Mishe Fon this is brilliant stuff. Thank you
Peter Ngwa
On Sunday, December 28, 2014 7:32 PM, 'Mishe Fon' via ambasbay <ambasbay@googlegroups.com> wrote:
For the record; let me start by saying that I appreciate the efforts of the Founding members of this association for bringing this very troubling issue in our community to the fore and helping to solve the problem. I applaud these guys for their community spirit.
SAGI meaning Solidarite AGIssante, Ltd is a Washington DC based "Company" that has as its main objective, "Uniting all Cameroonians" of various Cultural Groups resident in the United States to give a decent and befitting "Burial in Cameroon" to any of their "Registered" member who DIES in the United States. This is some form of "Affordable Life Insurance" offered to members.
So far, the group has been doing very well and meeting their stated obligations towards their members. I am equally very impressed at the "Professionalism" displayed during their annual meeting and the report presented which can be found here. Generally, we Cameroonians are not known for this high level of accountability. We have to give credit where one is due.
The group in 2011 had a total of 1068 members; 2012=1481; 2013=2062 and an unprecedented explosion of its membership in 2014 with an addition of 4704 for a whopping average of 6100 Cameroonians identified as SAGI.
In 2014 alone, a total of $255.000.00 dollars was paid out by SAGI @ $15,000.00 each to the following bereaved "registered" families or Cultural Groups:
Famille Bamileke in Dallas; Mbam USA, MENEMO Group, ACA USA, The Allotey Family; Christian Men Fellowship Silver Spring MD; Haut Nkam New England/Boston; Friendly Menoua Washington DC; Manyu California; Lebialem California; ACA USA again; Dynamic Family USA; Global Humble Ladies USA; The Umaru Family; FECA DC, MINCAM (Minnesota).
Their annual report confirms that 60 new "Associations" joined SAGI in 2014.
A few issues, though have to be highlighted for a group that wants to be sustainable in the long run and serve its members appropriately. The SAGI INSURANCE POLICY (YES that is what it is) is very cheap and affordable because the cost ($2.55) is shared between members when a bereavement occurs and the "FOUNDERS" have practically been operating this "Business Model" from their "Home Offices" without the collateral over heads inherent in a gargantuan enterprise like the SAGI undertaking. Remember before the advent of groups like SAGI, when a death occurred in our community, it was a nightmarish scenario to dispatch the corpse back home.
At their 2014 Annual Meeting; the BOD decided to levy a brand new $1.00/Month Administrative Fee i.e $12.00 + $20.00 Matriculation Fee. This is all square and fine except that the BOD and SAGI FOUNDING FATHERS never explained how this windfall new "Tax" was supposed to be utilized. What this translates to is that $73,000.00 + $122,000.00 ($195,000.00) will be "idling" in their Bank Account.
While there is no reason to start doubting anyone, for all intents and purposes the raison d'etre of this BOD decision; suffice to say that Financial matters tend to be very delicate and transparency dictates that everything be clarified for all members; e.g perdiem allowances, transportation, salaries, rents, utilities...whatever.
A simple explanation of why this colossal amount of money is needed to run the activities of the Organization will go a long way to assuage the concerns of some members who were not privy to the decisions of the "Owners" of SAGI.
NB: If SAGI is a 501 C 3 (Not For Profit Organization) it does not sound appropriate to attach "Limited Liability" to its Registration name...Just thinking aloud.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 TO EVERYONE READING
My Two Cents
Mishe Fon
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