This About section attempts to provide a summary introduction and description of the Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund – Canada.
Please keep in mind that the priority focus of the Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund was determined by the existing realities in Burundi. Burundi’s greatest need is agriculture development and Burundi’s greatest opportunity is agriculture development. Accordingly, the Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund plans to contribute to agriculture development and expects to give priority to agriculture development projects.
The primary purpose and the interrelated, integrated ancillary purposes of the Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund, a Registered Canadian Charitiy, are identified below. The charitable purposes will be served by providing development grants for poor community people in Burundi. This section also provides a description the governance, governance activities and program activities.
Title:
Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund
Mission:
To promote and support the development of poor community people in Burundian communities.
Primary Purpose:
To relieve poverty by providing development grants for poor, uneducated and unemployed community people in Burundi
Achieved by providing development grants designed to improve socio-economic conditions by developing community-based, income-generating, self-supporting and self-sustaining community development activities for poor community people in Burundian communities.
Ancillary Purposes:
To develop food and economic security by providing development grants for poor, uneducated and unemployed community people in Burundi.
To advance civil society development by providing development grants for poor, uneducated and unemployed community people in Burundi.
To advance and promote gender equality and empowerment by providing development grants for poor, uneducated and unemployed community people in Burundi (usually women).
Governance:
The Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund is governed solely by its volunteer Canadian Board of Directors.
John McCready, President (2021); Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor on Development, Hope Africa University and Sole Proprietor, Healthy Horizons Consulting
Karen Perry, Secretary/Treasurer (2021); Lawyer, Legal Adviser to the Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund and other charities, Past Vice-President Legal for a Private Insurance Operation and Practiced Law in a National Law Firm and Two Publicly-Traded Canadian Companies
Daniel Sheffield, Director 2025; Adjunct Lecturer, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto. Author and Learning & Development Specialist, Hyun & Associates. Founder/Managing Director, Ubunye Cooperative Housing and The Haven Women’s Shelter, South Africa. Past Director of Global & Intercultural Ministries, The Free Methodist Church in Canada. Past Board Member, TEAR Fund Canada.
Paula Moriarity, Director (2025); Director of Global Missions for the Free Methodist Church in Canada and leading International Child Care Ministries (ICCM), earned a degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University and certifications in International Development and Intercultural Studies. Paula has 18 years experience working with unreached and underserved communities, particularly among women and children. “My passion for reaching unreached people groups is not theoretical—it’s personal.”
Former Directors:
The Late Lois Meredith, Director (2023 to 2025); after teaching in elementary schools in Ontario for 10 years, Lois became a long-term Free Methodist Church Missionary to Africa, including many years in Burundi working on education in schools, accounting training for churches, organizing Vacation Bible Schools for churches and visiting and encouraging rural churches. Lois retired following 4 winters of working with the Finance Department of Hope Africa University.
The Late Burton Hamilton, Director (2021 to 2023); Founding Principal, Burlington Christian Academy, Former Chair, Board of Elders, West Highland Baptist Church, Past Vice-Chair, Board of McMaster Divinity College, Past Member of Senate, McMaster Divinity College and Past Board Member for One Mission Society Canada
Governance Activities:
The decision-making, direction, management, coordination, fundraising, fund distribution, communication, monitoring, reporting and other ongoing support activities will be pursued in Canada by its volunteer directors.
The chief governing responsibilities; the decision-making, direction and management, are held and executed exclusively by the Canadian Board of Directors.
The charitable organization directors will oversee all communication activities; the communications will primary be done by e-mail messages to a distribution list of interested individuals and through newsletters and bulletins posted on the website (see Haley-McCready Outreach and Development Fund – A Registered Canadian Charity (haley-mccreadyfund.ca).
The charitable organization directors will oversee all fundraising activities; the fundraising will be conducted in Canada by e-mail messaging, website solicitations, word-of-mouth and some brochure distribution. the organization will provide eligible Canadian donors with charitable tax receipts.
The charitable organization directors will manage the money in Canada, conduct Calls for Proposals, authorize all required financial distributions to Burundi and approve and authorize all distributions for development grants and development support in Burundi.
The charitable organization directors will oversee and coordinate the monitoring, reporting and auditing functions.
The organization will not charge any fees from anyone in Canada or Burundi.
Indigenous Advice:
To maintain relevance, feasibility, cultural-appropriateness and address local priorities, the Burundi Advisory Committee will provide general advice on the Fund and review and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on awarding of grants to the best proposed projects. The membership is as follows.
Bishop Déogratias NSHIMIYIMANA (Honorary), Bishop of the Free Methodist Church of Burundi, Former Burundi Director for the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (ALARM)
Mme. Susan Muchiri, Head, Department of Social Work and Community Development, Hope Africa University
Mme. Jacqueline Murekasenge, On Study Leave, Former Head, Department of Social Work and Community Development, Hope Africa University
Rev. Dieudonne IRAMBONA: Program Director, Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund, Project Manager, Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund
Dr. John McCready, Founder and Program Director, Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund, Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor on Development, Hope Africa University and Sole Proprietor, Healthy Horizons Consulting
Mme. Esperance MPAWGNIMANA, Graduate, Department of Social Work and Community Development, Hope Africa University, Former Head of Human Resources, Hope Africa University and Owner and Manager of a large chickens and eggs business and a health clinic
Mme. Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA, Ex Officio Member, Program Coordinator, Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund, Graduate, Community Development Master’s Program, Hope Africa University and Program Manager, National Council of Churches of Burundi
The charitable organization will conduct Calls for Proposals, seeking proposals from students and graduates of Hope Africa University in Bujumbura, Burundi. Any student or graduate of Hope Africa University is eligible to submit a proposal/application for review. The proposals/applications will be designed by the students or graduates to address the primary purpose identified above and submitted using the required application outline, format and instructions provided in the Application Package.
The proposed projects will identify a community group of poor, uneducated and unemployed beneficiaries (a primary target group), usually 6 to 12 needy women, often widows and adult orphans. The proposals will be reviewed by members of the Burundi Advisory Committee and evaluated against criteria such as the quality of the project description (the clarity, logic and writing), the relevance of the project, the feasibility of the project, the potential for success, the potential for impact and the potential for sustainability. The Burundi Advisory Committee will make recommendations to the Board of Directors on the best proposed projects for a grant. The Directors will consider the recommendations and, if approved by the Directors, the project will be provided with a development grant, providing the project manager reviews and signs the Funding Agreement.
The grant money will be provided through installments based on a project plan approved and authorized by the organization. The beneficiaries will be selected through consultation with local community leaders. The beneficiaries will be trained and organized into an association to collectively pursue income-generating development activities, usually crop cultivation and animal husbandry activities. The project manager will facilitate implementation of the project, following the project plans and involving the beneficiaries. The project managers will provide progress reports and action photographs and the organization will provide ongoing support and training for the project managers.
The development activities will be carried out by the volunteer project managers and the beneficiaries will become involved voluntarily, but the community beneficiaries and their project association will receive the benefits of the development project. The beneficiaries will share the benefits of the project; the harvests, the animals and the related income-generating activities.