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Forward Africa Education Trust

Annual Report 2024

Charity registered in England & Wales No. 1176583

REGISTERED ADDRESS

The Friends Meeting House 150 Church Road

Watford WD17 4QB

TRUSTEES

Stephen Kaim-Caudle (Chair) Hilary Robinson Megan Kaim-Caudle David McCabe (retired 31[st] December 2024) Daniel Nteziyaremye Joyeuse Senga (appointed 7[th] March 2025)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Debby Metcalf FCA 22 Trowlock Ave Teddington TW11 9QT

BANKERS Barclays Bank PLC 32 Bridge St Banbury OX16 5PN

Report of Trustees

The Trustees present their report with the charity's financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2024.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity was established by a legal document and has been registered with the Charity Commission under number 1176583 since January 9, 2018. It has five Trustees who know Rwanda well, having worked and visited there often to oversee the charity's activities. Two Trustees are Rwandan. A main part of the Trustee’s role is to guide and help local partners and beneficiaries, including students.

The Trust is overseen by its Chair on a voluntary, unpaid basis. The Trustees are responsible for the charity's policies and operational decisions. They meet regularly, in person or via Zoom, to review the charity's activities. The Trustees are also responsible for setting budgets and making significant decisions. They collaborate with a local partner in Rwanda, who carries out delegated responsibilities according to a partnership agreement.

The Trustees consider the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance while carrying out their duties. No staff members are employed, and none of the trustees receive any form of payment.

Two girls at George Fox School, Butaro

Students with their Director of Nursing, Kigali

Objectives and Activities

The charity promotes the education and training of disadvantaged children in Rwanda. We provide funding and support to help these children complete their secondary school education and graduate at Senior 6.

We organize life skills workshops and peer mentoring. Funds for school fees and program costs are transferred three times a year, with most transactions processed through our local partner, while the mentorship program is funded directly by us.

The charity helps children from very poor families, including orphans and those from singlemother households, with a focus on including girls. We believe education is important for personal and community growth. Our local partner handles activities like promoting the program, filling out sponsorship forms, visiting schools and homes, and managing school fees and travel costs. The partner has a special bank account for funds, which are transferred every term.

Students attending Workshop 2024, Musanze Certificates of Achievement

In-Country Administration and Field Operations

The charity collaborates closely with the Rwandan Yearly Meeting (RYM/EEAR), the Quakers or the Religious Society of Friends. They serve as our local partner and offer additional services that benefit our students.

The trustees are confident that the financial stability provided by the charity, along with a hands-on mentoring approach, continuous monitoring, and support, enables our students to achieve positive educational outcomes and enhance their life chances.

Advancing Educational and Training for Disadvantaged School Students

In 2024, 23 children were sponsored, including 14 girls and 9 boys aged 16 to 20. 17 former students were helped to continue their university or vocational studies. Schools were chosen based on education quality, subject options, and travel logistics. The schools were in Gisozi, Kicukiro, Gasabo, Kabuga, Rwamagana, Kagitumba, and Cyanika.

In June 2024, we held our fourth workshop, attended by 40 current and former school students. The key modules covered were peace and conflict resolution, self-awareness, and employability skills.

In collaboration with the Friends Career Center, a social enterprise associated with the Quaker Church in Rwanda, nine students have benefited from mentorship and guidance. Consequently, these students have successfully enrolled in university programs in hospitality and tourism, biotechnology, nursing, law, and business studies.

Risk Statement

The Trustees have assessed the challenges encountered by a small charity functioning in a developing nation. These risks include:

Risk	Mitigation	Level
Financial loss/fraud	We review bank receipts for school fees and other approved expenditures against the budget and examine bank statements from the dedicated bank account	Medium
Safeguarding issues	We have developed a safeguarding policy, which is available on our website	Low
Data Protection breach	Adherence to our data protection policy	Low

Procedures are established to regularly identify, monitor, and review risks.

Financial Review

Donations of £32,027 were received in the year (2023: £33,045), and there was interest income of £514 (2023: £257).

£21,502 out of the total expenditure of £22,547 was spent in the year supporting secondary school students, aiding ex-students, and funding our fourth student workshop (2023: £18,962 out of £19,301).

Reserves at the end of the year totalled £49,862 (2023: £39,868) of which £73 was restricted for specific purposes (2023: £nil). Total reserves were all held as cash, of which £40,790 was held in a deposit account (2023: £35,276).

Reserves Policy

The Trustees have a policy to ensure that there are sufficient funds for current students to complete their education or mentorship. Our reserves policy reflects this commitment.

Investment Policy

The Trust does not plan to make long-term investments. Funds not immediately needed for program activities are placed in bank savings accounts.

Plans for Future Periods

The Trust intends to maintain its current student sponsorships. The Trustees will consistently monitor the effectiveness of our local partner and will provide ongoing support and guidance to both the partner and the students.

We will also explore the best ways to organize visits from our local partners to the students, assess their effectiveness, and make adjustments to enhance the benefits for our students.

We have initiated and will continue to develop mechanisms to assist Senior 6 students in finding employment, internships, vocational training, or pursuing further studies at university. We intend to conduct additional three-day workshops for all students that will cover peace and conflict resolution as well as employability skills. The trustees intend to continue to seek external funding.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustee’s report above.

Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees by

Steve Kaim-Caudle Chair

Date approved 6[th] June 2025

Forward Africa Education Trust: Receipts & Payments account

Donations Interest received Total receipts Programme costs: Student school fees & associated costs Student mentorship programme Student workshops Project management in Rwanda Monitoring & programme visits by UK trustees UK costs: Website Transaction fees on donations received Bank charges Total payments Net (payments)/receipts Cash funds at start of year Cash funds at end of year Analysis of cash funds: Current account Deposit account	Unrestricted funds £ 30,564 514	2024 2023 Restricted funds Total funds Total funds £ £ £ 1,463 32,027 33,045 - 514 257
	31,078	1,463 32,541 33,302
	13,749 2,480 2,070 1,813 - 260 694 91	- 13,749 10,250 - 2,480 2,686 1,390 3,460 4,050 - 1,813 1,976 - - - - - 260 260 - 694 - - 91 79
	21,157	1,390 22,547 19,301

	9,921	73 9,994 14,001
	39,868	- 39,868 25,867
	49,789	73 49,862 39,868
	8,999 40,790	73 9,072 4,592 - 40,790 35,276
	49,789	73 49,862 39,868

Gift Aid owing at the year-end totalled £160 and will be included as income in the 2025 Receipts & Payments account (2023 £75).

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Receipts & Payments account above.

Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees by

Steve Kaim-Caudle Chair

Date approved: 6[th] June 2025

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Forward Africa Education Trust

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Forward Africa Education Trust (‘the Trust)’ for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and 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:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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:

Date: 8[th] June 2025