Q2 2023 Board Meeting

Meeting Notes:

Link for meeting Video: https://youtu.be/KihUb35eeEQ

Date: Friday, July 7th, 2023

Attendees:

- Dr. Sovick

- Talei (present remotely from Fiji, MWT Fiji)

- Mr. Sovick (secretary, present remotely)

- Dr. Francis Babongi (present)

- Selwyn (on vacation)

- Liz (on vacation)

- Saiya (absent)

Agenda:

1. Update on current programs

a. Solomon Island girls partnering with Today's Solomon Island girl

- A video was taken of two girls visiting the school

- Update to be shared with everyone in a few days

b. Kelkei Elementary School and adult literacy

- Positive update received from Georgina in Port Moseby regarding reading progress

2. Future program: SMEs for women in Fiji

- Talei discussed her ideas for supporting SMEs in Fiji

- Talei has been networking and collecting contact information of SMEs

- Proposes workshops to help women start and run their own businesses

- Looking at funding opportunities from FAO and other sources

- Mentioned using social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok) for promotion

- Addressed the need to highlight the importance of traditional products in the culture

- Campaign to engage young people and promote traditional products

3. Report from Liz (presented by Jason)

- Liz's class is fundraising for Solomon girls scholarship

- Proposed building connections between students through videos

- Students' videos to be shared with the board members and with Solomon Islands students

4. Update on Mama English class in Vanuatu

- Mama English class is rejoining MWT after their leader left

- MWT to meet with them in Vanuatu to discuss partnership

- Exploring the possibility of setting up an office in Vanuatu

5. Funding updates (presented by Mr. Sovick)

- Amazon.com grant proposal for women making handicrafts

- Waiting for results, if not approved, will apply to the US government embassy in Vanuatu

- Exploring another grant opportunity tied to preserving culture

6. Trip to Vanuatu (presented by Mere)

- Mere to attend a women's writers workshop and young leadership dialogue workshop

- Discussing partnerships and funding opportunities with local NGOs

- Research and data collection related to empowerment and strategies used by women in small businesses

7. Other business

- Francis to meet with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra

- Mentioned ongoing discussions on ancestral remains and finding a solution

Actionable Items:

1. Share the update video of the Solomon Island girls with the board members (Mere)

2. Collaborate with Liz on building connections between students through videos (Mere and Liz)

3. Finalize grant proposals for Amazon.com and the US government embassy in Vanuatu (Mr. Sovick)

4. Review and provide suggestions for grant proposal drafts (Board members)

5. Gather resources for the women's writers workshop and young leadership dialogue workshop (Mere)

6. Explore partnerships and funding opportunities with local NGOs in Vanuatu (Mere and Ruth)

7. Create a video greeting from MWT Vanuatu for the board members (Mere)

8. Continue discussions on ancestral remains and find a solution (Francis)

Next Meeting: End of September 2023