Download the open letter in pdf here
OPEN LETTER
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Lomé, July 10, 2023
We, XOESE, The Francophone Women’s Fund, have learned through third parties that a number of serious allegations have been made against the XOESE Fund by various individuals, communities and institutions.
These allegations are a revengeful act of an ex-employee supported by several other individuals with the intention of causing serious damage to the XOESE Fund.
Despite The unsatisfactory performance of this former employee, we, as a feminist fund, chose to offer her a deliverable based contract instead of terminating her employment contract, she refused our offer and decided to leave the organization. A choice we fully respected.
While under contract with XOESE, she used organizational resources to appeal to several of our partners, making serious and unfounded accusations against the Fund.
As soon as this was discovered , measures were immediately taken to block her access.
Before releasing her last payments, we demanded that all the organization’s properties made available to her in the course of her work and still in her possession be returned to us through DHL and at our own expense But she refused to return the organization’s assets “on first demand” as stipulated in her contract, and still holds them till date.
This individual chose instead to continuously engage with several of our partners, spreading rumors about XOESE and making threats against us.
The first rumor claimed that XOESE had not allocated the Cycle 4 grants; In response to such a defamatory act, we decided to publish in all transparency the list of organizations receiving these grants and the amounts allocated to each, informations we don’t usually disclose for obvious security reasons.
Secondly a complaint was lodged with one of our donors alleging that we were funding fictitious activities. The targeted organization had to provide proof that it had actually carried out the activities financed by XOESE, in order to defend itself. The awarding of this grant was coordinated by this former employee.
We are a Female advocacy organization. We invite those who accuse us of wrongdoing to be bold enough to do so officially, as we will use all legal means to defend ourselves.
On behalf of the XOESE Team and its Board of Directors,
The President,
Massan d’ALMEIDA
Download the open letter in pdf here
