IMC AGM 2023 Minutes
Monday 22nd MAY 2023, 7:30pm
Held on Zoom and attended by 23 people
Welcome and housekeeping
Opening prayer
Apologies
None
Business items
The minutes of the 2022 AGM which can be found on this link were accepted as an accurate record of last year’s AGM.
Proposer: Charles Farr
Seconder: Seren Boyd
The current trustees are: Clive and Jenny Booley, Leo and Leah Guzmán Aldana, Penny Callaghan and Charles Farr. Their continuing in the role was approved.
Proposer: John Callaghan
Seconder: Dave Hall
Anyone with cause for concern was invited to contact chair Seren Boyd separately.
Seren also thanked Tim Merriman, who stepped down at the start of 2023, for his diligent and faithful service.
Financial Report by the Treasurer, Charles Farr
IMC founders Joan and Terry Thraves set up a huge basis of support. Links is a charity which manages all aspects of IMC finances.
Income does vary year to year eg with legacies etc. The slight drop in income last year is not a worry.
We send £5-6,000 to Colombia every month. Our expenses, including a Links administrative fee of £3,575 (only 5%), have reduced from 2017.
Gift Aid of £7,555 is a significant 9.7% of annual income.
The exchange rate has been climbing.
No further questions
Chair’s annual report by Seren Boyd
It’s now 30 years since Joan and Terry first visited Colombia. The country is still insecure with high deprivation, insecurity and gang violence.
Despite unpredictable finances amid the cost-of-living crisis, Nancy and the IMIC team in Colombia, in partnership with local churches, reached more than 1,200 children last year.
The work is focused on La Guajira, Tasajera, Fusa and Los Alpes (a settlement in Bogota).
Read the whole report on the News and reports section of the IMC website
Interview with Nancy Centeno, IMiC Director
Seren Boyd and Leah Guzmán Aldana interpreted for Nancy, with support from Leo.
1. How big is the IMiC team?
It has five members: Nancy, Maicol, Jennyfer, Sofia and Yan Carlos. They work closely with local church volunteer teams.
2. What were your priorities last year?
Families and children, of course, and seeking more volunteers.
3. What were your greatest challenges last year?
We wanted to extend and spread the gospel to more families, and to increase our resources so that we can extend our work.
4. What difficulties are families facing?
The national and local economy is in turmoil and unemployment is high. Violence and abuse of children’s rights are rife, as is neglect of children’s basic needs.
5. Has the political climate changed with the new president?
There have been changes, some positive such as labour and tax reform. Gustavo Petro is the first left-wing president but there’s lots of uncertainty and prices are high. Some fear Colombia will go the same way as Venezuela, and some have already left the country. There are still guerrilla groups operating, and kidnapping and extortion are common.
6. Tell us about one project
La Guajira is our main focus because the need is greatest. The main issues are water scarcity, poverty and malnutrition. Life there is precarious.
Children often have to stop going to school to help get water etc.
The Wayuu make beautiful crafts but often lack access to raw materials or markets to sell their products.
We want people to generate their own incomes. With Links, we have started micro enterprises such as bakeries, goat meat production, small shops. There are small projects under way to set up small kitchen gardens though irrigation remains an issue and these projects are in their infancy.
To help improve the quality of drinking water, IMiC provided water filters last year.
7. Important message from last year?
We want to discourage dependency and encourage resourcefulness. Families are strongly encouraged now to come to the activities and workshops to learn life skills - and that’s where much of the food is distributed. Alliances with local churches have made a huge difference.
8. Priorities for this year?
We want to:
· Develop our work with children and communities
· Become more self-sufficient ie using Granja Peniel is being pursued as an option
· Strengthen work with churches so we can offer health clinics, art etc
· Develop a relationship with potential donors from the US, a church with Colombian pastors
· Build families’ faith – because introducing them to God is the best gift we can give them
9. How can we pray for you, Nancy?
Please pray for my health and protection because there have been attacks on humanitarian workers. No one is exempt!
Joan thanked Nancy for her faithfulness over many years. Nancy offered many thanks to Joan and for Terry’s legacy and to all IMiC’s UK friends.
Fundraising and events update by Jenny Booley
We thanked all supporters, and those involved in the following events, for their ongoing generosity:
· London to Bogota challenge to cover 5,273 miles and will be achieved in June
· Christmas appeal for gifts
· Facebook birthday fundraising
· Ongoing fundraising projects including clothes sales and jam-making
· Legacies, particularly in memory of Terry
Supporters were encouraged to look into Give As You Live as an easy fundraiser for IMC.
Sue Hall thanked every who has done so much over years, including trustees
Closing prayer by Leo Guzmán Aldana
Meeting closed at 20:55
Posted on the 13th June 2023 at 5:00pm.