## **THE SHAMBA TRUST**
## **ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR APRIL 2024 TO MARCH 2025**
The trustees present the annual report for the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The SHAMBA Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1149849.
## **Mission statement**
Our mission is to promote the right of children from poor AIDS-affected households to receive an equitable foundation for lifelong learning. Our aim is to develop the capacity of communities to harness external and local resources in order to effectively deliver the support needed to mitigate the burdens of poverty and HIV/AIDS through early childhood education and development, and to improve access to other early childhood development (ECD) services.
## **Activities**
The Trust currently focuses its work in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, which has the highest rates of HIV and TB in the world and where 63% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line of US$1.25 per day. A staggering 58% of the children are orphans and/or vulnerable. The activities carried out by the SHAMBA Trust, through its local partner SHAMBA Eswatini (SHAMBA ES), include the following:
**Parenting programme** , which is called the _Positive Interaction of Parents with their Infants and Toddlers_ (PIPIT). SHAMBA ES started developing this programme in 2018 because it found that many of the children starting at its community preschools, who are 3 to 5 years old, have very little nurturing care in their home environments and often face stressful family circumstances. The preschool experience helps them to be better prepared for primary school than they would otherwise have been. However, where nurturing care (including early childhood stimulation) has been lacking during the critical first three years of life, children are unlikely to reach their full potential.
The target group for the PIPIT programme is parents and other carers of children aged 0- 36 months. In 2019, the programme was rolled out to all eight areas (see below) where SHAMBA ES is working with communities to provide quality preschool education to their most disadvantaged children. The roll out of the programme was initially funded with a grant from the EU.
**Preschool programme** , which is focused on children from the most deprived families in the Mpolonjeni Chiefdom (near Mbabane) and in Sandleni Chiefdom in Shiselweni. These children are identified through a robust, transparent selection process, which includes the completion of application forms, household visits and assessment by a neighbourhood care point (NCP) committee.
SHAMBA ES expanded its preschool programme from three preschools in 2016 to eight at the end of 2019 using an EU grant. However, a review of finances and income projections in October 2020 led to a decision to look for other agencies to take over some of the preschools. An approach was made to the Challenge Ministries of Swaziland (CMS), who took over Sigengeni and Mbowane pre-schools in May 2021, and Madacaza shortly after. The headman of Ntambande had ceased to cooperate with SHAMBA and so our support for that school and community was withdrawn. Hence, we
are down to only four communities and preschools: Makhwane, Maplazini, Nkoyoyo and Roma.
**After school club programme** , for primary school children in grades 1 to 2, with a focus on improving their reading and maths skills.
**Public health** , which includes nutrition, hand and oral hygiene, health education, disease prevention (including immunisation and the prevention of HIV) and promoting access to health services including the Baylor Clinic.
**Child protection and safeguarding** , which involves identifying cases of abuse or neglect and referral to the government’s social welfare department or the police’s child protection unit.
**Management and skills training,** which includes training preschool managers and teacher training.
## **How we operate**
The Charity delivers its charitable aims through its partners in Eswatini:
SHAMBA Eswatini is registered as a not-for-profit organisation under Section 17 of the Eswatini Companies Act (R7/34709). SHAMBA Swaziland has a board of directors, who are unpaid volunteers. The board of SHAMBA Eswatini submits an annual report and an annual workplan and budget to the Trustees. On approval of the documents, funds from The SHAMBA Trust are transferred to SHAMBA Eswatini to undertake the agreed work programme.
Other not-for-profit organisations which we work in Eswatini include Children’s Cup and WFP for food contributions. In addition, we work in collaboration with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (Children’s Department) and government ministries such as education, health, local government and social welfare.
The trustees always ensure that the projects we support are in line with our charitable objects and aims.
## **What we did**
During 2024/25 The SHAMBA Trust has continued to work closely with, and support, SHAMBA Eswatini, as our primary overseas partner. Our main activity in the UK has, as usual, been fund raising.
- Trustees submitted 67 grant applications to a range of organisations. Of these, 5
- were successful, yielding a total of £16,505.
- We have continued to raise funds through our _Help Fund a Preschool Place_ scheme.
- This income, together with what we receive from gift aid and bank interest totals approximately £18,000, and roughly covers the direct costs of 1.5 preschools plus their share of overheads.
- As a follow-up to his successful Bundu Bunch trilogy, Allan Low has been working on
- a complementary picture book series. In November our Human Resources Manager Busisiswe Sithole organised a book launch at Nkoyoyo preschool for the second two picture books in the three book series: ‘The Bundu Bunch get to Right Two Wrongs’ and ‘The Bundu Bunch get a Surprise’. Some 30 primary and preschool teachers attended and about 40 books were sold.
The biannual newsletters have continued to be sent to our donors and supporters to keep them updated on activities and developments.
## **The statement of income and expenditure**
This is presented as part of the annual accounts.
## **Trustees and portfolios**
Our trustees are unpaid and have not incurred any expenses. They are responsible for setting strategy and are responsible in law for the running of The SHAMBA Trust.
During the year there have been no changes in trustees or portfolios.
The current trustees are:
- Jim Sweet BSc, MSc - Chairperson (first appointed August 2013)
- Kerry Wilcox (Treasurer), BSc (Hons) (first appointed October 2018)
- Ken Charles (Secretary) FMS, EIIE (first appointed April 2020)
- Sheila O’Sullivan, BA, MA, MSc (first appointed August 2013)
- Dr Ruth Bell MBBS, MPH, FFPH (first appointed August 2013)
## **SHAMBA-ES organisational structure**
The operations of SHAMBA Eswatini are managed and implemented by a management team responsible to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is composed of three volunteer Swazi national members and a chairperson:
- Dr. Allan Low (chair)
- Thembi Silombo (member, Bank executive)
- Dr. Joy Rockley-Zwani (member, dentist)
- Serephy Resting (member, businesswoman)
- Joy is also involved in the monthly cash allocations of teacher expenses for school items.
The management team currently consists of two Swazi nationals and the executive director. The members of the team are:
∙ Dr Allan Low (executive director) - unpaid
∙ Nhlanhla Bhembe (Financial and admin support) – salaried
- Busisiwe Sithole (ECCE Manager/HR/Admin.) - salaried
Other SHAMBA Swaziland staff include:
∙ five ECD officers who teach at the Bright Future Preschools
- four support workers who work with the ECD officers at the Bright Future Preschools
**Charity address** : 22 GAUDICK CLOSE, EASTBOURNE, BN20 7QF
## **Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements**
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with normal accounting standards. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In the interests of transparency and accountability to our donors we will publish this annual report and the separate financial statement on our website. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Jim Sweet, Chairman
15[th] June, 2025
**SHAMBA UK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March, 2025**
## **SHAMBA UK YEAR ENDED 31 March, 2025**
## **CONTENTS**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|General Informaton|1|
|Treasurer's Report|2|
|Statement of Receipts and Payments|3|
|Balance Sheet|4|
## **SHAMBA UK YEAR ENDED 31 March, 2025**
## **GENERAL INFORMATION**
CHARITY ADDRESS: 22 Gaudick Close Eastbourne BN20 7QF England CHARITY COMMISSION NO 1149849 TRUSTEES: Mr Jim Sweet BSc, MSc (Chairperson) Mr Ken Charles FMS EllE (Secretary) Ms Kerry Wilcox BSc (Hons) (Treasurer) Ms Sheila O’Sullivan BA(Hons), MA, MSc Dr Ruth Bell MBBS, BA, BMedSci, MD, FFPH
1
## **SHAMBA UK YEAR ENDED 31 March, 2025**
## **TREASURER'S REPORT**
In accordance my role and instructions I have prepared, without conducting an audit or independent review, the financial statements for the year ended 31 March, 2025 from the books and records of the charity and from the information and explanations supplied to me.
**4/15/2025** ..................................... ........................... Date
## **Kerry Wilcox**
Glan Y Mor Llanrwst Road Glan Conwy Colwyn Bay LL28 5SY
2
## **SHAMBA UK**
## **YEAR ENDED 31 March, 2025**
## **STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS**
|**RECEIPTS**
Private donatons
Fundraising events
Interest
HMRC - Gif Aid
Help fund a preschool place
**PAYMENTS**
To SHAMBA eSwatni
Bank charges
Personel
Fundraising costs
**SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) OF RECEIPTS OVER EXPENDITURE**|**31-Mar-25**
**35,013**
16,063
565
1,337
3,128
13,920
**40,046**
40,000
46
**(5,033)**
**Year**
**ended**|**31-Mar-24**
**20,148**
1,183
704
1,332
2,863
14,066
**40,089**
40,000
89
**(19,941)**
**Year**
**ended**|**31-Mar-23**
**£**
**26,203**
**Year**
**ended**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||6,200
2,142
339
2,331
15,191|
||||**20,161**|
||||20,000
161|
||||**6,042**|
## **SHAMBA UK As at 31 March, 2025**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
|**ASSETS:**
**Current assets**
Cash at bank
Accounts receivable
**TOTAL ASSETS**
**LIABILITIES AND NET WORTH:**
**Current liabilites**
Accounts payable
**Cumulatve operatng funds**
Cumulatve operatng balance
**TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET WORTH**|**As At**
**31-Mar-25**
**£**
39,794
**39,794**
-
-
39,794
39,794
**39,794**|**As At**
**31-Mar-24**
**£**
44,827
**44,827**
-
-
44,827
44,827
**44,827**|**As At**
**31-Mar-23**
**£**
64,768|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**64,768**|
||||-|
||||-
64,768|
||||64,768|
||||**64,768**|
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E
|
|
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES report on the accounts
| CHARITY COMMISSION| _ Independent examiner's
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
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Report to the trustees/
members of | [HE SHAMBA TRUST
On accounts for the year | 3157 March 2025
ended
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Charity no | 1149849
(if any)
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- | report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust’) for the year ended @aU/@s/9eP4s)
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act . 2011 (“the Act’). | report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
- independent | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- e accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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signed: | / Z)[ees — Date: | 21/08/2025
|_/
Name: ‘Paul Bettison
Relevant professional |FCCA
qualification(s) or body ;
(if any):
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Address: | 1 Shire Lane, Cholesbury, Tring
HP23 6NA
## Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
IER
1
October 2018
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to
- disclose.
IER
2
October 2018