Meals jeopardized
Saturday 4 February 2006
Approximately 35 students of the Broeder Rigobertus MLK School in Sta. Rosa receive a warm meal around 11:30 every day. These students were specially selected for this program. Principal Glynis Römer-Rog can clearly see a change in the physical build of these children and also that they perform better.
CURACAO – The three suppliers of school meals are waiting to be paid for two months already. November was the last time they have been paid for the 600 warm meals they deliver every day for 5 guilders each. It is not certain when they can expect payments from their customer, Plataforma NGO Kòrsou, again.
The ngo-platform is responsible for the payments, but the platform depends on the financing of the AMFO (Antillean Co-financing organization) that on her turn receives the money from the Netherlands for this.
In October of last year, due to possible irregularities at AMFO, the Dutch government had temporarily postponed the replenishment of the funds reserved for the third and fourth quarter of 2005. The AMFO as well as the ngo-plarforms were told that for the Netherlands start depositing money into the funds again, they have to straighten up their administration and internal organization before the end of the year. AMFO emphasized a month later that all this will not have consequences for the projects whose financing was already approved.
AMFO is temporarily being managed by former Mayor Stanley Betrian after manager Werner Wiels was forced to resign. According to AMFO, they have transferred 325.000 guilders to NGO Kòrsou for the meals. According to reports, NGO Kòrsou has used the money for other purposes.
Ronald Doran of Plataforma NGO Kòrsou, said at first that the arrears are only for one month, ‘which is normal’. He says that it is also customary that moneys reserved for, in this case meals, are used ‘to pay other projects’. “But I have sent a detailed justification”, he defended himself.
Doran knows that the meals are still being supplied and he had to admit that currently, the suppliers have to pay for these meals themselves. One of the three suppliers said that she will do everything possible to continue feeding these kids. “But I do not know for how long we can continue pre-finance this project. As long as there is uncertainty on when we can expect payments, the banks do not help us.”
Also other ngo-projects (non-governmental organization) are coping with similar problems. Providing meals to students is part of the sub-project ‘Un kuminda awe, pa mi ta fuerte mayan’ (A meal today, so that I can be strong tomorrow). The three suppliers of warm meals are Kushina Krioyo in Dokterstuin, Banda’bou, Rico’s Café in Amerikanenkamp, and Villa Maria in Scharloo.
Saturday 4 February 2006
Approximately 35 students of the Broeder Rigobertus MLK School in Sta. Rosa receive a warm meal around 11:30 every day. These students were specially selected for this program. Principal Glynis Römer-Rog can clearly see a change in the physical build of these children and also that they perform better.
CURACAO – The three suppliers of school meals are waiting to be paid for two months already. November was the last time they have been paid for the 600 warm meals they deliver every day for 5 guilders each. It is not certain when they can expect payments from their customer, Plataforma NGO Kòrsou, again.
The ngo-platform is responsible for the payments, but the platform depends on the financing of the AMFO (Antillean Co-financing organization) that on her turn receives the money from the Netherlands for this.
In October of last year, due to possible irregularities at AMFO, the Dutch government had temporarily postponed the replenishment of the funds reserved for the third and fourth quarter of 2005. The AMFO as well as the ngo-plarforms were told that for the Netherlands start depositing money into the funds again, they have to straighten up their administration and internal organization before the end of the year. AMFO emphasized a month later that all this will not have consequences for the projects whose financing was already approved.
AMFO is temporarily being managed by former Mayor Stanley Betrian after manager Werner Wiels was forced to resign. According to AMFO, they have transferred 325.000 guilders to NGO Kòrsou for the meals. According to reports, NGO Kòrsou has used the money for other purposes.
Ronald Doran of Plataforma NGO Kòrsou, said at first that the arrears are only for one month, ‘which is normal’. He says that it is also customary that moneys reserved for, in this case meals, are used ‘to pay other projects’. “But I have sent a detailed justification”, he defended himself.
Doran knows that the meals are still being supplied and he had to admit that currently, the suppliers have to pay for these meals themselves. One of the three suppliers said that she will do everything possible to continue feeding these kids. “But I do not know for how long we can continue pre-finance this project. As long as there is uncertainty on when we can expect payments, the banks do not help us.”
Also other ngo-projects (non-governmental organization) are coping with similar problems. Providing meals to students is part of the sub-project ‘Un kuminda awe, pa mi ta fuerte mayan’ (A meal today, so that I can be strong tomorrow). The three suppliers of warm meals are Kushina Krioyo in Dokterstuin, Banda’bou, Rico’s Café in Amerikanenkamp, and Villa Maria in Scharloo.
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