From left: Newly designated Life Member of the BFPA Keith Seale; Honorary Member Dame Maizie Barker-Welch; general surgeon Dr. Christopher Warner, who
received the Honorary Dame Billie Award from Dame Billie (second from right); and general surgeon Dr. Jerome Walcott, who also received the designation of
honorary member of the BFPA.
DESCRIBING the Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA) as one of the best kept secrets in Barbados, Acting Executive Director Anderson Langdon has assured that greater effort will be made to ramp up the association’s visibility in the coming year.
This, he said, would not only impact and potentially save more lives, but also generate more income and expand the services offered.
He was speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the BFPA’s 63rd anniversary at the Radisson Aquatica on Friday night.
“We have not gotten it right, we are going to get it right,” he assured.
Langdon noted that a marketing study and a new logo are some of the strides that were made by the outgoing board to ensure greater visibility of organisation. He expressed the view that the BFPA’s good name and goodwill over the past 63 years will go a long way in bringing more persons through the doors.
While delivering his report, Langdon explained that there has been a five per cent increase in income this year over 2016, as well as an increase in services offered by the BFPA which reached 65 089. He explained that there has also been an increase in donor and grant proposals which were sought after by the BFPA team and has seen success over the last two years.
The executive director told the partners and other specially guests that one of the challenges faced by the BFPA comes in the form of decreases in special voluntary service, gynaecological
and obstetrics services, which he said represent some of the more costly services offered by the BFPA.
Langdon also stressed the importance of social entrepreneurship, saying the organisation which has been practising for six decades did not understand the model into which it evolved.
He explained that social entrepreneurship involves utilising business practices for social good. He said it also translates into more income and by extension more programming.
In this regard, he noted that areas which can be further expanded are corporate outreach; pregnancy support initiatives such as lamaze classes; legal aid for clients some of whom are the vulnerable in society; as well as counselling which can also include sex therapy.
Langdon commended the youth volunteers from the Youth Advocacy Movement who have reached even more students from primary and secondary schools over the previous year.
“The association is strong. The association can overcome any challenge. It is here for the individual well-being and will continue to be resilient, dynamic and save lives...” he said.
Outgoing Vice President Alex McDonald said there was some modesty by Langdon in what the BFPA has been able to accomplish. He told the large audience that in two years the organisation was able to turnaround its fortunes from a position of a $258 000 loss. “This year the net position is $148 000 in the black. That represents almost a $400 000 turnaround in a difficult time and that is nothing that is a small thing. Because the quality of service has not gone down, the organisation has not gone down.”
“The willingness to engage has not gone down and the past partners and the linkages and association has made has been stronger. I wish to commend the executive and team and staff and members of the BFPA for putting their shoulders to their wheel to make it work,” McDonald said. (JH)