OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2021-12-31-accounts

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2021

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Reference and administrative information

Trustees

H. Margaret Gregory Andrew H. Gregory Nigel Watt Paul Simon (to 5[th] December 2020) Nick Tischler Lynn Norbury Catherine Putz Ian Tod Fred Ashmore, (from 11th October 2021) Dennis Tracey (from 11th October 2021) Julie Yates (from 13th December 2021)

Registered Address

Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS

Bankers

Co-operative Bank, 70/72 Cross Street, Manchester, M2 4JG

Website

http://www.quakercongo.org.uk

Page 2 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Introduction

Quaker Congo Partnership UK (QCP) is a Quaker charity which works in partnership with CEEACO, Communauté des Eglises Evangeliques des Amis au Congo (the Community of Evangelical Friends’[1] Churches in Congo). It was registered as an independent charity in January 2015. QCP has had a partnership relationship with CEEACO for some 15 years.

The very difficult conditions of life and work in South Kivu are well publicised in the media. This is a potentially flourishing and wealthy area where progress has lagged due to a combination of past war, recent armed conflict, the presence of conflict minerals and the historic weakness of government structures. Many Quakers feel led to support the work of QCP.

The area in which we are currently supporting projects is in the town of Uvira and 50km to the south to Abeka in the province of South Kivu.

The projects under this partnership are in four areas:-

Partnership really does describe our relationship and plans are worked out jointly rather than being dictated by the UK trustees.

During 2021 we have continued to work in groups of three/four trustees and associates who take a particular interest in each area of work.

Charitable purposes, Activities for the public benefit.

The objects of the charity are: To improve the physical and mental health and education and relieve the poverty of people of the Great Lakes Region of Africa and in particular those in the area of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Trustees have developed this broad objective to more specific work as follows.

To promote the furtherance of peace, equality and human rights in that area.

To raise funds and provide grants, mentoring and general assistance to hospitals, schools, formal and informal groups and individuals in order to further such objects, in particular supporting projects run by the ‘’ (CEEACO)”.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity’s Trust Deed was accepted by the Charity Commission at the time of registration in 2015.

There must be not less than 6 nor more than 14 Trustees. Manchester & Warrington and Area Quaker Meeting and Cambridgeshire Area Quaker Meetings have the right to appoint trustees. New Trustees can be appointed by the existing trustees at a formal meeting. A trustee can be reappointed on no more than two occasions to give an unbroken term of service as a trustee not

1 It is common practice for Quakers to refer to themselves as Friends, based on the formal title of the Society as The Religious Society of Friends of the Truth.

Page 3 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

exceeding nine years. That person cannot be reappointed as a trustee until three years have elapsed after the last period of service.

Trustee Meetings of QCP are held in the manner of Quakers with decisions agreed by the meeting recorded in contemporaneous minutes. The practice is explained in the Quakers Book of Discipline, Quaker Faith and Practice 5[th] Edition (Britain Yearly ). During the COVID pandemic, trustees have held meetings online using Zoom. There were 5 such meetings in 2021.

Links with CEEACO are through a CEEACO project committee which manages the projects we are supporting. We have made a series of three year agreements whereby we promise to send a certain sum every six months to be used in an agreed way. CEEACO send us quarterly accounts showing how the money has been spent and also narrative accounts from the project leaders describing the work done and the difference it has made. Trustees of the charity make efforts to visit our partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo regularly; during the COVID pandemic there have been no visits but previously one or more trustees would visit every year or two. Trustees maintain regular contact with partners managers and workers through email social media and internet based conversation. There are regular exchanges of reports and records of meetings that affect the shared work. The working language of such exchanges is usually French (the language of the DRC) and QCP provides translated copies of documents.

Achievements and Performance in 2021

Hospital and public health

We continued our support to the hospital for salaries of key staff, as in previous years, in partnership with funding from the Zone de Santé. We also continued our contribution towards drug costs. The activity levels in the hospital were largely unchanged with malaria and diarrhoeal disease particularly prominent.

The motor ambulance which used to provide patient transport is out of service. The motorbike ambulance which is available is less suitable for transport of some patients.

In addition to our recurrent funding, funds were provided for a small upgrade to the electrical system from the Reckitt Trust, for provision of resuscitation equipment, and for the purchase of a ventouse, although the latter is proving difficult to procure.

We supported a bid from the hospital, in collaboration with the Zone de Santé, for funds from Education Service 2010, to increase training and support for relais communautaires (community health workers) and this was successful, with work due to commence in early 2022 and run for 2 years. There will be a particular focus on the prevention of malaria, associated anaemia, and of diarrhoeal disease, the latter linking to an aspiration to extend the clean water supply in the area.

COVID has been an additional burden in the Zone de Santé, although has not seriously impacted on medical services in Abeka to date. The flooding of the main road by rising water levels in Lake Tanganyika has caused difficulties with patient transport and access to supplies, and to services in Burundi.

We have recently reviewed priorities for future support which include anaesthetic training for a staff member, and for further improvements to the electrical supply system.

CEPAP Centre for, Peace, Education and Psychological Support

The Centre for Education Peace and Psychological Assistance has ongoing work and in 2021 initiated additional projects.

Page 4 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

There are 14 members of the CEPAP team and Isaac Saidi is the project leader.

Psychological support : The team provided counselling and psychological support to 191 people over the year with several referred to the CHA (Centre Hopital Abeka). Since December 2021 a senior counsellor has been based at the hospital. Most of those seen are women and many have received counselling after incidents of sexual violence.

Youth peace committees : There has been significant development of youth peace committees in 2021. The members have increased from 51 to over 100, and the number of peace committees have grown from 5 to 10 who will form a youth peace network

With funding from Radley Trust six day training took place in May 2021. This was a significant and exciting piece of peacebuilding work. 15 young people participated and in addition 3 others. The motto for the training was ‘young people, pillar of peace’. The participants were from both the existing and the new committees. The workshop used both participative and input methods. Over the six days strong relationships between young people from different communities were formed. ‘ Logically building peace is a long process and requires patience, if it turns out that we run into some thorns along the way then endurance and perseverance will send us back to success.’

(One suggestion for the future is training women from different village communities where there are youth peace committees because women have the power to discourage the destructive behaviour of their children.)

Follow up training took place in September with the objective to help the young people of the Peace Committees to examine for themselves different strategies to campaign or convey messages of peace applied in various communities and to evaluate and validate the best ones.

The importance of this work was brought into focus by a significant increase in attacks by militia in the high plateau in October. Some money was given by some individual trustees and sent and this was distributed by CEPAP team and members of youth peace committees. They also gave moral support to those who had moved to Lusenda refugee camp. 151 families received assistance

(Testimony of this displaced person: << I am Nkeshimana Andréa, I come from Kabembwe, I thank this help very much because we are going to get what we want. We know it's not much, but it will help to buy soaps, salt, sugar, even children's clothes. Even the shirts. Those who have given little have the ambition to give more. Thank you. >>)

Vocational Training

This work was funded by Education Services 2010 and has now ended. The courses were in IT and tailoring. There were eight participants on each course with 8 women and 8 men. The tailoring course was for 6 months and the IT was for 4 months. A final report was sent to Education services 2010 which is available.

They all learnt new skills and another outcome was that young people from different groups forgot their differences and became friends. They have identified a challenge that it is hard to find employment afterwards and there is a need for equipment so that they can set up their own businesses.

Prevention of sexual violence in schools

Page 5 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Gender based violence is a significant issue and there have been instances of kidnapping and child abduction. There are still instances of early marriage which increased when schools were closed due to measures to prevent COVID.

A meeting of school age children and young people was held in Abeka from August 18[th] – 19[th] . This was funded by James Reckitt Trust (£1000 of a total grant of £4500) for work to prevent sexual violence and forced marriage. The first phase resulted in the formation of ten Friends of Girls Clubs in ten schools. This is slogan on the T shirts.

A follow up meeting was held in November to raise awareness and agree actions in relation to campaign to prevent sexual violence which had involved schools, education authorities, parents and others. A manual has been produced and there is commitment from ministry of education to this project and to train more women as teachers.

Other work

In early February Isaac organised education and exchange sessions with five young interns and CEPAP staff on peace, prevention of sexual violence and psychosocial care.

School fees for 31 students were paid in January; seven are in 6[th] year of humanities

Mechanical workshop: Previous participants on vocational training now run a workshop which repairs and services motorbikes. This is generating income.

Staff training and meetings have taken place, with further exchange visits planned.

The staff also work with children and young people on activities such as football, music and drama. They have many plans for the future for which QCP is seeking funds.

Water

Clean water continues to be supplied to the hospital and village of Abeka so reducing the incidence of water borne diseases including typhoid and cholera. A local management group is collecting subscriptions from those receiving clean water and coordinating repairs.

Our water group reported recently on how the existing Abeka Water Supply is functioning and the scope for extending the water supply to Mukwezi. Engagement and communications with CEEACO and local partners haves resolved many of the technical questions and gained local support.

There is not a shortage of water in the Abeka area as nearby rivers are available for many tasks including washing clothes and bathing. The purpose of the proposed extension is to provide households In Mukwezi access to safe water for drinking and food close to their homesteads. At present there is no safe water in Mukwezi, so the proposed extension would provide considerable health benefits. The estimated cost of theMukwezi extension is about $50,000.

Trustees have agreed that the Water Group should progress with the project and approved a significant budget to spend on a more comprehensive feasibility study to support our fundraising for the sums involved.

Page 6 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

There remain difficulties in relation to the security and the safety of those engaged in the feasibility work, but the benefits from this project will be very significant.

AWID Action for Women’s Integral Development.

AWID projects aim to give women the skills and resources to improve their livelihood by providing seed corn grants to women’s groups for income generation, as well as small education and training projects for literacy, numeracy and technical skills.

The AWID projects range from soap making to basketry to agriculture.

2021 has seen several new initiatives, and the development of existing projects.

Soap-making.

In 2021, the women’s groups requested support for training in local soap production. Their aim was to increase their skills base, improve local hygiene (particularly during Covid) and to obtain a source of income.

22 vulnerable women were trained in May over 5 days to make soap. ‘The participants were active, courageous, curious and very encouraged by the initiative.’

The project was funded thanks to two craft soap-making firms based in Yorkshire, who both made a small donation; Cosy Cottage Soap Company and Friendly Soap. The women are now aiming to pass on their skills to further groups of women in surrounding villages. As well as using the soap at home, they successfully sold it at market, and kept some to donate to elderly and disabled neighbours. The women soap makers are dynamic and enthusiastic, and now need support to buy equipment and materials, to extend the project.

Basketry and dress-making

Other women are making baskets and dressmaking / sewing, for income generation. The project has equipped two skilled widows as basket makers. They became workshop leaders and together with the learners, they made 52 baskets and sent them to the villages around Uvira for sale.

The dressmakers are skilled and equally motivated, but they are severely hampered by their two very dilapidated sewing machines. They need two treadle machines and spare parts, which can be obtained locally in the DRC, and QCP UK is seeking funds to help them purchase this essential equipment.

Agriculture

Groups of women began by growing vegetables and corn on two small fields in Kikongo and Abeka and by breeding goats. The women involved were keen to do more and this has been possible through a grant from the Scott Bader Commonwealth Foundation. This money has supported local food production by improved fencing of land, increased irrigation, planting of greens and beans crops and support to goat keeping. Better nutrition is desperately needed to face spread of Covid on top of existing poor health outcomes, particularly anaemia. Outcomes will include improved infant health, improved living standards, and children attending school through payment of school fees.

The group has been able to grow food during the dry season when the threat of malnutrition is increased, both for their own families and to sell, which they successfully achieved. The women’s groups also provided goats to 3 families, whilst a core herd of 5 goats, kept at Katongo / Kigongo, will enable them to provide goats to further families next year.

Page 7 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Literacy and numeracy training

Basic note taking and maths are important skills for all of the participants, particularly in soap making, where calculations and careful use of materials are essential. QCP UK has supported some literacy and numeracy training as well as basic computer skills in Windows and Word funded through Education Services 2010. Unfortunately the funding for this work ended in May 2021, and these classes are currently suspended.

Communication and project management

The funding for AWID in the regular payments to CEEACO is quite small and provides a small stipend to Mado Issa the AWID project leader. She is supported by Yutu Welongo. AWID now has use of a small office in Uvira.

They maintain close contact with QCP UK partners through regular Whatsapp messages and videos. A video with English transcription voiceover has been made about the soap making training.

Extract from one quarterly report:

Impacts:

Challenges:

Page 8 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Finance report

Our income this year was £46277 (2020: £58,635) from a combination of Quaker donations with Gift Aid (£27,311 [2020: £42,235]) and grants from trusts (£18,966 [2020:£15,400]). It exceeded expenditure by £619 for the year. We carried forward funds which cover our designated reserve of £5,000 and a significant contribution towards the next half yearly payment to CEEACO, due in June. We hope that with the diminution of the COVID pandemic and the renewal of Quaker activity our donations income will rebound.

We have maintained our regular giving to CEEACO of approximately £29,000 each year, which is divided between support for the Centre Hospitalier Abeka, peace work (CEPAP), women's development work. We have received additional funding from trusts for

Our finances remain heavily dependent on continuing gifts and grants. The needs of our partners members remain large, our aspirational budgets must be carefully judged and serious fundraising is essential if we are to achieve our commitments and reach some of our aspirations for 2022-233.

Reserves policy

Trustees have agreed that the principal purpose of our reserves is to allow us to respond to emergencies in the unsettled and deprived area where our work is carried out in partnership with CEEACO. Our designated reserve fund is set at £5,000. We would like to increase our reserve so that it can cover one half yearly payment to CEEACO of about £15,000, but at present that does not appear feasible.

Fund raising

Money is raised through donations from individuals, from Quaker Meetings and through applications to charitable trusts. Trust donations this year include [narrative on trust donations in 2021 to be updated for final report]. In 2021 Covid 19 restrictions again meant that it was not possible to organize fund raising events.

Our most recent budget has identified a number of projects which we aspire to support, some of them calling for significant funding. We are working on the coordination of our fundraising.

Risk Management

The projects in DRC are managed by CEEACO, who are conscious of the risks involved in this unstable region. Risks in DRC include: insecurity and violence, climate change, and the risk of epidemic

Page 9 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

disease including cholera Ebola and Covid 19. Personal and collective risk assessments were made by trustees prior to visiting. We did not have any difficulties and value the careful plans made by our partners.

Trustees hope to formalise the identification and assessment of the risks to the work of our charity and to our partners and the safeguards in place to mitigate those risks.

Communications

The trustees concentrate communications on the Quaker community of Britain Yearly Meeting, working at a range of levels.

Catherine Putz, Co-clerk

Julie Yates, Treasurer

27[th] June 2022

Page 10 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Quaker Congo

Partnership UK

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2021, which are set out on pages 11 to 15.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity 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 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 material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2 the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Signed: …………………………………… Name: Simon Bostrom FCIE

1/8/22

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Accounts for financial year to 31/12/2021

Charity Name No (if any) Quaker Congo Partnership UK 1159781 Receipts and payments accounts For the Period start Period end period date To date from 01/01/2021 31/12/2021

CC16a

Section A Receipts and payments

payments
A1 Receipts Unrestric
ted funds
£
22,915
2,300
97
4,299
-
29,611		 Restrict
ed
funds
£
-
16,666
-
-
-
16,666		 Endowment
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total
funds
22,915
18,966
97
4,299
-
46,277		 Last year
£

Donations		 22,915 - - 22,915 36,008
Grants 2,300 16,666 - 18,966 15,399
Fundraising 97 - - 97 -
GiftAid 4,299 - - 4,299 6,227
- - - - -
Sub total(Gross
income for AR)		 29,611 16,666 - 46,277 57,634

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).

table).
- - - -
Sub total
-		 - - - -
Total receipts 29,611 16,666 - 46,277 57,634
A3 Payments
Grant payments to CEEACO
28,831 16,335 - 45,166 49,036
Printing, postage, advertising,
travel expenses 326 - - 326 928
Bank charges
166 - - 166 -
Consultancy
- - - - 363
Trustee visit to DRC
- - - - 4,943

Page 11 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

- - - - -
Sub total
29,323 16,335 - 45,658 55,270
A4 Asset and
investment purchases,
(see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total
- - - - -
Total payments 29,323 16,335 - 45,658 55,270
Net of
receipts/(payments) 288 331 - 619 2,364
A5 Transfers between -
funds 165 165 - - -
A6 Cash funds last
year end 12,196 - - 12,196 9,832
Cash funds this year
end 12,319 496 - 12,815 12,196

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestrict Restric Endowme
ed funds ted nt funds
Categories Details funds
£ £ £
B1 Cash funds Bank
12,319 496 -
- - -
Total cash
funds 12,319 496 -
Unrestrict Restric Endowme
ed funds ted nt funds
funds
Details £ £ £
B2 Other monetary
assets - - -
- - -
Fund to
Cost Current
which
(option value
asset
al) (optional)
Details belongs
- -
----- End of picture text -----

Page 12 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

----- Start of picture text -----
B3 Investment
assets - -
Fund to
Cost Current
which
(option value
asset
al) (optional)
Details belongs
B4 Assets retained
for the charity’s own - -
use - -
Fund to Amoun When due
which t due (optional)
liability (option
Details relates al)
B5 Liabilities
-
-
Signed by one or two
Date of
trustees on behalf of all the Signature Print Name
trustees approval
----- End of picture text -----

Page 13 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Quaker Congo Partnership

UK

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021

Donations

Donations
Donations- standing
orders
Donations- local
meetings
Donations - website -
GAYL
Other donation
Grants
James Reckitt Charity
Education Trust
Radley Trust
Southall Trust
Scott Bader
Commonwealth
Taylor Trust Fund
Bunney Reckitt Trust
Restricted Funds
Balance
b/f
£
James Reckitt Charity
Education Trust
Radley Trust
Southall Trust
Scott Bader
Commonwealth		 2021
Unrestrict
ed funds
£
3,858
1,548
1,399
16,110
22,915
2021
Unrestrict
ed funds
-
-
-
-
-
1,000
500
1,500
Incoming
£
4,500
2,766
3,000
4,000
2,400
16,666		 2021
Restrict
ed
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
2021
Restrict
ed
funds
4,500
2,766
3,000
4,000
2,400
-
-
16,666
Outgoing
£
4,503
2,829
3,096
3,504
2,403
16,335		 2021
Total
£
3,858
1,548
1,399
16,110
22,915
2021
Total
4,500
2,766
3,000
4,000
2,400
1,000
500
18,166
Transfers
£
3
63
96
-
3
165		 Balance
c/f
£
-
-
-
496
-
496

Page 14 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Fund name Purpose of restriction James Reckitt Charity Towards the running costs of the peace building, counselling, training and support to children and young people within the Centre for Education Peace and Psychological support (CEPAP). Education Trust To provide enhanced training, communication and support to 21 selected Relais Communautaire’s in 6 health areas forming the catchment of Abeka Hospital Radley Trust Towards a six-day youth training course for peace workers based in Uvira. Southall Trust Towards peacebuilding women's development projects and training for project leaders in the DRC. Scott Bader To enable a group of very disadvantaged women in rural villages of the Commonwealth DRC to diversify crops grown.

Page 15 of 15

Annual report and accounts 2021.docx