EXETER
ETHIOPIA
LINK
ANNUAL REPORT
JANUARY- DECEMBER 2021
Enabling communities
to help themselves
## ANNUAL REPORT - CONTENTS
## **2021 PROJECT UPDATES**
- LIBRARIES & LITERACY
- INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
- YEAR OF THE TREE
## **UPDATES:**
- MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS
- TREASURER’S REPORT
- GOVERNANCE, PEOPLE & ROLES
- STRATEGY FOR 2022
## **INTRODUCTION FROM SECRETARY**
I want to say a huge thank you to the individuals which make up our team:
- Trustees who give so freely their time. Emma Sarton is resigning from the board at this meeting and we thank her for her long service and contribution.
- Thanks to Mark & Enable-Ed for your expert project management, invaluable knowledge and Enable-Ed for sponsoring the Big Give.
� This year we have continued to be heavily reliant on the internet for our communications. This is definitely not the same as meeting face to face but it has meant that we could recruit trustees from across the country. I want to thank our volunteers Lee and David for the many hours they contribute to the social media website and newsletter. Regrettably the Link Up meetings have had to be suspended as we have no one to run them. We hope that we can organise more face to face meetings moving forward and welcome any suggestions.
Thank you to you our members and followers who have once again been most generous with your financial contributions and your time and effort in fundraising. Of course our partners in Nekemte are the people on the ground who make things happen. This year has been incredibly difficult for them with the political unrest and now the huge rise in inflation. Our volunteer Murti has been an absolute hero in delivering our projects and keeping us updated. Huge thanks to Murti and Tesema and the whole DASCC team. One of our objectives as we move forward as a charity is to engage more closely with our project workers and beneficiaries in Nekemte. It was with a heavy heart that it has been necessary to terminate our contracts with the project workers as the large, funded UKAid projects have drawn to a close. We thank them for their achievements.
▪ ▪
▪
The charity is very much in a state of transition with the disappearance of large funding opportunities, a reduction in active volunteers and a reduced number of board members. We see this as an opportunity to bring in new people and develop closer links with our projects. _By Dawn._
## **2021 UPDATES:**
� 2021 was a hugely challenging year because of the political situation with the projects not being able to work in rural areas because of the presence of security threats.
- Where possible we pivoted support to town schools and other local easier to reach schools (although the team often carried out monitoring visits on foot on 3 to 4 hour round trips).
## **Libraries and Literacy**
- We have supported librarians in 34 libraries, with over 50% being females.
- On average approximately 18,000 students access our libraries per month and over 1000 books are borrowed monthly.
� Our data shows that those students who access the library regularly improve their grades.
- We have also improved 11 schools libraries with more books and furniture.
Some of our Librarians
## **Libraries and Literacy Continued…**
- We have piloted girl’s tutorials in six
- schools to improve girl’s literacy.
� We are waiting for full results in but for three schools where the teachers delivered the tutorials (in three others librarians delivered the tutorials) it is looking like it has been tremendously . successful. Huge well done to them
## **The Inclusive Education Project**
- This continued though on a much smaller scale because our UK Aid grant came to an end.
- We were very pleased as it was acknowledged that our project met our outcomes/outputs proposed and in a number of areas UK AID, in particular for primary education, our project greatly exceeded its targets.
- A small amount of additional funding was received from the Waterloo Foundation to help continue the project.
In 2021:
- ✓ 6 more _disability clubs_ were set up supporting
- 56 disabled children
- ✓ 28 _Deaf Students_ were provided with tutorials in grade 9-12 in Biftu Nekemte
✓ 12 Students were provided _assistive devices_ ✓ 78 disabled adults and parents of disabled children accessed two new _Savings and Loan Associations_ and over the year they saved ETB £12000 (approx. £200)
▪ **Case Studies overleaf…**
## **DEAF STUDENT CASE STUDY**
**Name** : Ermiyas Solomon **Age** : 18 **Gender** : Male **School** : Biftu Nekemte
Ermiyas is an active and outstanding student. He came from West Wollega to Nekemte School for the Deaf, and then went onto Biftu Nekemte school. He is from a very poor family, his father has been in bed for several years paralyzed. He had been going to a normal school, with no translation/sign support, where he could only lip read. Ermiyas is a brilliant student with a special gift which started on the day he joined Nekemte School for the Deaf. Now in secondary school- he came 3[rd] in exams in his whole class.
Exeter Ethiopia Links Involvement: ✓ TUTORIALS FOR THE DEAF: 3 months prior EEL’s Inclusive Education Project started to provide tutorial classes for 12[th] , 11[th] and 9[th] grade deaf students of Biftu Nekemte secondary school, in key subjects, Ermiyas wrote an application letter for support. We agreeded to support this clever student. ✓ EMPLOYMENT: Ermiyas is now employed through EEL funding as the Deaf Student Librarian for the school, earning ETB.1200.00 a month.
## **DISABLED STUDENT CASE STUDY**
**Name** : Saron Adugna : 10 **Age Gender** : Female **School** : Merkefa Primary School
Saron is physically disabled, using crutches to get around. She has a spinal cord problem. Despite her physical disability, she is sociable, has good memory skills, is a hard worker,, with a gentle manor. Saron is a role model for other disabled children at her school.
Her academic performance shows that she stood 1[st] in her class for 2 years continuously and has received two awards from Inclusive Education project.
Exeter Ethiopia Links Involvement: ✓ DISABILITY GROUP / SAVING & LOANS GROUP: Saron is from a very poor family. She & her parents benefited from our Disability Club and the Parent Support Group (which are official legal organisations, offering loans & saving opportunities) these have enabled Saron to continue to attend school.
## **The Bike Project**
- Our little bike club launched in 2021 has gone from strength to strength with it getting considerable media attention.
- � Some new bikes have been bought, existing ones repaired and all the girls now have a bike outfit
## **: The Bike Project**
The bike club has even appeared on the BBC and Voice of America
## YEAR OF THE TREE
- In a promising start to the Year of The tree in January 2020 members and friends of EEL participated in the planting of an oak tree in Belmont Park, Exeter. Unfortunately, Covid-19 meant future fundraising events had to be cancelled. One such event was the Taste of Ethiopia Banquet but thanks to the generosity of people not requiring refunds we have money to go towards are next project.
� A tree, planted in memory of John Rainger, an active member of Exeter Ethiopia Link for many years was thought be a fitting end to the Year of The Tree. Again the pandemic prevented such plans but in cooperation with the people of Kings Nympton on the 2[nd] June of this year a Crabb Apple (John’s favourite) was planted prior to lighting the beacon as part of the Queen’s Jubilee.
Some of the wonderful trees drawn by the children from Burka Bekumsa School in preparation for the short lived but fruitful Year of The Tree.
## EEL UPDATES: **MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS**
- A big thank you to all our members who continue to subscribe to EEL and to those who donate to specific projects throughout the year.
- Membership currently stands at 102 members.
- With your help we hope that this will increase over the next year.
- So please spread the word:
EEL Enabling Communities to Help Themselves
**CURRENT MEMBERS = 102**
## TREASURER’S REPORT
Von Mathieson from Exeter Community Accounting has examined our accounts for January to December 2021 in line with financial legislation, and submitted her report to the Trustees.
The Link has finished 2021 with total funds of £42,993.00 (2020: £51,869.73). This decrease is in part due to the funding cycle of our ongoing projects. We have received the last of the monies for the ongoing Inclusive Education Project and the Schools, Libraries and Literacy Project. In addition we have carried out fund raising, including the very successful Big Give towards the end of 2021 (This is reflected in the restricted line for “Librarians”). Some of the monies raised through the Big Give were transferred to our accounts at the beginning of 2022, and so have not come into this account reporting.
Covid and the current socio-political situation in Ethiopia has impacted activities in Nekemte again. This has lead to some alteration in activities in line with the goals of the funded projects. This has allowed us to continue with the project objectives and is reflected in the expenditure of £763.28 (general funds) and £46,863.15 (restricted funds).
Further expenditure on the projects has continued in the first half of this year, and will be accounted for in the accounts for 2022 (these will be presented in the 2023 AGM).
Currently the accounts for the Exeter Ethiopia Link are healthy, with totals of £16,864.88 in unrestricted funds and £26129.13 in restricted funds (£42,993.00 total).
**The Link has finished 2021 with total funds of**
## **£42,993**
**(2020: £51,869).**
**(See separate Financial Report for detail)**
## **What’s Next:**
We have reached the end of funding from the government Small Charities Challenge Funding for our projects around inclusive education and libraries and literacy (and librarians). This may mean that forward planning of projects and activities will need a close eye, with targets matching the reduction of funds coming in. However, we are financially in a good place to focus on key activities, and increase fundraising efforts to keep our contributions to Nekemte effective.
## **GOVERNANCE, PEOPLE AND ROLES** TRUSTEES:
|**Continuing Trustees**|**Trustees Standing Down**|**Ex-officio Trustees**|**Candidates for Election**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Penny Pullen|Emma Sarton|Dawn Swettenham
(Secretary)||
|Ella Sadler|Anna Pawlyn|||
|||Kirsten Pullen (Treasurer)|George Dexter|
|Annie Bainbridge||||
|||||
|Liz Horsefield||||
|||||
|Dawn Swettenham||||
|||||
|||||
## **GOVERNANCE, PEOPLE AND ROLES** OFFICERS:
|**Role**|**Officer**|
|---|---|
|General Secretary|Dawn Swettenham|
|Treasurer|Kirsten Pullen|
|Membership Secretary|Annie Bainbridge|
|Fundraising, social media, publicity|Lee Davies|
|Website Editor|David Scarbrough|
|Projects Coordination|Enable-Ed|
|Treasury Team|Kirsten Pullen + Von Matthieson|
|Volunteers|Oscarine & Sue Parks|
## **2022 STRATEGY**
**1. ATTRACT NEW ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS, WHETHER THAT BE AS TRUSTEES, MEMBERS OR VOLUNTEERS**
## HOW:
- –
- Local activity in Exeter respect festival
- Encourage followers on social media
- • Encourage sign ups to the newsletter
- • Advertise locally and on volunteer recruitment websites
- Engage with schools nationally and reigniting our link up scheme
- • Improve access to our partners in Nekemte through video links and a project manager employed by EEL
**2. MAINTAIN FUNDRAISING**
## HOW
• Repeat The Big Give • Make our projects relevant and give donors a clear idea of the issues and how their donation of either money or time will make a difference • Continue with our annual Year of the…. Focus. _See next slide._ This is working well but we need to be aware of the need to provide continuity for certain projects.
## **3. PROJECT EFFICIENCY, MONITORING AND EVALUATION**
## HOW:
- Employ a project manager in Nekemte, who may be supported by Murti
- Use the skills and expertise of new volunteers
- Continue to work with EnablEd
## **2022 FOCUS:**
## YEAR OF THE GIRL…
**To reduce inequality and promote health, safety and wellbeing for girls living in the Nekemte area of Ethiopia.**
## **We hope to fund:**
- £50 a month to support 60 girls - less than £1 per girl per month
- £75 a year to support a female librarian.
- Additional Projects:
- £200 per year to employ a deaf librarian
- Supporting Girls Clubs
## **What is certain:**
Whether it be raising literacy skills or providing a safe space to learn, every penny raised will go towards identify and helping girls in need.
## **PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR SUPPORT**
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO**
Charity Number 1154085
Annual Accounts and Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2021
## **Unaudited Accounts**
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO**
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts for the year ending 31 December 2021**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met.
Signed:
Dated: 6 September 2022
Exeter Community Accounting
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO Charity Information**
## **Charity Address:**
|**Charity Address:**||
|---|---|
||5 St. Marys Drive|
||BRIXHAM|
||Devon|
||TQ5 9FB|
|**Charity Number**|1154085|
|**Trustees**||
||Dawn Swettenham|
||Kirsten Pullen|
||Annie Bainbridge|
||Eloise Sadler|
||George Dexter Appointed June 2022|
||Emma Sarton Resigned June 2022|
||Anna Pawlyn Resigned October 2021|
||Penelope Pullen Appointed June 2021|
||Elizabeth Horsefield Appointed June 2021|
||Abi Williams Resigned May 2021|
|**Independent Examiner**|Exeter Community Accounting|
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2021**
|**Notes**
**Current Assets**
Bank Account ...5188
4
Bank Account …7900
**Creditors**
Liabilities Falling Due Within One Year
**Net Assets**
**Funds of the charity**
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**Total Funds**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
£
33,504
9,490
**42,994**
-
**42,994**
**42,994**
17,125
25,869
**42,994**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2020**
£
28,192
23,678|
|---|---|---|
|||**51,870**
-|
|||**51,870**|
|||**51,870**|
|||12,827
39,043|
|||**51,870**|
> **Approved by the Board of Trustees on ……………………..** 15th September 2022
> **and signed on its behalf by** A.D. Swe(enham Secretary
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year ending 31st December 2021**
|**Notes**
**Income**
2
Grants Received
Donations
Subscriptions
Gift Aid rec'd
Fundraising
Bank interest
**Total Income**
**Expenditure on:**
3
Charitable activities
(including Governance and support costs)
**Total Expenditure**
Net Income/(expenditure)
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
**2021**
**2021**
**2020**
1,500
26,433
27,933
42,729
-
2,935
2,935
2,333
3,561
185
3,746
3,182
-
-
-
-
-
4,136
4,136
703
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||**5,061**
**33,689**
**38,750**
**48,947**|
||763
46,863
47,626
32,882|
||**763**
**46,863**
**47,626**
**32,882**|
||4,298
(13,174)
(8,876)
16,065|
||12,827
39,043
51,870
35,805|
||**17,125**
**25,869**
**42,994**
**51,870**|
**EXETER ETHIOPIA LINK CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31st December 2021**
## **1. Accounting policies**
- 1.1 These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value.
- The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014
## 1.2 All Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities
- 1.3 Gift Aid received is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor
|**2 Analysis of Income**
Grants Receivable
**Donations & Gifts**
Donations
Subscriptions
Gift Aid rec'd
Fundraising
Bank Interest rec'd
**Total Income**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2021**
**2021**
**2021**
**2020**
£
£
£
£
1,500
26,433
27,933
42,729|
|---|---|
||**1,500**
**26,433**
**27,933**
**42,729**|
||-
2,935
2,935
2,333
3,561
185
3,746
3,182
-
-
-
-
-
4,136
4,136
703
-
-
-
-|
||**3,561**
**7,256**
**10,817**
**6,218**|
||**5,061**
**33,689**
**38,750**
**48,947**|
## **EXETER ETHIOPIA LINK**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31st December 2021**
## **3 Analysis of Expenditure**
|**3 **|**Analysis of Expenditure**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**2021**|**2021**|**2021**|**2020**|
|||£|£|£|£|
||Administration|-|-|-|524|
||Fundraising costs|30|-|30|105|
||Grants out|-|46,863|46,863|30,800|
||Travel costs UK|-|-|-|-|
||Travel costs Ethiopia|-|-|-|-|
||Subsistence|-|-|-|-|
||Room Hire|-|-|-|20|
||Insurance|251|-|251|566|
||Printing|-|-|-|218|
|||**281**|**46,863**|**47,144**|**32,234**|
||**Governance**|||||
||Accountancy|482|-|482|625|
||Bank charges|-|-|-|23|
|||482|-|482|648|
||**Total Expenditure**|**763**|**46,863**|**47,626**|**32,882**|
|**4 **|**Cash at bank & in hand at 31 December**|**2021**||||
||Cooperative Bank Account ..5188|33,504||||
||Cooperative Bank Account ..7900|9,490||||
|||**£42,994**||||
## **EXETER ETHIOPIA LINK CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31st December 2021**
|**Unrestricted Funds**
General
Just Trust
Education
**Restricted Funds**
IEP/GPAF
Education - Restricted
Linked schools
Waterloo Trust
Health & Welfare
Women & Vulnerable People
Sponsorships
Travel Fund
Librarians
Rathbone Trust
The Bike Project
Year of the Girl
**Total Funds**||**Jan-21**
9,396
1,500
1,931|**Income**
3,561
1,500
-|**Expenditure**
(763 )
-
-|**Transfers**
-
-
-|**Dec-21**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||12,194
3,000
1,931|
||12,827||5,061|(763)|-|17,125|
||23,678
731
1,075
1,473
973
2,451
1,771
610
-
525
5,756||24,633
-
-
-
200
480
-
8,376
-
-|(41,686 )
(853 )
-
(1,318 )
-
-
-
-
-
-
(3,006 )|-
680
-
(155 )
-
-
-
-
-
(525 )
-|6,625
558
1,075
-
973
2,651
2,251
610
8,376
-
2,750
-|
||39,043||33,689
-|46,863
|-
25,869||
||**51,870**||**38,750**|**(47,626)**|**-**
**42,994**||
## **Exeter Ethiopia Link CIO**
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts for the year ending 31 December 2021**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met.
Signed: Dated: 6 September 2022
Exeter Community Accounting