Article of association-Old
Mathiwos Wondu-YeEthiopian Cancer Society
Introduction
Cancer is one of the diseases that have been challenging humanity for a long time. Particularly in developed countries, a major effort is being made to properly diagnose the causes of the disease. Although the desired result is not yet achieved, encouraging results are being observed in the all round endeavor of treating and curing the disease.
Because of the limitation of financial resources in our country, the government has not been able to give the necessary attention to diseases like cancer in its health sector. Compared to other diseases, cancer cases are limited, but increasing rapidly. However, the disease is not only limited to the patient, but is also the whole family in general. As much as the damage and suffering caused by cancer is high, the treatment is equally difficult and very expensive. Thus, most of our people suffering from the disease do not afford to contain the problem. Therefore, it has been found necessary to create conducive situation by which they secure proper assistance.
So we, whose names and respective signatures are listed on the last page of this document have formed a non-profit making Society, the name of which is mentioned in Article 2 of these Articles of the Society, in support of government efforts in the health sector, to enhance public awareness about cancer, its alternative treatments, the options available in the treatment, as well as medical assistances and drugs provided in the treatment; to create an amenable situation by which a treatment that is up to the standard is provided in our country; to encourage the transfer of the technology and to attain results similar to those achieved in developed countries, to create a conducive situation by which drugs necessary for the treatment may be supplied free of charge, particularly to those who do not afford, as well, to facilitate a situation by which health professionals deployed in the sector and their support staff may get the relevant training in the latest and most fruitful treatment regimes of the disease.
The name of the society is dedicated to baby boy Mathiwos Wondu. To indicate that this society is formed in Ethiopia, in particular, it has been named “Mathiwos Wondu – Ye Ethiopia Cancer Society.” Mathiwos Wondu was born of Mr. Wondu Bekele and M/s Amsale Beyene on June17, 1999 in Addis Ababa. He died in his ward at the Tikur Anbessa Hospital on September 24, 2003 while under treatment.
Although the situation for the medical treatment of cancer in the Black Lion Hospital is inadequate, all effort, were made to provide him with adequate treatment. His family was providing him with drugs ordered and /or prescribed by his physicians. Some of these drugs were imported from abroad. They attempted to provide all round required supplies as recommend by the hospital. The physicians also offered him with all the possible professional assistance they could afford to provide him. It was Mathiwos widely believed to be one of the best-treated patients in the country. Despite all these efforts, his illness relapsed suddenly. So the Hospital’s medical board decided that the only option left in the treatment of Mathy was for him to be referred abroad and get Bone marrow transplant.
Bone marrow transplant is extremely expensive and unaffordable for his family. However, various efforts were made to secure medical help in South Africa. U.S.A Canada etc. Finally, the world-renowned U.S National Cancer Institute in Washington DC.Volunteered to provide him with free medical service. Subsequently. Passport, visa, air transport ticket and lodging, were readied for Mathy and members of his family, designated to accompany him, his mother and his brother. While their departure was being awaited with eagerness, poor Mathy passed away while under treatment in the Black Lion Hospital.
His family who was untiringly searching and even importing drugs prescribed by his physicians and instantly obeyed other urgent orders, as well as citizens of various other countries, including those who have never seen his families have pulled together international effort that tested their stamina to save Mathy’s life, for no avail. Since the Society just emerging, demands that much, if not more, mobilization of concerted and unabated international effort to achieve the purpose of it’s formation, it has been decided by the founding members of the association to dedicate the Society to Mathiwos Wondu with the motive of keeping the momentum of the concerted and untiring international effort pulled together to save the life of Mathy.
Article One
Formation
The Society was formed for an indefinite periods on 17/4/2004 in accordance with No .404 of the civil code of Ethiopia promulgated in 1960 and No.321/1959 of the Associations Registration Act.
Article Two
Nomenclature
The Society formed by these Articles of Association, shall be named,”Mathiows Wondu-Ye-Ethiopia Cancer Society,” and shall be identified as “Society” hereafter in this documents.
Article Three
Definition
Cancer is the disorderly or uncontrolled or rather wrong process in the growth and division of cells on and/or in different parts of the body. The type could vary depending on the part of the body on which it causes signs and symptoms. So there are different types of cancer. Among these are bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, brain and throat cancer, blood cancer of leukemia, lung cancer, milamomy, non-adkins lymphoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and rectal cancer etc. The society will do all it can, to help those suffering of cancer. But until such a time when it attains sound internal organization and builds its capacity, it gives priority attention to children suffering of cancer,
Article Four
Address
The provisional office of the society is in House No.4043 of Keble 01 of Bole Sub-city in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It shall have branch offices both locally and abroad, as it deems it necessary.
The Provisional telephone number of the society +251-011-626-10-29, while it’s P.O.Box is 80571.
Article five
The Objective the Society
The Society is formed for the following purposes:
1. To make the society aware of cancer.
Inform and create awareness on cancer, it causes, the available medical alternatives and the level attained in the treatment and cure of the disease through media,
Supply different data regarding the disease by opening internet web sites, create the facility by which questions raised by the society are discussed and answered by Professions.
2. Facilitate a situation by which different cancer patients are provided with the proper medical service,
Help and encourage that appropriate medical equipment and facilities as well as trained medical personnel are acquired such that cancer standard treatment is made available in the medical institutions in the country.
Facilitate ways and means by which health professionals in the field and their support staff could be trained locally and abroad such that the treatment could be provided in the proper manner.
Make effort that necessary drugs, diagnoses and treatments, could be provided, particularly to patients who do not afford.
Provide proper food, shelter and transport services to patients who do not afford them, while under treatment
3. Encourage and help the establishment of a self-sustaining cancer institute in which different cancer patients at country level could be treated and different studies and researches on the disease could be conducted.
4. Encourage and help different institutions conduct studies and researches on cancer at country level.
Article Six
Membership Criteria
1. The membership of the society includes founding members and members admitted by the General Assembly of the society in accordance with these articles of association.
2. The Society admits applicants who meet its membership criteria.
3. Anybody that is 18 years old or above who applies for membership to the Society and is admitted by the General Assembly will be a member of the Society.
a. On condition that she/he accepts the objective of the Society.
b. On condition that she/he is willing to pay the membership fee of the Society, and
c. On condition that she/he is willing to provide professional or physical service to the society.
Article Seven
Rights of Members
1. All members will have equal rights in the society.
2. The rights of membership in the Society are private, in the sense that they are not transferable to another person.
3. If a member fails the membership fee expected of him/her or does not provide service expected of him/her, his/her rights in the society shall be suspended.
4. Any member of the Society will have the following rights, unless and until his/her rights are suspended in accordance with sub-article 3 of this article.
a. The right to elect and to be elected as well as the right to ask to and be informed about any activities of the Society.
b. The rights to attend the General Assembly meeting and forward his/her view about the activities of the society and vote in elections of the Society’s leadership members.
Article Eight
Obligations of Members
1. Every member will have to settle membership fee on time.
2. Every member is obliged to obey the objective of the society and to discharge service (s) expected of him/her.
Article Nine
Reasons for termination of Membership
1. The General Assembly could decide to terminate membership in the Society, in accordance with what is expressed in the Articles of Association or whenever some reason believed to be sufficient by the Assembly crops up.
2. Membership in the Society terminates, when a member;
a. Is found participating in an activity that could affect the honor and disrupt the existence of the society.
b. Fails from participation in activities carried out for the success of the objective of the society, that is expected from him/her, or,
c. Is made to terminate membership of the Society for his/her failure of payment of membership fee for 6 successive months,
d. Presents application of withdrawal from the Society on his/her own initiative,
e. Fails to discharge his/her responsibility due to confinement, illness or some other reason beyond his/her control, or
f. If deceased.
Article ten
Structure of the Society
The Society structured in the following manner will have as many committees as required and an advisory board.
Article Eleven
Powers and responsibilities of General Assembly
The General Assembly is the highest body of the Society and shall have the following powers and responsibilities:
1. Elects board members, the auditor, the chairperson, the vice chairperson, the cashier and the Secretary General of the Society.
2. Decides on the policy direction of the society.
3. Approves the yearly work activity plan and budget of the Society by examining the annual work program for the year.
4. Examines and approves the annual work activity and audit reports.
5. Decides on reports presented to it by the management board and the executive committee as per applications for membership.
6. Decides termination of membership by examining cases of members who have failed to discharge their duties, in accordance with the relevant provisions of these Articles of Association.
7. Verifies whether the objective for which the Society is formed and formulated programs have been implemented by hearing the work activities performance report presented to it by the management board.
8. Revises the Articles of Association whenever the need arises.
9. Decides on changing the site of the main office and the opening of branch offices.
10. Supervises the inspection of the accounts of the Society by the external auditor.
11. Decides on the dissolution of the Society if the situation dictates it.
12. Decides on unforeseen matters on account of which the mandate to decide on them is not yet delegated to other management bodies of the Society.
Article Twelve
Duties and Responsibilities of Members of the Leadership of the General Assembly
The General Assembly will have a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, Financial Officer and a
Secretary General. The duties and responsibilities of the different office are as follows.
1. Chairperson of the General Assembly
a. Chair the meeting of the General Assembly.
b. Monitors the proper implementation of rules set and decisions passed by the General Assembly to concerned government offices and donors.
c. Dispatches work activity and audit reports approved by the assembly to concerned government bodies and donors.
d. Arranges issues to be presented to the General Assembly in a desirable order and refers them to the Secretary General that s/he may include them in the agenda of the pending General Assembly meeting.
2. Vice Chairperson
a. In the absence of the Chairperson She/he acts on his/her behalf.
b. The Chairperson could assign him/her other duties/activities.
3. Financial Officer
a. She/he studies a system by which the account of the Society could be mobilized in accordance with rules and directives, and implements it after securing approval from the General Assembly. She/he also closely monitors and supervises its execution.
b. Studies a system by which the property of the Society is properly registered and kept/deposited and implements it after securing approval by the General Assembly, closely monitors and checks its execution in accordance with the procedure set earlier.
4. Secretary General
a. Prepares the agenda of the Assembly meeting together with the Chairperson.
b. Takes minutes of the Assembly meeting.
c. Keeps the documents of the Assembly with care.
d. Relays the decisions of the assembly with care.
e. Relays the decisions of the assembly meeting to concerned parties.
Article thirteen
Meetings, Election and Decision Making procedures of the General Assembly
1. The regular meeting of the General Assembly shall be conducted once a year, while emergency meetings may be called when the need arises.
2. An urgent meeting of the Assembly could be called if requested by over 10% of the members of the Society.
3. Election by the General Assembly is conducted through the prior formation of a committee of three member elected after the quorum of the meeting is secured.
4. The election committee supervises the election by getting the election criteria set then decided by the Assembly meeting from the very outset.
5. A General Assembly meeting is said to have secured the quorum when there is a turn out of 51% of the ordinary member of the society at the meeting. But when this is not met and call for a second meeting is found necessary, and when it is verified that the call has properly reached members, decision could be passed by those present only on the agenda items included in the circular of call of the meeting.
6. The decisions of the assembly meeting are passed when supported by the majority vote of members present at the meeting – when the voted voice comes to a tie; the side that wins the support of the chairperson shall be considered as the majority.
Article Fourteen
Duties and Responsibilities of the Management Board
1. Appoints and dismisses the General Manager of the Society.
2. Supervises and monitors the implementation of decisions passed and plans formulated by the General Assembly for the promotion of the objectives of the Society.
3. Receives, and when necessary, adds her/his remarks, suggestion made to it by the Manager of the Society to formulate or devise policy of the Society, adds its remarks on it and presents it to the General Assembly for decision.
4. Makes sure of the availability of income for the execution of the program of the Society both in cash and in material. She/he also devises ways of securing assistance.
5. Examine the affinity of the society with different government and non-government institutions in view of its purposes, and facilitates situations by which a healthy relationship could be established.
6. Presents to the Assembly suggestions that branch offices may be opened in necessary localities and secures their approval.
7. It decides on applications for membership of the society; however, it gets its decision approved by the Assembly by presenting it to the pending meeting.
8. Examines work activity reports presented to it by Manager of the Society, and presents them, along with its remarks, for decision to the General Assembly.
9. It is accountable to the General Assembly.
10. It prepares a work assignment, that is, transfer, promotion and recruitment manual for the Society.
11. It formulates the society’s short, medium and long term plan and budget and presents it for decision to the General Assembly
12. It prepares different guidelines which help the objectives of the society achieve its goal.
13. It decides that an urgent General Assembly be called, whenever the reason for it crops up.
14. Whenever it finds it feasible for the smooth running of to work activities it forms committees and assigns them to discharge their responsibilities with the leadership of the Manager.
Article Fifteen
Members of the Management Board
1. The management board will have eleven members.
2. The Board elects its Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among its members.
3. The society’s Manager is a non-voting member of the Board & serves as its Secretary
4. The Chairperson
a. Chairs the Board meetings.
b. Presents decisions passed by the Board meeting to the General Assembly.
C. Presents Policies, Strategies and Guidelines formulated by the Board for the Society to the General Assembly and gets approval.
d. She/he is accountable to the board
e. She/he informs decisions passed by the General Assembly and the Board to the Manager such that they may be implemented.
f. Follows closely the work performance of the Manager of the society
g. Instructs the Manager to communicate the work activity and audit reports approved by the Board to concerned bodies.
5. The Vice chairperson
a. In the absence of the Chairperson s/he acts in his/her place.
b. performs additional activities assigned to him/her by the Chairperson.
6. The Secretary General
a. Is accountable to the Board.
b. Prepares the agenda of Board meetings through consultations with the Chairperson.
c. Takes minutes of the Board meetings.
d. Keeps all documents and data of the Society.
Article Sixteen
Meetings and Voting Procedures of the Management Board, and Term of
Office of its Members
1. The ordinary meeting of the Board takes place four times a years. Whenever there is reason for emergency meetings, it can conduct extra ordinary meetings, any time.
2. Emergency meetings could be called by the Chairperson of the Board or by the Manager of the Society.
3. Attendance by over half of the members of the board shall be considered as the quorum of the board meeting. If the quorum is not secured, a second meeting shall he called..
4. Decisions are passed by majority vote, comes to a tie, the side to which the chairperson votes shall be considered majority.
5. The term of office of the Board members shall be 2 years, but if a board member is believed unnecessary for the Society, she/he could be replaced by another member any time. A Board member cannot be re-elected for more than two successive terms of office. However, if found necessary, she/he could be re-elected after brake of a term of office.
6. Board members offer their services without any compensation; however, whenever they provide professional services as well as conduct study and research for Society, they shall be compensated with appropriate payments.
Article Seventeen
Duties and Responsibilities of the Manager of the Society
1. The Society will have a General Manager.
2. She/he is accountable to the Management Board.
3. Represents the Society to any third party, performs all the work activities of the Society, delegates responsibilities, corresponds on behalf of the Society, negotiates and enters into contract on behalf of the Society.
4. Mobilizes the Society’s bank account including checks and remittance by co-signing with the Chief accountant.
5. Implements decisions passed by the General Assembly and the Board.
6. Writes and compiles activity and financial reports of the Society and presents them to the Board monthly, quarterly and annually.
7. Formulates the policy, prepares the budget, devises work activity plan of the society, and presents it to the Board. Closely monitors and checks their proper implementation after they are approved.
8. Devises ways and means by which income could be generated to the Society in line with the Articles of Association, designs methods that could enable the purposes of the society achieve their goal and supervises their execution.
9. Transfers, promotes, hires and fires, as well as decides their salaries and the per diems of staff members based on directives formulated by the Board.
10. Designs ways and means to help build the capacity of the Society, in areas outside the responsibilities the Chief Accountant and the Cashier and presents them before the Board.
11. If instructed by the Board to act in a manner that contradicts the Articles of Association of the Society or decision of the General Assembly, she/he requests the Board Chairperson to call an emergency meeting on the matter, if his call is not made within seven days of his/her request, she/he makes a call for an emergency meeting of the General Assembly with his/her own signature; she/he could make the call even if the Board suspends him/her from his position.
12. Leads the day-to-day work activity of the Society by coordinating, monitoring and supervising the staff subordinate to him/her, including the accountant and the cahier.
13. May undertake implementation of Management Board decisions as pertains to the operation of the society.
14. The Manager will not have the right to vote if she/he is member of the General Assembly meeting that would be held to approved his/her proposals or activities performed with her/his supervision is a member of the Society.
15. Carries out other activities assigned to him/her by the Board in manner that does not contravene with the Articles of Association of the society or decisions of the General Assembly.
Article Eighteen
Vice Manager
1. In the absence of the Manager, she/he acts in his /her place.
2. Performs other activities assigned to him/her by the Manager.
Article Nineteen
Duties and Responsibilities of the Chief Accountant of the society
The Chief Accountant report to the Society’s Manager and will have the following duties and responsibilities.
1. Supervises the income and expenditure of the Society’s accounts he/she sees to it that it is properly registered and kept.
2. Supervises that the Society’s accounts are kept according to established accounting rules and procedures.
3. Maintains the Society’s bank account, check payments or remittances through joint signature with the Manager.
4. Maintains the Society’s books of account and other financial documents.
Article Twenty
Duties and responsibilities of the Society’s Cashier
The Cashier is accountable to the Manager of the Society and will have the following duties and responsibilities:
1. Collects the incomes of the Society by issuing legal receipt.
2. Deposits at the Bank the money thus collected, and carefully files the bank deposit slips.
3. Keeps a petty cash of up to Birr 3,000.00(three thousand Birr), as required, for unexpected running costs, as well as miscellaneous expenses and income of the Society.
4. Checks monthly account with the accountant, the balance of expenditure and income of the Society closes the petty cash monthly accounts with the accountant.
5. Keeps the checkbook of the Society.
6. Draws from the bank and/or disburses payments when instructed by the Co-signature of the Chief Accountant and the Manager.
Article Twenty-One
The Budget Year of the Society
The budget year of the Society is from January1 to December31
Article Twenty-Two
The Property and financial Administration of the Society
1. At the end of each budget year, the Manager:
a. Supervises the compilation of detailed statement of assets and liabilities.
b. Prepares a financial statement and annual progress report of the Society.
c. Ascertains that the books of account of the Society are kept in a safe place and are not removed from the head office of the Society.
2. All the incomes of the Society will be expended only for the execution of the purposes of the society.
3. The Society will maintain proper accounting records that reflect all financial formalities.
4. Not withstanding sub-article 3 of this article, the Society’s finances will be administered according to financial regulation studied and recommend by the Board and approved by the General Assembly.
Article Twenty-Three
Duties and Responsibilities of the Auditor
The Auditor, being accountable to the General Assembly,
1. Supervises the proper administration of the finances and property of the Society.
2. Verifies that the activities of the Society are implemented in accordance with these Articles of Association.
3. Presents to the General Assembly the Annual Audit report.
Article Twenty-Four
Source of income of the Society
The sources of income of the Society are the following:
1. Membership fees/subscriptions
2. Financial assistance from donors
Article Twenty-Five
On the Revision of the Articles of Association of the Society
The Articles of Association could be revised if ¾ th of the members of the Society believe so.
Article Twenty-Six
About dissolution of the Society
1. The Society will be dissolved if members of the General Assembly decide so by a ¾ th Vote.
2. When the Society is dissolved, its property will be transferred to any non-governmental association with a similar purpose or to the government.
Article Twenty-Seven
Validity of the Articles of Association
We, the founding members of the Society have on our meeting on 17/4/2004 at Desalegn Hotel, in Bole Sub – city, Addis Ababa; Ethiopia have unanimously ratified these Articles to be applied as Articles of Association for Mathiwos Wondu- Ye Ethiopia Cancer Society.
These Articles of Association shall be valid as per the date they are approved by the authorized government body.