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2022-12-31-accounts

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2022

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Reference and administrative information

Trustees

H. Margaret Gregory Nick Tischler Lynn Norbury Catherine Putz Fred Ashmore Ian Tod Dennis Tracey Julie Yates Patricia Skeet

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

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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 2022 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.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity’s Trust Deed was accepted by the Charity Commission at the time of registration in 2015 and updated in 2022 by minute of the Trustees dated 19 September 2022.

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.

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

exceeding nine years. That person cannot be reappointed as a trustee until one year has 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 ). Trustees meet on line using Zoom and in blended meetings which are mostly in person with distant trustees taking part using Zoom facilities, as allowed by our governing document.

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. The latest three year agreement was signed in October 2022. 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. In 2022, one Trustee met several members of CEEACO in Burundi which is relatively accesibe from the DRC. 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 2022

The brief descriptions of recent work and activities with CEEACO is expended in the Newsletter on our website (https://quakercongo.org.uk). Trustees and volunteers will most happily provide fuller information and conduct presentations to those who are interested in our areas of work. There is a contact page on our website.

Hospital and public health

In collaboration with the Zone de Santé, we continue to provide a share of support to salaries of key staff in the 45 bedded Abeka Hospital (CHA). Activity here remains steady with approximately 500 out patient attendances, 250 admissions and 40 deliveries (including Caesarian Sections) per month. The main morbidities remain malaria, anaemia, respiratory infections, and malnutrition.

During the year the Zone de Santé granted district hospital status to CHA. We hope this will increase collaboration on both standards and funding with the Zone de Santé.

Some small capital grants during the year allowed further upgrades to the electricity supply, and the provision of a laptop, ventouse and pulse oximeters.

The project to revive training and support for 21 “Relais Communautaires” (community health workers) serving a population of approx. 10,500 commenced in February. A progress report in September to the funders, Education Services 2010, allowed release of the second year of funding. Modest benefits have already been demonstrated and efforts to more closely link the work to water and sanitation initiatives is ongoing.

A generous donation for repair of the 4WD ambulance has confirmed the preference for progressing this, given concerns regarding the suitability of the motorcycle ambulance. Plans to utilise the motorcycle component of the latter for supervision work are under discussion in CEEACO.

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

CEPAP Centre for, Peace, Education and Psychological Support

The Centre for Education Peace and Psychological Assistance has ongoing work. There are two main strands to the peacebuilding work: Youth peace committees and peace clubs for girls in schools. In 2022 these ongoing projects were strengthened through training, regular meetings and recognition of their value from statutory authorities.

There is now a network of 13 youth peace committees based in the high and middle plateaux of South Kivu and in refugee camps. The young people are determined and have a strong commitment to peacebuilding work. They want to learn from each other and from other people doing similar work. They have received training so that instead of being spectators of violence they are useful actors in their communities or villages. They collect information about incidents of violent attacks and sexual violence and kidnapping. In May the young people, organised a dialogue on peace with community leaders and those in authority in order to improve communication and to look at how best to disseminate information and to raise awareness about peace issues.

Gender based violence is a significant problem and there were increased instances of early marriage when schools were closed due to Covid measures. There is now a network of Friends of Girls clubs (Clubs Amis des Filles) in schools. The campaign to prevent sexual violence involves schools, education authorities and parents. A manual has been produced and the ministry of education is committed to this project and the training of more women as teachers. There are now 12 Friends of Girls Clubs in 12 secondary schools with 84 active members. They would like to spread the project to more schools. An evaluation of this work took place in July 2022.

In the autumn there were two events which brought members of these groups together: A Conference on peace, security and development of young people was held on 13[th] October to mark the International Day of Peace. The theme was: "Youth, Let's Work Together for Peace" The members of youth peace committees and girls’ clubs are proud of their work and welcomed the chance to talk about it to local leaders. "We are very actively encouraging such initiatives and pledging support for your social actions," said the Secretary of Tanganyika Sector on behalf of the state authorities.

A three day peacebuilding training event was held in November funded by Radley Trust. There were 14 members of Youth Peace Committees and 12 members of Club Ami des Filles.

Members of the CEPAP team also do counselling especially in the hospital.

Team meetings of CEPAP are held regularly to strengthen motivation and increase skills. To add to their income they are raising a pig and selling the piglets.

The project leader and the team are proud of their achievements and wrote a report stressing their good news. It starts by stating that “ the actions of CEPAP have a positive impact in our communities ”. The activities are designed to respond to the challenges observed in order to bring about qualitative and quantitative changes.

Water

The main technical parameters concerning the extension of the Abeka Water Supply to Mukwezi were agreed with CEEACO and the next step of finalizing the layout and design was started. A physical survey was commissioned to confirm ground conditions and identify physical hazards that need special provision in the design. A smart phone with a suitable GPS app was provided so local

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

staff could undertake the survey and record the precise location of the main features of the Mukwezi extension. The results of the survey should be available early next year. After the layout and design has been agreed by stakeholders, a revised cost estimate will be prepared and fund raising to finance the construction of the scheme will start in earnest.

To ensure communities benefit fully from a safe water supply, references on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) were sent to CEEACO as e-books after an attempt to send physical books was unsuccessful. In addition, WASH was included in the relais communautaires training funded by the grant from Education Services 2010 awarded in November 2021.

AWID Action for Women’s Integral Development.

Action for Women’s Integral Development (AWID) is a small project that operates as part of the Quaker Congo Partnership UK (QCP UK). 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 DRC participants are women coping with extreme disadvantage – many supporting extended families without land or resources available. In 2021, a small grant from the Scott Bader fund provided money for fencing, irrigation and vegetable growing in a previously arid area, on 2 hectares in the plain of Rubarika. This continues into 2023, the women are now growing food during the dry season when the threat of malnutrition is increased, both for their own families and to sell. The women’s groups also keep a core herd of 5 goats.

In 2021, the women’s groups began training in local soap production, to increase their skills base, improve local hygiene (particularly during Covid) and to obtain a source of income. The project was funded by two craft soap-making firms based in Yorkshire. With further donations in 2022, the women soap makers set up a small soap workshop. Other women are making baskets and dressmaking / sewing, for income generation. In 2020 / 2021, the project equipped two skilled widows as basket makers. The dressmakers are skilled and equally motivated. In 2022, with small donations from QCP UK, they set up a workshop with 3 new treadle machines and spare parts, and are training 5 young women in tailoring.

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 and aims to maintain basic support for this educational work.

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

Finance report

Our income this year was £52724 (2021: £46277) from a combination of Quaker donations with Gift Aid (£39718 [2021: £27214]), fundraising (£1623 [£2021: £97]) and grants from trusts (£23006 [2021:£18966]). It exceeded expenditure by £3285 for the year [2021 £619]. 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. With the diminution of the COVID pandemic and the renewal of Quaker activity our donations income has recovered usefully.

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 2022-2023.

Trustees consider that we continue to be a going concern with suitable reserves for our liabilities and generally appropriate funds for our commitments.

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

Education Services 2021: £2766 balance ongoing grant for the work of Relais Communautaires Radley Trust £3,000 grant for a six-day youth training course for peace workers based in Uvira. Southall Trust £4,000 towards peacebuilding, women's development projects and training for project leaders in the DRC World Day of Prayer £!,000 towards women’s projects (AWID work)

The Quaker Work Fund of Manchester and Warrington Area Meeting £2000 divided between funding for the youth peace conference held in October and general funds

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number1159781

In 2022, we were once again able to conduct fundraising events which included a productive garden party at the home of one of our Co Clerks which yielded £1623. Another Trustee carried out specific fundraising to raise money for the AWID soap and sewing projects yielding £1790.

Our most recent budget continues to include 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 disease including cholera, Ebola and Covid 19. Personal and collective risk assessments were made by trustees prior to visiting in 2020. During our earlier visits 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 June 2023

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Accounts for financial year to 31/12/2022

Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations
25,560
9,290
Grants
2,440
10,566
Fundraising
1,623
-
Gift Aid
3,246
-		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations
25,560
9,290
Grants
2,440
10,566
Fundraising
1,623
-
Gift Aid
3,246
-		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations
25,560
9,290
Grants
2,440
10,566
Fundraising
1,623
-
Gift Aid
3,246
-		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations
25,560
9,290
Grants
2,440
10,566
Fundraising
1,623
-
Gift Aid
3,246
-		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations
25,560
9,290
Grants
2,440
10,566
Fundraising
1,623
-
Gift Aid
3,246
-		 Endowme
nt funds
to the
nearest £
-
-
-
-		 Endowme
nt funds
to the
nearest £
-
-
-
-		 Total
funds
to the
nearest
£
34,849
13,006
1,623
3,246
-		 Total
funds
to the
nearest
£
34,849
13,006
1,623
3,246
-
A1 Receipts Unrestricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
25,560
2,440
1,623
3,246		 Last
year
to the
nearest £
Donations 25,560 9,290 - 34,849 22,915
Grants 2,440 10,566 - 13,006 18,966
Fundraising 1,623 - - 1,623 97
Gift Aid 3,246 - - 3,246 4,299
- - - - -
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)		 32,868 19,856 - 52,724 46,277
-

-
32,869
29,212
29
171
-
480
29
29,920		 -
-
29,856
19,519
-
-
-
-
-
19,519		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 -
-
62,724
48,730
29
171
-
480
29
49,439
A2 Asset and investment
**sales, (see table). **
- -
Sub total
-		 -
Total receipts
A3 Payments
46,277
Grant payments to CEEACO 29,212 19,519 - 48,730 45,166
Printing, postage, advertising, travel
exps		 29 - - 29 326
Bank charges 171 - - 171 166
Consultancy - - - -
Independent examination 480 - - 480 -
Meeting costs, rooms, catering 29 - - 29 -
Sub total 29,920 19,519 - 49,439 45,658
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
-
Sub total -
Total payments
29,920

----- Start of picture text -----
- -
- - -
- 49,439 45,658
----- End of picture text -----

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
Net of
receipts/(payments)
2,948
337
A5 Transfers between funds
-
471
471
A6 Cash funds last year end
3,073
9,742
Cash funds this year end
5,550
10,550		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
Net of
receipts/(payments)
2,948
337
A5 Transfers between funds
-
471
471
A6 Cash funds last year end
3,073
9,742
Cash funds this year end
5,550
10,550		 Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricte
d funds
Restricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
to the
nearest £
Net of
receipts/(payments)
2,948
337
A5 Transfers between funds
-
471
471
A6 Cash funds last year end
3,073
9,742
Cash funds this year end
5,550
10,550		 Endowme
nt funds
to the
nearest £
-
-
-
-		 Total
funds
to the
nearest
£
3,285
-
12,815
16,100
Net of
receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end		 Unrestricte
d funds
to the nearest
£
2,948
-
471

3,073
5,550		 Last
year
to the
nearest £
2,948 337 - 3,285 619
-
471		 471 - - -

3,073		 9,742 - 12,815 12,196
5,550 10,550 - 16,100 12,815

Page 10 of 14 annual report and accounts 2022 final 230703 with IE report6

Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

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

Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary
assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for
the charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two
trustees on behalf of all the
trustees		 Details
Bank
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts
and payments account(s))
Details
Details
Details
Details
Signature
Catherine Putz
Julie Yates		 Unrestric
ted funds
to nearest £
5,550
-		 Unrestric
ted funds
to nearest £
5,550
-		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
10,550
-		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
10,550
-		 Endowme
nt funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
OK
Endowme
nt funds
to nearest £
-
-
Current
value
(optional)
-
Current
value
(optional)
-
-
When due
(optional)
Date of
approval
5,550 10,550 -
- - -
5,550 10,550 -
OK
OK
Unrestric
ted funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
Fund to
which asset
belongs
Cost
(optional)
-
Fund to
which asset
belongs
Cost
(optional)
-
-
Fund to
which
liability
relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
Print Name
Catherine Putz
Julie Yates
Catherine Putz Catherine Putz 19/6/23
Julie Yates Julie Yates 19/6/23

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

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

Categories
Quaker Congo
Partnership UK
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31
December 2022
Donations
Donations - standing orders
Donations - local meetings
Donations - website
Other donations

Grants
Education Services
Radley Trust
Southall Trust
Water Fund (designated)
World day of prayer
Quaker Work Fund
AGLAPT

Restricted funds
Education Services
Radley Trust
Southall Trust
Water fund (designated)		 Details
Balance
b/f
Incomin
g
£
£
-
2,766
-
3,000
496
4,000
4,246
800		 Unrestric
ted funds
to nearest £
2022
Unrestrict
ed funds
4,480
2,700
1,699
16,681
25,560
2022
Unrestrict
ed funds
2,000
440
2,440
Outgoing
£
2,797
3,368
4,496
557		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
2022
Restrict
ed
funds
0
0
0
9,290
9,290
2022
Restrict
ed
funds
2,766
2,000
4,000
800
1,000
10,566
Transfe
rs
£
31
368
0
0
Endowme
nt funds
to nearest £
2022
Total
funds
4,480
2,700
1,699
25,971
34,849
2022
Total
funds
2,766
2,000
4,000
800
1,000
2,000
440
0
13,006
Balance
c/f
£
0
0
0
4,489

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Quaker Congo Partnership UK

Charity number 1159781

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

of theperiod
Categories
Soap project
Sewing project
Ambulance 22
World Day of Prayer		 Details 440
1,350
6,500
1,000
19,856		 Unrestric
ted funds
to nearest £
518
1,210
6,572
0
19,519		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
78
-78
72
0
471
Endowme
nt funds
to nearest £
0
61
0
1,000
5,550
-
-
-
4,742

Fund name

Purpose of restriction

Education Services

Radley Trust

Southall Trust

Soap project

To provide enhanced training, communication and support to 21 selected Relais Communautaires in 6 health areas forming the catchment of Abeka Hospital.

Towards a six-day youth training course for peace workers based in Uvira.

Towards peacebuilding, women's development projects and training for project leaders in the DRC

To provide material, equipment and workshop space for women's training and the making of soap

Sewing and women’s income generation project

To provide sewing machines and spares for women to make clothes for their families and to sell to generate income

Ambulance 22

World Day of Prayer

To pay for major repairs to the hospital's 4 wheel drive vehicle.

To contribute to the cost of irrigation, tools and seeds for the Action for Women’s Integral Development.

Funds held as agent

Quaker Congo Partnership (QCP) received £10,000 from the North East Thames Quaker Trust into its bank account on 20 December 2022. It held those funds on behalf of North East Thames Quaker Trust as agent and paid the fund to CEEACO on behalf of NE Thames Quaker Trust on 23 January 2023. This amount has not been shown in the accounts of Quaker Congo Partnership as at 31 December 2022.

Page 13 of 14 annual report and accounts 2022 final 230703 with IE report6

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