Our Most Recent Board Meeting-9/11/2009

From The Desk of Barry Segal - SFF Founder

We had a Board Meeting 9/11 with key people of some of the charities we donate to as guests. The meeting went well and we had a great group of people. There is a list of attendees attached.

My purpose was to get these people together to share ideas & find a way to attract attention to making significant improvements in the quality of life for so many - we had some people there who can attract attention to our cause, namely:

MacDella Cooper, fashion model turned philanthropist, Liberia

Isaiah Washington, actor, Sierra Leone

Majora Carter, Activist

Heidi Albertsen, supermodel, Life Project for Africa

Clet Niyikiza, who is on the Advisory Council of President Kagame, Rwanda.

The group got along great and we expect to try to do it again in early April. The following is our invitation to the event. We think we accomplished our goal and have a lot of things to work on, as well as new projects. Another positive is that my kids are anxious to visit Africa.

If you are interested, you can click on the links to handouts from the meeting. I have read "Dead Aid" by Dambisa Moyo & "Challenge for Africa" by Wangari Maathai and feel strongly there have to be ways that "aid" works more effectively.

We are linked to all the charities & hopefully they will link to us. Again, we do not accept donations. Some of the charities we support have small budgets. The IRS lists financial information & some of the smaller ones seem to be Nibakure, Lwala, Kip Keino, MCF.

Click here for materials from the meeting

Click here for more photos from the meeting

YOU ARE INVITED

We feel that it is time for a change in Sub-Saharan Africa. We know we don’t have the wherewithal to make the change but maybe we can start the process:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful concerned citizens can change the world-indeed it is the only thing that has”. Margaret Mead.

“Scarcely does one see Africa’s (elected) officials or those African policymakers charged with the development portfolio offer an opinion on what should be done, or what might actually work to save the continent from its regression. This very important responsibility has, for all intents and purposes, and to the bewilderment and chagrin of many an African, been left to musicians who reside outside of Africa”. Dambisa Moyo:

Sept. 11, 2009

Location: Somerset Inn Hotel, Warren, NJ

http://www.thesomersethillshotel.com

Meeting start Time: 2 pm; Followed by dinner at around 5:30 – 6pm

If you are interested and can’t make it we will send you notes from the meeting. In addition to that, we welcome your comments. Remember “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now”.

Sincerely,

Barry