Sheffield Health Action Resource for Ethiopia
Also known as SHARE
Charity registration number: 1173972
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period: 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024
Objectives and Activities
SHARE is a mutually beneficial collaboration between healthcare professionals in Sheffield, other affiliates and partner organisations in Ethiopia with a specific focus on the Tigray region. Sustainable Healthcare improvement is facilitated through communication of best practice, skill exchange and community engagement.
Over the year 2023/24 there were no SHARE visits to Ethiopia, due to the pandemic and the civil unrest in the country. The last visit was early February 2020. We have tried to build on the project aspects from afar since then.
We continue to foster our long-term personal and professional relationships remotely due to the civil unrest. Communication has been very challenging due to the civil unrest however we have managed to use email and whatsapp to support projects and transfer funds where needed.
The Trustees are happy that the charity is being run for the public benefit, in line with the Charity Commission recommendations
Achievements and Performance
Through 2023/24 there were no visits to Tigray.
Activities were suspended due to the civil unrest and we were trying to support our partners remotely, since this period we can happily report the ceasefire and peace agreement has resulted in calm in the region and resumption of some normal activities, banking and communications.
Infection Prevention and Patient Safety
Sadly, the COVID pandemic and the civil conflict have meant there have been huge challenges to healthcare provision and sanitation. Initially we helped give Infection Prevention and Control advice and guidance around COVID, supported lab diagnostic discussions and engaged with the pandemic planning. However, despite our efforts the situation became very challenging with compromised medical supplies, communication interruptions and we are aware of compromised water supply. We have continued to be in close communication with colleagues and help support remote advice when asked.
Laboratory links
Most laboratory work has ceased due to the lack of consumables and kits, particularly in more remote areas of Tigray affected by the conflict, sadly all the remote labs we established have been looted and destroyed. There is a move now with the regional health bureau to try and re-establish services. We have offered to support once they feel able to rebuild and secure staffing to reopen regional laboratories.
Dentistry and Forensic Odontology
Dr Birke returned to the UK in April 2022 to continue in person the PhD programme she had started remotely in September 2021 studying at King’s College London. Her research is a study of the strengthening and redevelopment of healthcare systems post war in five countries around the world, Ethiopia being one of them.
It is hoped that the knowledge and training given to both the police and medical and dental personnel in forensic odontology will be a useful skill into the future post conflict.
Dr Birke has continued her studies and is close to completion of her PhD and has been able to return to Addis to oversee some public health initiatives and projects she has set up and collated data for her PhD.
Elshadai Wukro Children’s Village
We remain in regular communication with the staff here and continue to support the health of the children as much as possible. This has been mainly in securing food farming resources, helping repair damaged buildings after extreme weather and providing educational stability for the children.
Our donors continue to sponsor a group of children and we have successfully managed to transfer funds meaning support has not been compromised. Despite the conflict one student has gained a place at Addis Ababa university.
Diabetes Project
We managed to secure the placement for a Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultant Dr Merhawit to visit the UK for a 1 year fellowship program specialising in Endocrinology. The hope is that this program will provide specialist training and she will become the only Endocrinology Consultant in the Tigray region, serving many millions of people.
Medical Engineering:
The lead Medical Engineer whom we have worked with for many years has struggled to keep in touch as the internet and telephone system was shut down during the conflict. On the odd occasion when the university internet was restored we got short summaries of the condition and functionality of the hospital. It was reported to us that an estimated 80% of medical facilities across the region of Tigrai had been destroyed or looted during the conflict. We are aware of attempts to recover and rebuild and are reassured that the previous experience and training we have provided to the medical engineers will place them in a strong position to help run this program.
Mama Kits
The initial delivery of money for Mamakits unfortunately was halted due to the civil unrest and collapse of the banking system. The project was suspended due to the lack of supplies and closure of banks but has since been re-established. We have set up pathways and processes for regular transfer of funds and in country colleagues are preparing and storing kts for mothers in need. We will try and support this initiative for as long as the need arises as a result of the conflict..
Financial Review
The charity is in a healthy position with just over £35,000 held.
Poor communication & the variable exchange rate make it difficult to confirm remotely that funds are fully correctly used, however previous visits in person allowed us check our monies have been received and were being used to support the children at Elshadai as required, and we have confidence in our partners to use any resource we have go to them prudently.
We currently allocate £5000 as operational reserves.
The charity is primarily funded via fundraising by members and friends of the charity.This financial year saw a large donation from some friends who we had met in the country delivering a midwifery education program. They had concluded they would not be able to visit again ( as their main volunteers were all retired now and it is likely to be sometime before there is safe travel to northern ethiopia) and therefore wished to close their charity. As their activities aligned with some of ours, in particular the Mamakit project, they felt their donations could be appropriately used by SHARE. Therefore their closure funds were transferred to our account and this was agreed by the charity commission.
Our principal financial risk continues to be the unpredictability of income year-to-year, since most income is via voluntary donation. If available funding is low, we would be unable to support visits to or from our Partners.
Structure, Governance and Management
SHARE was formed in 2000 as an organisation with charitable objectives. In July 2017 it became a CIO, and is governed by a constitution which was updated at the time of becoming a CIO. It is available via our website www.sharesheffield.org.uk under “About Us”
As well as Trustees, we have volunteers who offer their services and expertise supporting the charity, as well as participating in visits to our partners in Ethiopia.
We define an active volunteer as someone who has interacted with the charity in the last 24 months. This could be by attending a meeting, fundraising, talking to a Trustee or working on a project.
We class active volunteers to be members of the charity, and they are expected to abide by a set of membership rules which are available via our website www.sharesheffield.org.uk under “About Us”
We have Memorandums of Understandings between us and our main partners in Ethiopia: Tigray Regional Health Board, Ayder Referral Hospital, Elshadai Children’s Village, Mekelle Hospital, and Daerere Laboratory.
| Reference and Administrative detailsCharity name |
Sheffield Health Action Resource for Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | SHARE |
| Registered charitynumber | 1173972 |
| Correspondence address | c/o 27 Psalter Lane Sheffield, S11 |
The charity is managed by the following Trustees
Dr Cariad Evans (Honorary Chair), Simone Naylor, Anne Russell, Dr Claire Ryan, Simon Temple (Honorary Treasurer), Prof Solomon Tesfaye.
Jane Boyce stood down as per the maximum term for Trustees, as defined in our constitution, and the other Trustees served for the full 12 months of the year.
Financial report
Account of Receipts and Payments for financial year ended 31 March 2023
| Receipts | 2023-24(thisyear) | 2023-24(thisyear) | last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-hoc donations | £7,210 | £3,868 | |
| Elshadai Children’s Village | £4,691. | £10,325 | |
| MamaKit | £111 | £0 | |
| Kent Midwives Partnership | £14,026 | n/a | |
| £26,026 | £14,193 | ||
| Payments | |||
| Fundraising& Publicity | £0 | £0 | |
| Projects | £0 | £40 | |
| Elshadai Children’s Village | £7000 | £11,195 | |
| MamaKit | £0 | £10,000 | |
| £7000 | £21,235 | ||
| Summary | |||
| Brought forward | £16,094.25 | £23,136 | |
| Receipts | £26,026.27 | £14,192 | |
| Payments | £7,000.00 | £21,235 | |
| Carried forward | £35,120.52 | £16,094 | |
Declarations
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity Trustees