast and her knowledge will certainly strengthen the APU MEF fledgling board.
	Ken Haywood Rotary Club of Edmonton Northeast Ken is from Edmonton Alberta. Born and raised in Vancouver, Ken moved to Edmonton in 1970 where he started a Ford dealership - Kentwood Ford. Retired in 1996, Ken is a strong supporter of Christie Johnson and the Malawi project; he believes Christie and Memory make a Great Team and supports their efforts.
	Tricia Timmermans - Secretary Tricia is a member of the Rotary Club of Oak Bay and is a professional photographer/writer living in Victoria. She has travelled and volunteered in Africa, Asia, North, South and Central America, the Philippines, and Australia, and has lived in 6 Canadian provinces and territories. In November 2007 Memory and Henry most graciously hosted Tricia for a week when she visited Lilongwe and the APU site after a Rotary polio immunzation trip to Ethiopia and a visit to Rotary projects in South Africa. This trip solidified her decision to work towards helping Memory and Christie in the development of a Girls' Secondary School. Tricia recently completed a Masters degree in Communications at Royal Roads University in Victoria.
	David Stocks David and Frances Stocks live near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. David is a management consultant. His professional activities included strategic planning and the design of comprehensive business architectures in the public and private sectors. He has designed and delivered a variety of training courses in the fields of consulting skills and consultative sales.David is a member of several boards including Sooke Philharmonic Society, Sooke Elderly Citizens' Housing Society, and Sooke Rotary Community Organization. He is Treasurer of the Sooke Rotary Club and Assistant Governor for six Rotary Clubs in the Victoria area. He is delighted to be assisting Christie and Memory to achieve their dreams on behalf of the young women of Malawi.
	Abraham Samuel Perez de Leon Post Graduate studies in Education (Histadrut, Israel) in Local Economic Development (Eclac, Chile) and in Youth Leadership (Israel) Associate Professor of Economics and Former Head of the Economics department at the Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala Consultant for the United Nations Development Program for the PRSP (poverty alleviation program in Guatemala) Op Ed columnist of the Economics and Business section of Prensa Libre, Guatemala Faculty-Economics Teacher at the Lester B Pearson College of the Pacific and Activity Leader
	Christie Johnson Christie is a biology teacher (B.Sc. And B.Ed.) with 13 years of teaching experience in secondary schools in Alberta and British Columbia. She is currently working at Lester B Pearson College of the Pacific (http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/), as a House Parent in East House. In the past four years she has taught Biology and Marine Science at both Pearson College as well as St. Michael's University School in Victoria. Her first teaching position was at the Oliver School, Nellie McClung Girls Program in Edmonton. She has also worked for Public Education at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Center on Vancouver Island.

APU Malawi Trust

Atsikana Pa Ulendo Girls’ Education Project is a secondary school in Malawi that is guided by a Board Of Directors, the APU Malawi Trust, with the assistance of a dedicated core of staff and volunteers. The Board makes decisions on policy, construction and operating budgets, staffing and salaries etc. The school is registered with the Malawian Ministry of Education and follows Malawian curriculum.

APU Malawi Trust Board Of Directors

	Memory Mdyetseni An orphan from a young age, Memory struggled hard to complete her education. In 2006, Memory graduated from university with a degree in education, a lifelong dream she once thought to be unattainable. She is now the Director of APU Secondary School for Girls in rural Malawi. She is putting her considerable talents and passion into improving the lives of hundreds of other young girls who are suffering the same hardships that she has overcome. Through her work with girls and education, Memory has become a respected role model, and has single-handedly changed the views of the male leaders in her community. They are now encouraging their daughters to continue with their schooling. Not only are they willingly accepting leadership from a woman, but they are actively seeking Memory’s advice. Because of Memory, thousands of little girls now believe that they too can have a future – a future that includes education, health, independence and empowerment.
	Richard Jackson Richard Mdyetseni Jackson is a Professional Public Financial and Economic Management Expert in the Ministry of Finance, Malawi Government through Public Financial and Economic Reforms Unit of the to ensure good economic government. He is an accountant by profession. He has over 10 years proven hands on experience in Public Finance and Economic Management (PFEM) disciplines and reforms in the Public Sector both in the main stream Civil Service and Donor funded Projects in the area of Financial Management and Advisory. Married with three kids, a boy (8 years), and two girls, one 3 years and another 1 year. As a board member of APU, he plays a big role in accounting, financial management and project management.
	Nahid Mazloum Nahid has a doctorate degree in Education majoring in Guindance Counseling and Educational Administration. She also has a Masters Degree in Education and a Bachelors degree in Psychology. Nahid has been working in Lilongwe as a Counselor since 1990, providing individual and family counseling on stress management, loss management and HIV counseling. Nahid’s experience in the nonprofit sector is vast. She was the Director of Worlds Of Women Together: A Centre For Immigrant Women, an organization she founded in 2088 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Nahid is currently serving as the Secretary for the APU Malawi Board.
	Monica Changanamuna is married to McAlly; they have two girls, Takondwa, who is 11 years old and Tayamika, who is 7 years old. Monica is currently working as a Psychosocial Support and Early Childhood Development Coordinator for NOVOC, which is a network for all the organizations working with orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi. She is an MBA student majoring in management. She has experience in educational work and library work so her involvement is in the actual running of the school (ensuring there are students, staff, teaching and learning materials, etc.). Monica is from the area where APU is being constructed so she is very happy to have "this wonderful opportunity offered to the girls in my area".
	Godfrey Kaipa
	Henry Mdyetseni Henry is an engineer by profession. As her husband, Henry has been supporting Memory in all her work to get APU on the road by handling the construction side of the project, starting with getting the architectural designs completed, the building planning, and the actual construction.
	Issac Songea