Welcome to a new “school year”, a new “fiscal year”—following the World Bank Group’s calendar!
You may have been on summer holiday or just have arrived in the DC area. Our WBFN (World Bank Family Network) team of volunteers is rallying together to help you to make the best of your life and of your experience within the WBG community.
“G4 dependents”, bearers of other visas, US permanent residents, US citizens: we are, indeed, all part of the same large family of the WBG. For 37 years, WBFN has been working, evolving and adapting to multiply and improve the ways we can help optimize our members’ experience within our community. As president, I hope to be helpful in furthering the past efforts, in developing new ways to help families, and also in spreading awareness and understanding about the scope, the diversity and the quality of WBFN programs and achievements.
As WBFN volunteers organizing its programs and planning for its activities, we are ourselves WBFN members. We are spouses or partners of WBG staff. We have our own families to attend to, our own job search or studies in process, our own interests, our own queries about childcare or worries about rebellious teenagers. We were initially as puzzled as you may have been while facing the various challenges of moving to DC—the different AETNA insurance plans, the different US state requirements for obtaining a driver’s license, etc. Our objective is to provide you with information and tools that may help you when facing your relocation, or life in general. We are here for the newcomers as well as the “old timers”!
Keeping in mind our members in the country offices, an online version of Mosaic is available now on our website, “Mosaic Plus,” which contains even more photos than the printed version. Furthermore, we are planning this year to devote a lot of energy to transferring and adapting to our website our expertise in the relocation process and the specifics of belonging to the WBG community.
The best advice I can give you is to regularly read Mosaic and connect to our website. You may read about experiences or lives similar to yours. You will find seminars, classes or activities you may want to attend. Yes, everything is planned, written and geared towards YOU, our members. So, join in and enjoy!
We are trying our best to reach out to you; we encourage you take a step forward! Call us, register for an event or a class, or just come and meet us. Your only risk: you may like what you find!
When reading this issue of Mosaic, you may want to note in your calendar our seminar on the flu epidemic; our English, computer, and financial literacy classes; our Welcome Coffee, Get-Togethers and Spouse Orientation Program. Discover our new activities specifically geared towards our gentlemen members. Get also ready for our upcoming Family Picnic on Saturday October 3rd.
Anne Folliet