Trustees’ Annual Report 2022
1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2022
Fly The Phoenix
Registered Charity #1148531 in England and Wales
for
The Phoenix Projects
www.thephoenixprojects.org
Submitted by the Trustees
On 2nd June 2023
Registered Address Registered Bank Wayside House HSBC 7 Nethergate Street 9 High Street Clare Bracknell Suffolk Berkshire CO10 8NP RG12 1DN United Kingdom United Kingdom
Registered Bank
Registered Bank Trustees Santander Moli Griffin Bootle Sharon Hodgkins Merseyside Sean Risdale L30 4GB Dom Williams United Kingdom Doreen Williams
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Table of Contents
| 1.0 | Executive Summary | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | The Phoenix Projects in Latin America | 3 |
| 3.0 | Message from the Trustees | 3 |
| 4.0 | Sustainable Income Plans | 4 |
| 5.0 | Ecuador: review and costs | 4 |
| 6.0 | Perú: review and costs | 7 |
| 7.0 | Guatemala: review and costs | 10 |
| 8.0 | Honduras: review and costs | 12 |
| 9.0 | The Phoenix Projects: review and costs | 15 |
| 10.0 | Fly The Phoenix: review and costs | 15 |
| 11.0 | Financial Statement | 16 |
| 12.0 | Independent Examiner’s Report | 17 |
1.0 Executive Summary
The Phoenix Projects are a non-profit-making organisation that believes education, daily food and employment opportunities are basic human rights for those who live in extreme poverty. Since 2002 we have promoted these rights in several Latin American countries by starting new schools, supporting others and implementing small businesses within the communities to benefit the local families. We currently work in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Perú.
During the financial period between 1[st] January 2022 and 31[st] December 2022, £101,120 (£77,286 – 2021) was raised and received through our charity Fly The Phoenix. £101,183 (£73,293 – 2021) was spent on the operating costs of The Phoenix Projects including local teachers’ salaries, food and fruit, transport, educational materials, construction and implementation of sustainable income-generating plans which should benefit over 500 families in the future. These plans provide local employment and over the next five years should grow to the point where the communities themselves completely finance the projects with a target of 75% by the end of 2023.
----- Start of picture text -----
Honduras FTP costs
Project 4% 3% Ecuador
Management
39%
8%
Guatemala
10%
Perú
36%
----- End of picture text -----
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2.0 The Phoenix Projects in Latin America
Fly The Phoenix is the registered UK charity for The Phoenix Projects who currently work in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Perú promoting full education and employment in various indigenous communities. We have previously worked with communities in Brazil, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
We aim to offer daily sustainable education to hundreds of children, teenagers and adults each year in primary, secondary, college and university by providing local teachers, scholarships and implementing small family businesses from which all the children and teenagers can continue their further education.
Local employment opportunities are created by investing in sustainable income-generating community initiatives which will help pay for the schools in the future and provide for the families’ household costs.
3.0 Message from the Trustees
As we celebrate our twentieth anniversary working in Latin America, 2022 has been a year of rebuilding after the pandemic, not helped by the global cost of living crisis.
Access to full-time education from primary school to university will always be our number one priority though we are also aware that in times of hardship employment opportunities are scarce even with a full education. The pandemic, the negative effects of climate change which have been evident for years where we work and the current cost of living crisis are prime examples of these additional reallife obstacles facing our communities who already live with extreme difficulties.
The implementation of sustainable family and community income plans is key to ensuring independent economic stability no matter how the current macro environment is faring and along with education will be a top priority for our work over the coming years.
We have learned so much over the past twenty years in Latin America, the highs and the lows, and we plan to use this extensive knowledge we have garnered to benefit not only the communities where we currently work though also to implement new projects in other communities. The goal is the same wherever: sustainable full education and economic security.
Thank you so much to all our donors for helping us get this far and we hope you will continue to support our work for years to come as we face the known, and unknown, issues facing Latin American communities now and in the future.
We, as the Board of Trustees, have approved this report and it has been signed by Dominic Williams on our behalf on 2[nd] June 2023.
Dominic Williams, Trustee
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4.0 Sustainable Income Plans
At present the projects are 100% reliant on donations, fundraising and sustainable income plans. Depending on funding we hope to invest over £75,000 ($95,000) in sustainable family incomegenerating plans in the communities over the next few years which will ultimately make all the projects self-sustainable financially whilst creating employment opportunities.
So far over 300 families have benefitted from our sustainable income plans meaning their children’s secondary school, college and university costs can be covered in the future. We plan to increase this number substantially over the coming years.
5.0 Ecuador
In 2005 The Phoenix Projects began working in three local Kichwa-speaking indigenous schools in the communities of Huayrapungo, Muenala and Urcusiqui. In 2007 we started work in Larcacunga. All above 3000m (10,000 feet) in the Andes mountains each school had one or two teachers working across all 7 grades and little access to educational resources. Following a government overhaul of the education system in 2014, rural schools were centralized and we concentrated on the school in Urcusiqui which also included students from Muenala, Huayrapungo and Achupallas.
As well as providing local teachers, daily food and fruit, educational materials and internet in the school we have built energy-efficient stoves, employed local teachers and started Plan Ironwoman aimed to improve the diets of pre-natal mothers. Sustainable plans including the purchase of cows (Plan Moo) and guinea pigs (Plan Cuy) which were started in 2008 now help cover further education costs of most of the children in the communities. In total around 200 children and teenagers can receive primary, secondary, college and University education either in the centralized school or helped by income generated from the family sustainable plans.
Full classes were held throughout the year in 2022 and we were able to celebrate full cultural celebrations for the first time since the pandemic including Pawkar Raymi (asking Pachamama – Mother Earth – for a good harvest), Fanesca over Easter, Mother’s Day, graduate trips in July, colada morada for Day of the Dead and of course, Christmas!
We were also able to restart the implementation of Plan Moo whereby we buy milking cows which are looked after by local families and the income generated by milk and future calves’ milk is shared between them and the school’s costs. Plan Moo has been an essential part of our secondary school and college programme since 2008 and bringing more students into the scheme is paramount for the future of the communities.
We will continue with our six local teachers in 2023 in the central school for the four communities. We plan to increase the Plan Moo herd to help sustainably cover their salaries in the future. We also plan to implement Plan Cuy and Plan Huerto in the communities to ensure further income for the families and the school.
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Fig. 1 – Celebrating Pawkar Raymi
The process of identifying new communities to work with in the coming years is also underway whereby extra teachers in the local schools will be paid for from the income of sustainable community income plans, ensuring their future from the start.
5.1 Ecuador costs 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£39,592 | -£28,972 |
| Local teachers | -£27,600 | -£24,113 |
| Sustainable Plans | -£6,706 | -£727 |
| Food and celebrations | -£2,756 | -£1,068 |
| Materials and internet | -£2,530 | -£1,964 |
| Essential products | -£0 | -£827 |
| Maintenance and construction | -£0 | -£273 |
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5.2 Ecuador forecast costs 2023
For the next financial year we forecast that the basic running costs for Ecuador will be £30,000 excluding investment in sustainable plans which will be undertaken.
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£30,000 | -£39,592 |
| Local teachers | -£26,000 | -£27,600 |
| Food and celebrations | -£2,000 | -£2,756 |
| Materials and internet | -£2,000 | -£2,530 |
| Sustainable Plans | -£tba | -£6,706 |
| Maintenance and construction | -£tba | -£0 |
5.3 Ecuador sustainable plans
We started to introduce sustainable income-generating plans in 2008 with Plan Moo and will invest in many more during 2023/24. These include:
Plan Moo (cows) – Introduced in 2008 with families receiving a cow and the income derived from milk sales and subsequent calves' milk helping to cover secondary school, college and further education costs of the children in the communities.
Plan Cuy (guinea pigs) – This was introduced in 2011 with the building of cuy houses and the rearing of guinea pigs for sale. The income helps with further education costs.
Plan Ironwoman – This was started in 2012 with the aim of providing sustainable iron-rich crops for pregnant mothers to fight infant malnutrition. Investment was made in materials, tools and seeds.
Plan Papa (potatoes) - Introduced in 2013/14 with the harvests of potatoes. It covered wages but, due to problems with the weather, the yield covered costs only.
Plan Huerto (vegetable gardens) - Started in 2013 with the aim to provide regular food for school meals and the community.
Plan Pollo (chickens) - Introduced in Muenala in 2015 with the sales of eggs being shared between the communities for further education costs. The old classrooms were used after centralization of the schools.
Plan Chancho (pigs) - Introduced in 2021 by purchasing young pigs to fatten up and sell after six months with profits shared between reinvestment and family costs.
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Fig. 2 – Plan Moo was restarted
6.0 Perú
The Phoenix Projects began work in Perú in both kindergarten and primary schools in the Quechua and Aymara-speaking desert communities of Triunfo and Maldonado in Sachaca on the outskirts of Arequipa in 2006 and later in Chiguata, Chivay and Machahuaya. Since then we have employed local teachers and cooks so the children could have one hot meal a day as well as fresh fruit. We have built extra classrooms, energy-efficient stoves and kitchens in the schools, awarded materials scholarships for further education and communal water tanks due to the scarcity of water. In 2013 the government became more proactive with food programmes and teachers so our work is now concentrated in Maldonado. In total 60 children receive primary school education.
Classes finally got back underway in 2022 with an increased number of students after more than two years out due to the pandemic with plenty to be done for the children’s education. Thanks to the visit of the students from Impington International College, UK, our first sustainable plan was introduced in the desert; a fully irrigated vegetable garden for the children’s school meals. A new classroom was also built as well as painting and one-on-one teaching to help bring the children up to speed.
With restrictions being lifted due to the pandemic we were able to celebrate Mother’s Day as well as other cultural celebrations. Sadly due to political unrest we had to postpone the already postponed end-of-year trip for the students until 2023. The likewise postponed Inca Trail Charity Challenge finally went ahead and was a great success.
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Fig. 3 – Cultural events including local dance were restarted
Our plans for 2023 include welcoming an increased number of students now that we have four classrooms as well as expanding Plan Huerto to increase the school meals and help the local families. We also plan to identify new communities to work in over the coming years.
6.1 Perú running costs 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£35,856 | -£9,047 |
| Charity Challenge costs | -£14,357 | -£0 |
| Local teachers | -£7,964 | -£7,618 |
| Construction | -£6,100 | -£0 |
| Sustainable Plans | -£3,250 | -£0 |
| Celebrations & food | -£2,821 | -£0 |
| Classroom materials | -£1,364 | -£520 |
| Essential products | -£0 | -£909 |
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6.2 Perú forecast costs 2023
For the next financial year we forecast that the basic running costs for Perú will be £12,500 excluding investment in sustainable plans and construction.
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£12,500 | -£35,856 |
| Local teachers | -£8,000 | -£7,964 |
| Celebrations & food | -£3,000 | -£2,821 |
| Classroom materials | -£1,500 | -£1,364 |
| Charity Challenge costs | -£tba | -£14,357 |
| Construction | -£tba | -£6,100 |
| Sustainable Plans | -£tba | -£3,250 |
6.3 Perú sustainable plans
After many years investigating which sustainable plans would work in our communities in Perú due to their geographical location we were finally able to start with Plan Huerto (vegetable gardens) with the aim to provide regular food for school meals and the community. Using drip-irrigation and hydroponic systems the plans will be tested further with an aim to duplicate them in 2023.
Fig. 4 – Hydroponic Plan Huerto in the school
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7.0 Guatemala
The Phoenix Projects began in Kaqchikel-speaking communities in Chimaltenango and Sacatepéquez in 2002. Since then we have built schools for children to receive primary education, invested heavily in sustainable income plans, provided daily food and fruit as well as educational materials. We have also constructed energy efficient stoves to help reduce in-house air pollution, provided materials to rebuild homes and food supplies after natural disasters including Hurricanes Stan and Agatha, donated fertilizer for family crops, provided food and fruit-trees to the elderly population, reforested tens of thousands of trees and awarded hundreds of scholarships for further education. Now that primary school is freely available through the state system we are concentrating on secondary, college and university education with particular attention to students with serious underlying health issues and those living in severe poverty. Over 250 children and teenagers now have the opportunity to continue their education through the scholarships we provide as well as from the income generated from the sustainable plans we have implemented over the past several years.
Fig. 5 – Further education scholarship students
This year was a very successful year in Guatemala as many of our scholarship students graduated from secondary school and college with some budding business administrators now seeking employment.
Broken from the shackles of the pandemic and its restrictions on movement, the students were busy during the year taking on community projects including planting hundreds of trees and rubbish collecting.
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Looking forward to 2023 we plan to add more students to the scholarship programme taking the number well over one hundred whilst also expanding Plan Costura, our sewing business for single mothers. As all proceeds are shared between the mothers, they are able to provide for their children, especially with materials and extra costs for primary school. We will also be distributing educational materials to the poorest families for primary school students for when the government supplies run out. With this, we are helping to provide education from start to finish. We will also continue our treeplanting scheme as part of our overall Phoenix action to combat climate change.
7.1 Guatemala costs 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£10,067 | -£8,744 |
| Education & scholarships | -£8,400 | -£5,909 |
| Sustainable income plans | -£1,667 | -£562 |
| Essential products | -£0 | -£2,273 |
7.2 Guatemala forecast costs 2023
For the next financial year we forecast that the basic running costs covered by Fly The Phoenix for Guatemala will be £9,000 with more investment in sustainable plans and increasing the number of scholarships to one hundred students from several communities around the lake.
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£9,000 | -£10,067 |
| Education & scholarships | -£9,000 | -£8,400 |
| Sustainable income plans | -£tba | -£1,667 |
7.3 Guatemala Sustainable Plans
Over the past few years we have introduced many sustainable plans which have provided extra income for the local families and the schools. These include:
Plan Moo – The purchase of cows started in 2013 with the income from milk staying with the family as well as the initial cow after two calves.
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Plan Costura - The purchase of large weaving looms for "cortes" (the indigenous traditional dresses) and investing in training for the women in 2015. This plan was increased in 2019 with the purchase of sewing machines.
Plan Nixtamal – The purchase of machines in 2013 that grind basic maize into the dough needed to make tortillas. The machines were handed over to the families.
Plan Pollo (chickens) – Started in 2015 with the investment in breeding infrastructure, pens, feed and chickens with the income from the sales of meat and eggs (after costs for feed) being shared between the family and the schools.
Plan Huerto (vegetable gardens) – The investment in seeds, fertilizers, fencing and tools for small family gardens and on a larger scale with tomatoes and green beans from 2012.
Plan Reforestation – Started in 2002 working with a women's group in Chimaltenango funding a tree nursery producing and planting 25,000 trees a year. The plan was handed over to the women as they found their own clients. This, as well as community litter clearing, was reintroduced in 2021 at Lake Atitlán .
Fig. 6 – Community litter clearing
8.0 Honduras
The Phoenix Projects began in Honduras in 2004 working on water projects providing running water to rural Ch’orti’ communities in the Copán area. Since then we have started education projects in San Rafael in 2006 and Barbasco in 2010. In 2008 we started the Phoenix Secondary School and College paying for local teachers’ salaries and daily transport as well as materials allowing teenagers and adults
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from nine surrounding communities, many walking over two hours each way, to receive secondary and college education graduating in “Rural Social Enterprise”.
We have undertaken extensive construction at both schools including roofing, toilets and kitchens as well as completing an energy efficient stove project for families in the community.
In total almost 250 children, teenagers and adults currently have the opportunity to receive official education in primary, secondary, college and University levels through our secondary school and college as well as the many sustainable plans we have implemented over the past several years.
Fig. 7 – Local teachers’ meeting at the start of the school year
The community is now fully in charge of the secondary school and college with income generated on the ground to cover costs which has always been our philosophy – that the community take charge eventually.
8.1 Honduras costs 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£4,319 | -£14,974 |
| Local teachers | -£4,319 | -£12,710 |
| Sustainable income plans | -£0 | -£1,364 |
| Student transport | -£0 | -£900 |
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8.2 Honduras forecast costs 2023
For the next financial year there will be no costs related to the project as the community takes full control of future direction and funding.
8.3 Honduras sustainable plans
We have been investing in sustainable income plans since 2011. These include:
Plan Café - This was launched in 2011 by planting thousands of coffee bushes on land in San Rafael and Barbasco. The number of bushes was doubled during 2017.
Plan Negocio (small business) - The purchase of an industrial stove in 2013 to start a cooked-food business for the students of the Phoenix college. The food is sold in Copán.
Fig. 8 – Plan Huerto as part of the curriculum
Plan Huerto (vegetable gardens) - Various crops were introduced in 2015 in the homes of the college students. Investment was made in the centralized school scheme in 2021.
Plan Tilapia (fish) – Introduced in 2015 with two more pools constructed in 2016 and 2020. The fish are farmed and sold locally.
Plan Pollo (chickens) – Plan Pollo was started in 2015.
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9.0 The Phoenix Projects Management costs 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£8,500 | -£8,700 |
| Management costs | -£7,500 | -£7,500 |
| Transport costs | -£1,000 | -£1,200 |
We will be planting hundreds of trees each year to off-set this extra travel’s carbon footprint.
9.1 The Phoenix Projects Management costs 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£8,500 | -£8,500 |
| Management costs | -£7,500 | -£7,500 |
| Transport costs | -£1,000 | -£1,000 |
10.0 Fly The Phoenix costs 2022
Fly The Phoenix is run voluntarily by founders Dom and Doreen Williams.
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£2,850 | -£2,856 |
| Communications and media | -£1,750 | -£1,750 |
| Bank transfer charges | -£1,100 | -£1,106 |
10.1 Fly The Phoenix costs 2023
Fly The Phoenix will continue to be run voluntarily by founders Dom and Doreen Williams.
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total costs | -£2,850 | -£2,850 |
| Communications and media | -£1,750 | -£1,750 |
| Bank transfer charges | -£1,100 | -£1,100 |
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11.0 Financial Statement
From 1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Balance | £11,914.00 | £7,921.00 |
| Restricted funds | £100,050.00 | £76,148.00 |
| Unrestricted funds | £1,070.00 | £1,138.00 |
| **Total funds received1 ** | £101,120.00 | £77,286.00 |
| Total expenditure | -£101.183.00 | -£73,293.00 |
| Ecuador | -£39,592.00 | -£28,972.00 |
| Perú | -£35,856.00 | -£9,047.00 |
| Guatemala | -£10,067.00 | -£8,744.00 |
| Honduras | -£4,319.00 | -£14,974.00 |
| Project Management | -£8,500.00 | -£8,700.00 |
| Communications and media | -£1,750.00 | -£1,750.00 |
| International Bank Charges | -£1,100.00 | -£1,106.00 |
| Assets | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Liabilities | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Net Balance | £11,851.00 | £11,914.00 |
1Includes Gift Aid
We, as the Board of Trustees, approved this financial statement on 2[nd] June 2023 and it has been signed by Dominic Williams on our behalf.
Dominic Williams
Trustee
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12.0
Independent Examiner's Report
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