The foundation LELAF is established in 1996 by Mrs Mechta van den Boogert-Selhorst (1920-2004), at that time trustee of the fund, based on the donations that Louise van Eeghen has made for years for establishing new and revitalising existing women’s councils of the ICW.
ICW was not subsidised for a long time. As of its start in 1888 ICW, as a voluntary organisation, largly depended on the financial support of its (wealthy) adminstrators who placed their personal assets at the disposal of ICW: their knowledge, experience, networks and, financial resources. In the past some of these dedicated administrators covered significant costs from their private funds (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, pp. 26-27, 221). These frequent donations and legacies made it possible for ICW to continue its activities, to publish brochures, buy office equipment and hire staff. Private sponsorship played an important role in maintaining ICW (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, pp. 26-27, 75). One of these important and influential private sponsors Ishbel Lady Aberdeen (1857-1939), presided ICW as of 1893 for over 40 years (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, pp. 18, 67).
Louise van Eeghen (1884-1979), raised in the Netherlands, lived in Geneva most of her life and worked as a correspondent for several Dutch newspapers (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, p. 82). As a member of ICW, she acted a.o. as recording secretary, vice president and later as honorary vice president (1954-‘57) (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, pp. 164, 114-119). She advocated for ICW on themes as combating human trafficking and forms of slavery (Gubin & van Molle, 2005, p. 166).
The wish to create new sources of income for ICW underlies initiatives for establishing a Lady Aberdeen fund. Around 1928 Louise van Eeghen, then acting secretary of ICW organised an international Fancy Fair in The Hague, Netherlands, on behalf of the ICW in order to collect public income instead of being dependant on solely the membership fees of national women councils and private donations.
1930 – 1940
A committee was formed in 1930 to administer this capital. Members of this committee were the acting President, the treasurer Lady Nunbornholm, Frau Ender, Mrs Etherington and Louise van Eeghen.
In 1936 at the triennal meeting in Dubrovnik the National Council of South Africa proposed the following resolution (Schenk, 2012, Zanen-van Eeghen 2012):
“ICW shall establish a Jubilee Fund in connection with the Jubilee Meeting of the ICW in 1938 and that, as a mark of our affection and recognition of the great work which Lady Aberdeen has accomplished for the ICW and for international goodwill throughout the world, the Fund be named the:‘Lady Aberdeen Fund of the ICW’. ”
In 1938 the Lady Aberdeen Fund became a fact. The remaining revenues of the Fancy Fair were brought into this fund with 3 separate bankaccounts: in London, Johannesburg and Amsterdam. Louise van Eeghen became trustee in Amsterdam. However the Dutch account didn’t survive the occupation during World War II (according to van den Boogert).
Foundation LELAF
After the war Louise van Eeghen continued to donate for ICW and in 1971 Louise van Eeghen asked the then acting treasurer of ICW, Mechta van den Boogert, also from the Netherlands, to assist her as trustee of a new Dutch Lady Aberdeen Fund and to succeed her in the future. Louise van Eeghen passed away in 1979 at the age of 95 years.
The Dutch Lady Aberdeen fund was mostly filled with private donations from Louise van Eeghen herself and enlarged by sound investments. It was explicitly made clear by Louise van Eeghen that the fund should be preferably used for new or revitalised councils and in no way used for the overhead of the organisation of ICW.
Over the years, within the Dutch fiscal legal system it became more and more difficult to act as a trustee for capital funds without legal base in the Netherlands. This was the main reason for Mechta van den Boogert to secure the fund and to safeguard it for ICW by providing it with a legal base in Holland. The fund was named after her originator Louise van Eeghen, in honour of Lady Aberdeen for whom Louise had an immense admiration.
Hence LELAF was founded in 1996, as an independent legal entity, with its own articles of association and its own board under Dutch financial and tax legislation. Mechta van den Boogert invited the Van Eeghen family to be represented in the board of the foundation. The first president of LELAF was Marguerite Sickinghe van Eeghen thus ensuring that the family van Eeghen continued to be committed.
Activities
LELAF has funded most of all travelexpences for women attending regional meetings and the General Assembly of ICW. LELAF is convinced that face-to-face meetings and exchange of knowledge and personal experiences, is the first step in empowerment of National Councils worldwide.
Next to this LELAF sponsors projects of ICW and its National Councils. To encourage young women’s leadership LELAF presents at the General Assembly of ICW the Mechta van den Boogert award to a young woman and her inspiring project, every three year as of 2011. During the 33rd ICW Conference in Seoel 2011, the Mechta van den Boogert Award was presented to ms. Ronicera Fuimaono from Samoa who helped rural women in her community to gain market access for their handicrafts. In 2015 the Award has been granted to Manisa, a Turkish organisation that educates young women in traditional handicraft and gives them the opportunity to find work or stimulate to start their own firm. At the last General Assembly in 2018 the Award was given to ms. Nicole Penman for SOUQ the Marketplace (now Susi & Meli). to empower Nofotane women of Samoa by training business skills and leadership and for starting up a small export business of Nofotane artisan goods to Australia.
References and information
Gubin, E., & van Molle, L. (Eds.). (2005). Women changing the world: a history of the International Council of women: 1888-1988. Brussels: Racine.
LELAF archive in : Atria, Institute on gender equality and women’s history; Amsterdam, The Netherlands:
Cosima Schenk, ICW President, Report to the Board, May 2012
Anna Zanen-van Eeghen President LELAF, LELAF Report General Assembly 2012
Home
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishbel_Hamilton-Gordon,_Marchioness_of_Aberdeen_and_Temair
LELAF 