Planning the Radio programs

18/06/09

Outside of the village, we run around in town trying to carry out informal interviews and make suitable contacts for the call-in radio forum. On this fateful Thursday, I arrive at Kujama, where the Local Government secretariat is located. I am directed to the office where cooperative societies are registered and after 15 minutes a beautiful Fulani lady with a baby on her back attends to me. (Unfortunately, she won’t let me take her picture; maybe next time) She gives me forms for the women to fill and a prospectus containing all that the women need to know. I pay 3,000.00 Naira (20 dollars) as part registration for the women and I promise to pay the rest when I return the forms. She asks me if we have been able to open an account and I tell her the bank said we must finish with the Local Government first and kindly enough, she offers me a request form to give to the bank from them. No doubt, when it comes to the nitty gritty’s of the cooperative societies, she is who we and the women of Agbada association should be speaking with. To top my growing excitement, a gentleman walks in and she addresses him in Gbagyi language (Kaduna is made up of several ethnic groups and I least expected her to speak Gbagyi)I start to think that this lady should be one of our guests on radio. Just as if she read my mind, the lady officer tells me that every other issue will be discussed when the registration is completed.

Seember

organizing, getting accredited, registeration and other bureaucracies

18/05/09

How to start up a cooperative’s bank account at a micro-finance bank

As arranged, I was at the microfinance bank in Kaduna town by 9:30a.m. After a few minutes, the customer service staff attended to me. After due introductions, she provided us with information on how to start up a cooperative for the women.  The requirements are:

• Proof of registration
• Minutes of meeting of the cooperative indicating interest to open a cooperative account
• Introduction of three officials from the cooperative to run the account
• 3 passport photographs of each of the officials
• A minimum of N10,000 opening balance

We were also informed that loans could be applied for after 3 months operation of the account; and the women must have a guarantor.

When asked about the interest rate for the women, she adamantly refused to disclose; saying such information could only be given after the account is opened. I tried hard to probe but she wouldn’t shake. I had to reintroduce the organization, show her a bank identity, explain our project but still…So after 30 minutes of attitude, she blurted out “it’s 5%”. I did not even expect her to tell me; I was just trying and she did. Thank God cos it is relatively low compared to other banks.

Afterwards, the customer service lady introduced me to the officer in charge of Gwagwada office and he told me he goes there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So tomorrow, I will go to the village with the bank officer (Yohanna is his name). Yohanna would address the women and the women would have the opportunity to ask questions and also receive his phone number as one of the people that can be reached for some form of extension. The election would also take place tomorrow so that everything needed would be in place for the account opening. Hopefully on Thursday, the account will be opened.

What I propose is that we inform the women of the stipends and encourage them to start up the account with the stipend for the first five weeks. I also propose that the 15 women who took part in the theatre be part of the listener’s club in which case we will give them a round sum of 2,000 every week .

We also went to the radio station; unfortunately, unable to meet Anty Tamani so the negotiations are still on hold. We hope to at least, be able to negotiate the price and time slot for the airtime within this week and find a later date for the courtesy call so that we are not delayed by the tight schedule of the station’s management.

Sincerely, I have drafted out a progress report using the format made available but could you please wait till the end of this week so that we complete these little things like setting up the listeners club….it would be nice to see that the report doesn’t show activities alone but also shows achievements.

As you told us, we can expand the scope of the project. So if it is okay with you, I intend to tell the women to not limit the activities of the club to the radio program, but also think and find ways of using the club to develop themselves, because in truth, at the end of the project, the club would be theirs to do as they please. There is a time gap; from now till July when the radio program takes off and if you permit, I would propose to the sole administrator of Gwagwada and other representatives of that constituency to assist in a literacy program for the women. Man proposes……….

Reported by Seember