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← Rural Extension With Africa's Poor

2025-04-05-accounts

Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

5 Beacon Court, Southcote Road Reading RG30 2ER

Charity registration number 1075121

Report of the Trustees and Accounts For the year ended 5 April 2025

Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025

The Trustees present their report and the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 5 April 2025.

Operations Review

Introduction to REAP

REAP (Rural Extension with Africa’s Poor) aims to enable those in Africa who do not have ready access to money, especially those in rural areas, to reach their full potential while becoming good stewards of God’s creation. This holistic vision seeks to teach them ways to make use of the many local resources available, so that they can maintain their own dignity and become fully functional in supporting their own families, gain fulfilment and contribute positively to the community.

REAP’s approach is to work alongside rural families to counter three problems we have identified as within our scope. These are seen as dependency (overcome by teaching and motivating people to do something themselves rather than wait for external aid), the challenges of money and materialism (by providing spiritual motivation and encouraging selfless sharing with others) and environmental concerns (to be met by encouraging the preservation of natural resources and making productive use of locally available materials which otherwise would sometimes be seen as waste).

REAP has developed a wide range of practical ideas that can be introduced with little or no cost to the user and cover every aspect of life. These form the core of REAP’s teaching and we continue to be proactive in finding ways to get to more people with this teaching. The proactive work focuses on identifying motivated contact people and the training of trainers and through this we have also added to our portfolio of teaching by drawing on the experience of those we have trained as well as trying new things.

REAP’s teaching is refined on an ongoing basis, and teaching aids and planting materials that are appropriate to individual needs are produced, recognising different local customs and climates. The REAP team works with and follows up many contacts, particularly within African churches and para-church organisations, to ensure that their teaching is effective, fully accepted and sustainable. Although some of this follow up continues to be by telephone and other remote means, more in-person visits have again been possible this year. Some of these visits may be seen as quality control so that the full benefits are realised; this is especially the case in the planting of Vetiver Grass and the moulding of stoves.

Overview of the Year

During the year we have continued following up contacts in our proactive work reaching out from our field office located in Kajulu in Kisumu County. We have this year significantly expanded our extension work, with particular emphasis on actively promoting the growing of Vetiver Grass for protecting the soil from erosion. We have continued to run successful Natural Medicine training courses, and have become significantly active in stove promotion and extending ideas on improved rural kitchens.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

Use of the REAP plot of land at Kajulu, near Kisumu

The REAP farm near Kisumu continues to be the centre of activity for the field work. We plant and demonstrate most of the plants and techniques relating to the different aspects of REAP teaching on Creation Care and Natural Medicines, and have a working kitchen incorporating the various aspects we teach. These can thus be seen by any visitors. We have received a variety of visitors to the farm, including local groups and also those from much wider afield.

The Kisumu Office is now located in the building on the farm and has become the centre of communication locally. A new building has been constructed for moulding liners and teaching women to make them. It is close to the kitchen which enables the teaching to be related to that. The caretaker who stays on site is now very familiar with the teaching of REAP, and as well as greatly improving the security and thus productivity of the farm he is able to communicate well with visitors when other team members are not present.

George explains the use of Vetiver Grass to visitors at the farm

The rainfall has been reasonable, but unpredictable with much less seasonality than in the past. Although this is a challenge for many farmers, with the underground water available on farm and the location of the land

Replanting the Vetiver nursery after harvest

we have continued to try a wide range of plants including some new to the area. Since the soil is fully protected against erosion the farm is a visible example of what farmers can do using the simple technology of Vetiver grass; this has continued to be a central part of the teaching that we are seeking to extend. To this end all the Vetiver hedges have been renovated and maintained giving a very good visual image on what Vetiver hedges actually achieve in different contexts within the farm. The Vetiver Nursery has continued to be a good source of planting material as we take the teaching out further afield. The whole nursery was harvested and the slips distributed and sold, and the whole area replanted so that more is available again. We have been able to plant some Vetiver grass at key points near the roads in the area.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

Throughout the plot and round the periphery, trees continue to be a significant part of our management of the area. We continue to manage the trees that have grown to a stage where they impede the crops during this year, so that it has been a source of some charcoal and more firewood from this sustainable source. This teaching of working with the trees that we are encouraging in our extension work is one of the features that many new visitors comment on. As part of our Creation Care teaching, we promote sustainable measures such as FMNR (Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration), coppicing and pollarding. We have examples of these in the trees within the farm.

We try and have all the main medicinal plants that REAP teaches about represented at the farm. Some are locally familiar and often considered by others as weeds, so we teach their value. We often talk with visitors in perceptions of weeds so that they go away recognising a useful local resource. All the new medicinal plants that we teach on can be seen growing by any visitors.

The farm is also used for multiplying planting material, both from vegetative materials and from seed, for distribution when extending teaching. We continue to give special emphasis in producing enough rooted Artemisia annua cuttings for distribution and always have seeds of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Cassia alata and Moringa oleifera, as well as a few others of more specialist interest.

Pruning trees on the farm

In order that visitors can see as much as possible when they visit, we have established paths around the farm. From trees harvested from within the farm most of the small bridges across the drainage channels etc have been replaced this year. The plants are labelled so that they become a resource for learning, including both the local or indigenous species, with local names, and the exotic introduced species. We continue to experiment in a small way with crops that relate to the needs coming from Climate change and continue to gain experience in the use of Green Manure Cover Crops (GMCC) which have assisted us in maintaining organic soil fertility. We have also begun to add to the soil conservation teaching by emphasising the benefits from Vetiver in mining nutrients that have leached down beyond the reach of most crops and thus producing a valuable mulch. Now that we have well established hedges, we have plenty of grass available and mulching is clearly seen throughout the farm.

Sam cutting Tithonia for mulch on the farm

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

The home garden area where we practice ideas such as container planting and the keyhole garden has been reduced with the construction of the stoves training building. We however continue to show ideas that are particularly relevant for visitors from Kisumu town. This is partly a demonstration of what can be done on very small areas, emphasising ideas relevant for urban farming, but is also a useful source for the kitchen. Visitors often eat food from this garden cooked in our improved local kitchen. The external rural kitchen, which has been fitted out as an operational local kitchen using the fuel saving stoves, and other aspects of teaching included in the REAP extension teaching, has continued to be used and is always a focus on interest for many of our visitors. It is often the place where visitors are first welcomed.

Cut Vetiver grass used for mulch

Teaching and Training

REAP continues to focus on extending the teaching we have developed into rural communities through both formal seminars and less formal input to local groups. Much local teaching is conducted on the planting, preparation and use of Natural medicines, sometimes covering a range of medicinal plants and sometimes concentrating on specific ones for the needs of a group showing interest. Training is given at different levels according to levels of understand and local needs. The main requests are for training in Natural Medicines and Environmental issues. Sometimes these are combined and sometimes the training is specific.

REAP conducts regular ‘Training of Trainers’ (TOT) seminars in order to equip people from a range of backgrounds and locations with the knowledge to take to their own work. This reporting year, we have been able to conduct two major one-week seminars on Natural Medicines conducted by REAP staff. In April 2024 we had 21 participants at the international training, including a significant number of younger participants and in November 2024 we also had 21 participants, representing 6 countries. We conduct these trainings at Subiaco Centre in Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi where one of our former trainees has established an impressive medicinal garden. The training covers a basic focused curriculum on the growing, processing and use of proven medicinal plants and products. The main emphasis is understanding the plants and their value for health.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

Photos of training in Subiaco Centre, Karen

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

Sadly, a very close colleague from Subiaco, Sister Francesca Kaesa, who has over the years helped with the training died shortly after the April seminar. She had attended one of our trainings in 2016 and immediately after the seminar had started a medicinal garden at Subiaco. She continued attending the seminars we then held at the centre, and we had the advantage of using the garden in the teaching and she was an important part of the training team during seminars. She is greatly missed by so many who she helped but the business she set up MAYDS (Medicine At Your DoorStep) continues, and we work closely with them, encouraging and assisting when we can.

Sister Francesca in her Artemisia plot

We continue to emphasise the value of Natural Medicines for general health and from our experience in Natural Medicines for Health we continue to find ways that this can be more easily understood. Our focus upon Artemisia annua is seen as particularly relevant. With every seminar we are able to add to our recommendations and expand our teaching.

In March 2025 Rev Rosalia and Pastor George conducted an intensive four-day training on Natural Medicines for the Africa Inland Church Missionary College in Eldoret. 17 participants attended the training.

REAP’s proactive work continues to be based on the Kisumu Office and the area within reasonable reach of Kisumu. REAP staff have been invited to conduct non-residential trainings at the local level at various local churches. These include facilitating sessions within conventions and conferences, as well as some days organised specifically for taking the REAP teaching to the church members. During the year we have further strengthened our longterm partnership with anamed in Germany and also built links through them with Coworkers (formerly Hilfe für Brüder) who have given some support.

Seminar at Morogoro

The team has continued to follow up on specific teaching. The team has been following up on many of those who have been for training, and especially those who have been sponsored. Several follow up visits have been made to the Everyday Bible and Discipleship College (EBD) at Kamukuywa reinforcing the practical teaching on the Artemisia planted and to helping those who have been trained through our seminars to reach out to others in the community.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

Environmental Teaching

This year in our environmental, Creation Care, teaching REAP has continued the emphasis on promoting Vetiver Grass as an easily used and very effective tool for soil and water conservation and thus care of the environment. We have had Vetiver Grass available from our nursery in Kajulu, but we have focused on proactive extension in four main areas, namely Upper Nyakach, Kajulu and Songhor in Kisumu County and Butere in Kakamega County. In three of these we have a local contact person who is actively promoting the grass and in Kajulu the extension is mainly from the farm.

The local nurseries planted in 2023/24 have been producing planting material for the establishment of new Vetiver grass hedges in all these areas. The extension staff have been identifying interested local farmers and as more grass becomes available, they have been working with farmers to establish strategic hedges.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 continued

Operations Review (continued)

In June 2024 the team conducted a seminar for farmers involved in planting Vetiver grass in the Butere area with 27 paticipants and then a second seminar in March 2025 on Vetiver Grass in upper Nyakach, attended by 38 participants. All these farmers took home planting material and now have their on-farm Vetiver nurseries, and most have started protecting their land with Vetiver Grass hedges. REAP has also more recently been working with a new group in Seme on the western edge of Kisumu County.

Vetiver Seminar in Butere

Vetiver Seminar in Upper Nyakach

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

Operations Review (continued)

REAP has continued to network with other organisations with an emphasis on Creation Care. We give teaching relating to Creation Care and the Gospel whenever possible, encouraging churches to be responsible stewards in caring for the environment. As others pick up the vision, we make our teaching materials available to them. It is a major topic of discussion for most visitors to our farm and also the Nairobi office. Publicity in the media in relation to climate change and its impact on farming has meant that there is a growing concern at all levels of society, and in response we have been emphasising the Biblical mandate to care for God’s creation.

Building on years of experience we have developed practical teaching, and we have become more active in challenging misconceptions and wrong practices. Faith Based Organisations are becoming increasingly recognised as significant in Tree Planting, but we try and emphasise that planting is not enough as they need to be cared for to survive so we talk of Tree Growing. From our experience of working with churches we emphasise a Biblically based approach to motivating church members to care for the environment. The growing awareness that we have witnessed in all the fora we are involved in gives us impetus for continuing to share the message.

REAP CWD Stoves Programme

The CWD (Christian Women in Development) programme focuses on teaching through the women’s fellowships. This year we have obtained funding to resurrect our Improved Kitchen and Stoves programmes to an active level. Domtila has initially spent time following up those we have worked with in the past on stoves and has visited existing work and been looking for new groups to train and encourage in the work. We have purchased new moulds for the establishment of new groups who have been identified as centres for the making of the moulds and training other satellite groups in the area. Having reactivated most of the groups that were active before the COVID pandemic Domtila is now focusing on training new groups.

Domtila with some new moulds ready

A two-room building has been built at the REAP farm in Kajulu as the centre for training as well as a certain amount of production.

We have established a five-day training which includes moulding of the liners and installation in the kitchen, and efficient use of firewood including managing trees on farm. We also include other improved kitchen ideas including making and using fireless cookers, making a mud cupboard and seats in the kitchen and using a clay pot to make a local fridge for keeping food cool.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

Operations Review (continued)

Before the COVID pandemic we were involved in teaching on making reusable sanitary pads in schools. With the closure of the schools during the early part of the pandemic and then the very busy schedule as the schools reopened this was not possible, but we have recently started reaching out again to a few schools with this teaching, and plan to do more.

The Nairobi Office

The Nairobi office has continued to be the communication centre for REAP, though at a lower level following the loss of our long-term administrator, Anne, in 2023.

It is however still a centre for sharing of ideas more widely and for networking with others interested in what we teach, though some of this sharing we now do electronically. REAP continues to be the local contact organisation and distribution centre for anamed publications and as a result we have continued to have many visitors interested in Natural Medicines, and this has led to some strategic linkages and sharing of ideas and teaching in the wider sphere of REAP’s teaching. Our reach has extended far beyond the areas where we are proactive through those that we have trained recently in seminars and other contacts through networking.

During the year we have had stronger links with MAYDS located at Subiaco in Kenya and we have been encouraging them in the production of planting materials so that we no longer do that ourselves from Nairobi.

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

Operations Review (continued)

Plans for the Year ahead

In the year ahead we expect to be fully back to the mode of working that we had prior to the pandemic. We have plans to continue with the main messages with a focused emphasis this year on protecting the soil through the use of Vetiver grass, and active promotion of stoves and the improved rural kitchens. We will continue with the four focus areas in western Kenya for much more proactive work on extending Vetiver Grass. We plan to have at least two local seminars on Vetiver Grass and also local seminars on natural medicines. We already have plans for stoves training in the centre in August 2025. We are also looking to expand teaching making reusable sanitary towels through more schools.

We have booked the location and dates for two international seminars on Natural Medicine and have received requests for other more localised training. We are also planning a Training of Trainers follow up seminar for those who have completed three trainings and are recognised as TOTs.

Prepared by Dr Roger Sharland, REAP Director

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor Report of the Trustees For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

Trustees' Report

The Trust Rural Extension with Africa’s Poor “REAP” is governed by a deed dated 18th March 1999.

The principal objectives of REAP are: -

These objectives are achieved through REAP in Kenya and other similar charitable agencies.

In Kenya REAP provides teaching relating to Creation Care and Natural medicines primarily by encouraging churches to be responsible stewards. REAP also spends significant time teaching women about development in rural kitchens.

Composition of the Trustee Board

During the year the make-up of the Trustee Board was as follows: -

Trustee Term of office
Judith Deborah Wahinya Glover Trustee Threeyears to 7th December 2026
PhilipM. Johnson Chair Six months to 5th April 2025
Stephen Burgess Secretary Oneyear to 31st October 2025
Nicholas Burn Treasurer Twoyears to 30th June 2025
NickySimpson Trustee Threeyears to 23rd June 2027

In October 2024:

Philip M. Johnson agreed to serve a further 6 months to 5th April 2025. The Trustees are grateful to Philip

From 23rd June 2024 REAP operated with five trustees after Nicky Simpson joined the Trustee Board. From April 2025 Nicky became Secretary.

Operations

The area of REAP’s work continues to be Kenya and although REAP was set up some 25 years ago its missional work is both central and relevant to today’s society, particularly in the areas of:

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Report of the Trustees

For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

Trustees' Report (continued)

REAP Kenya continues to promote awareness of the challenges of global climate change and teaching on how to respond appropriately.

We submitted a new project focussing on Women’s empowerment and improved Stoves to the Big Give in the first quarter of 2024 and were successful on getting into their programme for 2024/25. This project has started and continued through 2025.

A second application to Big Give for the Vetiver programme was not successful but the work has continued with available funds from the first funds from Big Give.

Trustee efforts continue to try and increase the awareness of REAP’s activities and work through various communication channels e.g., newsletters, increased stories / updates through REAP’s Facebook page, website development and new options for giving.

During the year Trustee’s reviewed REAP’s Safeguarding Policy; and continued to operate a lower limit funding policy for operations in Kenya – this ensures that the Trust continues to operate even with low levels of cash.

Finance

The sources of REAP’s funding are giving from Churches, Charitable Trusts (which are difficult to predict and depend on applications), and individual giving. In 2024/25 income was £34,093 which was down by £9,707 from the previous year, largely due to the absence of funding via the Big Give. The Trustees are grateful to all who give generously to the ministry of REAP.

During the year REAP UK made grants of £33,871 to REAP Kenya. Less than 2% of income was used to cover administrative and promotional costs. Except for examination (Audit) fees and subscription to 31-8 safeguarding advisors, all the income is applied to operations in Kenya including missionary work, training, natural medicine seminars and up-keep of the Kisumu farm.

REAP “The Trust” does not employ any staff and trustees are not remunerated.

Approved by the trustees on 21 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Stephen Burgess

2025-10-27

Stephen Burgess, Chair

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Rural Extension with Africa's Poor For the year ended 5 April 2025 (continued)

I report on the accounts of Rural Extension with Africa's Poor (the charity) for the year ended 5 April 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that, in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

SIMON PORTER FCA

2025-10-27

Simon Porter FCA Independent Examiner 120 Woodcote Road, Caversham, Reading RG4 7EZ

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 5 April 2025

Incoming resources:
Donations received
Gift Aid tax receivable
Total incoming resources in the period
Resources expended:
In furtherance of the Charity's objectives:
Grants made
For management and administration:
Website
Governance
Fees to independent examiner
Total expenditure in the period
Net (outgoing)/incoming resources
and net movement in funds in the period
Funds brought forward at 5 April 2025 (2024)
Funds carried forward at 5 April 2025 (2024)		 Note
2
3		 2025
£		 2024
£
31,298
2,795
34,093
33,871
0
202
400
34,473
(380)
16,279
15,899		 40,415
3,385
43,800
43,689
0
523
400
44,612
(812)
17,091
16,279

The Notes on page 17 form part of these Accounts

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Balance Sheet

Charity registration number 1075121

As at 5 April 2025

As at 5 April 2025
Note
Current assets:
Debtors
5
Bank balance
Current liabilities:
Accruals
Net current assets and net assets
Accumulated funds
4		 2025
£
2,281
14,018
16,299
400
400
15,899
15,899		 2024
£
2,238
14,441
16,679
400
400
16,279
16,279

These Accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on 21 October 2025.

Stephen Burgess

2025-10-27

Stephen Burgess Trustee

The Notes on page 17 form part of these Accounts

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Rural Extension with Africa's Poor

Notes to the Accounts As at 5 April 2025

1. Accounting policies

These accounts have been prepared using the following accounting policies: Donations received are included when they are received, net of tax where appropriate. Tax received is accrued in the year that the corresponding gift is received. Income from sales of books and videos is included when it is received. Interest received is included net of tax when it is received.

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|||| |---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |2. Donations received| |Donations received|31,298|40,415| |3. Grants| |Grants made|33,871|43,689| |4. Movements in Funds| |Unrestricted funds:| |Balance at start of year|16,279|17,091| |Net incoming resources for year|(380)|(812)| |Balance at end of year|15,899|16,279| |Restricted funds:| |Balance at start of year|0|0| |Net incoming resources for year|0|0| |Balance at end of year|0|0| |Accumulated funds|15,899|16,279| |5. Debtors| |Gift Aid recoverable|2,281|2,238| |2,281|2,238|

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