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2024-12-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period start date Period end date
**From ** 01 01 2024 To 31
12		 2024

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Children of Choba

Other names charity is known by

Registered charity number (if any) 1138096

Charity's principal address 20, Horseshoe Walk Bath Postcode BA2 6DE

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

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20		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
**year **		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee (ifany)
Valerie McGivern Chair
Stephen Walker
Jemma
Bartholomew
Abraham Temu

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser
Name
Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Trust Deed

How the charity is constituted

Trust

Trustee selection methods

Appointed by existing trustees

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

Children of Choba works very closely with the School Committee of Choba English Medium Primary and Nursery School in Tanzania, of which Valerie McGivern is a member on behalf of the donors. Abraham Temu is also a member (Secretary) in his capacity as Head Teacher.

The above organisation is independent of Children of Choba.

As a foreign organisation in Tanzania, Children of Choba is not able to own Choba English Medium Primary and Nursery School. Children of Choba trustees therefore have no legal responsibility (financial or otherwise) to support the school, although we intend to do so for as long as necessary. Our aim at the outset was for the school to eventually be financially independent and we continue to work towards this. We are making good progress and in 2024 the parents contributed 81% of the school running costs.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

  1. To advance the education of the children of Choba and nearby villages by constructing, running and providing the highest standards of teaching and facilities at Choba English Medium Primary and Nursery Schools. (Choba is a hamlet of Boza village, Pangani District, Tanga Region, Tanzania, East Africa)

  2. The prevention and relief of poverty in rural Tanzania, particularly Choba.

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  1. We have now completed the essential buildings at Choba Primary School and are making excellent progress at ensuring the sustainability of the schools by asking the parents to contribute to running expenses according to their ability to pay.

  2. We continue to make up the shortfall in running expenses of Choba Primary and Nursery School. Expenses include the following :

  3. Salaries (including social security contributions) of 12 primary school teachers, 4 nursery school teachers, 1 office assistant, 3 part time cooks and 4 watchmen

  4. Purchase and repair of bicycles for staff and volunteers

  5. • Text books, exercise books, pens and pencils, stationery • Porridge for an average over the period of 330 children every school day

  6. Breakfast and lunch for all staff

  7. Maintenance of all buildings and assets such as the bore holes and water pumps

  8. Printing and photocopying of monthly test and exam papers

  9. School trips

  10. Water and electricity

  11. Transport to school for teachers

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

In 2024 Children of Choba made a contribution of £5,330 towards the running expenses of Choba Primary and Nursery School. We also made specific contributions of £629 for a school trip to Mkomazi National Park for Class VI, £1,170 for text books for the new syllabus) and £387 for the annual audit fee of the school accounts in Tanzania. The total contribution of Children of Choba to Choba Primary and Nursery School in 2024 was therefore £7,516.

Children of Choba has funded most of the assets of this school (buildings, desks, books, water pump etc) since the charity was founded in 2010. However, since foreigners and foreign organisations cannot own land (or anything built on it) in Tanzania, Children of Choba does not own the school. We have also funded running expenses - 100% of running expenses to begin with as there were no school fees. It has always been our intention that the school would be self-sustaining one day, and we asked the parents to start contributing towards running expenses in 2014, according to their ability to pay. We have been able to increase these contributions as the parents have started to see the fruits of education, until in 2024 the parents contributed 81% of the cost of running the school. At the beginning of 2023 the trustees agreed that from then on, we would account only for specific donations Children of Choba has made to the school and not include the full expenditure of the school. The school has its own audited accounts according to the law of Tanzania, which are available to any potential donor on request.

  1. In 2024 we paid (or made a contribution towards) the school fees and boarding costs for 39 secondary school students, 17 college students and 6 university students, totalling £41,627 (2023 £58,867). The total amount of funding received in 2024, all from private individuals for their respective sponsored students, was £44,127 (2023 £53,809), but £14,742 of this was not spent in 2024 as some of the donors pay annually in advance. In 2024, 62 students were sponsored, compared to 75 in 2023, hence the reduction in donations. The reason for the apparent decrease in expenditure is as follows. School fees are payable twice a year, in

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early January and June. In 2023, 3 instalments of school fees were paid, but in 2024, only 2 instalments were paid. We also have £42,900 of funding which needs to be spent on the fees of 6 school, 2 college and 2 university students whom we have undertaken to pay for out of unrestricted funds until the completion of their various courses in 1 to 6 years’ time. The trustees therefore need to designate that amount (£42,900). We have also decided to designate £30,000 from our reserves at the end of 2024, to fund the secondary and tertiary education of Choba graduates whose sponsors may not be able to fund them until they complete their education. £30,000 would fund 3 medical students for the 5 year course, £2,000 a year being the minimum necessary top up to the maximum government loan for medical students. We currently have 6 A level students hoping to become doctors, and we need to ensure that no Choba graduate selected for medical school is prevented from taking up their place due to a shortage of funds. At this stage, the sponsors of 2 of the 6 potential doctors have indicated that they may not be able to continue beyond A level, and a third has not committed yet. The maximum paid to sponsor any one student (who is studying Medical Doctor at university) was £2,227 in 2024.

Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit and consider all the activities we fund in Tanzania to be of public benefit.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

The eventual aim is for Choba Primary and Nursery School to be financed completely by parental contributions so that it can continue long after the present Children of Choba trustees. We are working gradually towards this aim, with the parents contributing 81% of the cost of running the school in 2024 compared to nothing when Children of Choba was founded in 2010. This transition is enabling us to spend more of our funding on the secondary and tertiary education of Choba graduates. However, the school will always be of supreme importance as the graduates would not obtain places at private secondary schools or colleges without the foundation they receive at Choba Primary School.

Valerie McGivern, Chair of Trustees, spent 11 months of the period in Tanzania (2024). Her responsibilities included the following: -

During 2021 Valerie was required to retire in Tanzania but she is still able to fulfil the above roles as a member of the school committee. During this period she has obtained a small amount of restricted funding towards her – living expenses for details please refer to the accounts.

Section D Achievements and performance

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Summary of the main At Choba we are not just building a school, we are trying to give each achievements of the charity child the opportunity to maximise his or her potential. This was our during the year eleventh year as an independent community school after we passed the strict criteria for registration. In our tenth year of having a Class 7, we have achieved excellent results again. Choba English Medium Primary School performed very well in the National Primary School Leaving Examinations, with a school average over all subjects of 80% - of our 25 students, 16 got an average of A and 9 got B. Again, for the third year, NECTA (National Examinations Council of Tanzania) did not publish positions, but we have improved our marks (in 2021 our overall average was 75%) so it would be reasonable to assume that we at least maintained our position in the top 5% of Tanzanian primary schools. Our sixth intake at Choba Primary School (who graduated in 2020) sat their O levels in 2024. Six Choba graduates (5 of whom were sponsored and 1 of whom was at a government scholarship school for special talents) did outstandingly well, with one student with 8 As, one with 7 As, two with 6 As and 1 B, one with 5 As and 2 Bs and one with 4 As and 3 Bs. Only the best 7 subjects are counted. Eight further students got Division I, making a total of 14. Seven further students got Division II and 9 Division III. There were no Choba graduates with Division IV or zero. Twelve students who graduated from Choba Primary School in 2017 sat A levels in May 2024, and 8 got Division I (including one with AAB and another with AAD) and 4 got Division II. None got Division III. All opted for university, where 1 is studying Chinese, 2 Accountancy, and the others various subjects including Social Work, Computer Science, and Special Needs Teaching. One Choba graduate of 2015 who completed her Diploma in Law in 2023 got excellent results and is now studying Law at university. All new applicants received government loans but none of them got 100%. We continue to support Amina and Zuwena (Medicine) and Hadija (Law) who have a large shortfall. In 2024 Children of Choba has also paid for the college education (to diploma or certificate level) of 17 Choba graduates who completed their O level studies from 2019 - 2024 but who either were not selected for A levels, or chose vocational training over A levels. They are studying subjects that we hope will make them employable – clinical medicine, animal health and production, community development, law, public administration, primary teaching and early years teaching. One of these students completed their diploma during 2024, getting Upper Second Class. Two students also passed their certificates, in Primary Education and Nursery Education and Daycare. We are very proud to have 3 Choba graduates employed as teachers at Choba Primary School and 1 at Choba Nursery School. We continue to be very encouraged by these results particularly as the parents realise the success of the children is due to their foundation at Choba Primary and Nursery School. In addition to exam success, we are proud that our sponsored students are growing up to be hard working, responsible young people with leadership potential. Many are prefects and leaders at their schools and colleges, and at Franciscan Girls’ Secondary School 6 of their 8 head girls have been Choba graduates.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves

We aim to keep at 50 – 100% our annual expenditure in unrestricted reserve at all times.

We finished this financial year with a total of £157,021 in hand. £27,242 of this is restricted funding and £72,900 designated by the trustees for secondary and tertiary education of Choba graduates. £56,879 of unrestricted funding remains, which is 91% of our 2024 annual expenditure of £62,113.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Nil

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

No grants were received during the year. Gift Aid of £10,143 was claimed during the year.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) McGivern Full name(s) Valerie Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc) Date 15/4/2025

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CHILDREN OF CHOBA

PERIOD 1/8T0 31/12/24

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS Exchange Rate
EXCHANGE RATE USED 1GBP=TZS 3100 1GBP to TZS 3000
UNREST RESTRI DESIG
UK TANZANIA RICTED CTED **NATED ** TOTAL PRIOR YEAR
FUNDS **FUNDS ** FUNDS 2023
Note 9 Note 6
Notes £
RECEIPTS
DONATIONS FOR SPONSORED STUDENTS 5 39,470 4,657 44,127 44,127 53,809
GENERAL DONATIONS 17,924 767 18,691 18,691 23,268
GRANTS 3 0 1,500
FUNDING FOR VALERIE McGIVERN COSTS 9, 10 12,500 12,500 12,500 12,500
BANK INTEREST LESS TAX 2,690 2,690 2,690
TRANSFERRED TO TANZANIA -40,000 40,000
TOTAL 29,894 48,114 21,381 56,627 0 78,008 91,077
PAYMENTS
DONATIONS TO CHOBA PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL 4
CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL SCHOOL RUNNING EXPENSES 5,330 5,330 5,330 6,396
SAFARI TO MKOMAZI NATIONAL PARK 629 629 629 628
TEXT BOOKS 1,170 1,170 1,170 1,542
AUDIT FEE 387 387 387 227
7,516 7,516 7,516 8,793
SPONSORED STUDENTS 5 41,627 41,627 41,627 58,867
VOLUNTEERS - FLIGHTS ETC 7
OFFICE EXPENSES 8
WEBSITE HOSTING 144 144 144 163
BANK CHARGES 184 142 326 326 258
RESTRICTED FUNDING FOR VALERIE MCGIVERN 10
RETIREMENT GIFTS TO 2 WATCHMEN 1,935 1,935 1,935
ESSENTIAL REPAIRS TO ACCOMMODATION 2,051 2,051 2,051 3,322
CAR EXPENSES 2,010 2,010 2,010 1,187
CONTRIBUTION TO LIVING EXPENSES 4,469 4,469 4,469 2,991
MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR TEACHER 1,183 1,183 1,183
FLIGHT TO UK FOR FUNDRAISING 852 852 852
12,500 12,500 12,500 7,500
TOTAL PAYMENTS 328 61,785 7,986 54,127 62,113 75,581
NET BALANCE OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS 29,566 -13,671 13,395 2,500 15,895 15,496
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
CASH FUNDS
HSBC 100,535 393 27,242 72,900 100,535 71,206
EXIM BANK TANGA TZS 55,052 55,052 55,052 68,680
EXIM BANK TANGA GBP 309 309 309 399
CASH IN HAND 1,125 1,125 1,125 841
TOTAL 100,535 56,486 56,879 27,242 72,900 157,021 141,126
LIABILITIES
NONE 0 0 0 0

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Children of Choba members of

On accounts for the year 31[st] December 2024 Charity no 1138096 ended (if any) Set out on pages Accounts Attached – including Notes to the Accounts

Respective The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. responsibilities of The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Date: 15/04/2025 Signed: Name: Martin Coles Relevant professional FCMA, MA(Hons) qualification(s) or body Address: 14 Dymott Square, Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire. BA14 7RW