## **SIERRA LEONE POVERTY ALLEVIATION CHARITY TRUST (SALPACT)**
**TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT & INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025**
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## **INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND**
SALPACT is a UK charitable organisation that was registered with the Charities Commission on the 19[th] of February 2018 (Registration Number 1177207). The charity is working with partners in Sierra Leone to help alleviate poverty, promote child education, and help mitigate the impact of climate change and deforestation in Freetown.
Since the end of the Covid pandemic restrictions in England in July 2021, the Sierra Leone Poverty Alleviation Charity Trust (SALPACT) has struggled to raise much needed funds to deliver its mission and objectives in Sierra Leone.
However, with the determined perseverance of the SALPACT Trustees, the charity has continued to provide support for the promotion of basic education in the country.
During the 2024/2025 financial year, SALPACT has improved the learning environment for over 400 school children at the Gloucester REC Primary School in Freetown by providing prizes for their prizegiving ceremony, and also renovating the headmistress’s office.
## **OUR MISSION AND OBJECTIVE**
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an average per capita income of about $2 a day. Although literacy rate has improved slightly from under 40% to about 46%, adult mortality continues to be seriously low, due to poverty and poor healthcare, with unemployment – especially youth unemployment rate at over 70%.
SALPACT’s mission is to help tackle and alleviate poverty in Sierra Leone.
The charitable objective of SALPACT is to pursue the advancement of education and prevention or relief of poverty for children in poverty or need; and to provide grants to charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
SALPACT continues its intervention strategy to work with local communities, schools and charities in Sierra Leone that are taking action to mitigate the devastating effects of poverty, poor healthcare, climate change, and the prevention of deforestation.
## **GOVERNANCE & OVERSIGHT**
In this financial year ending 31[st] March 2025, SALPACT has maintained its composition and number of trustees on its Board. There was no resignation or retirement.
The Board is currently comprised of Mr. Abdul Rashid Thomas (Founder and Chairman); Dr Fawzia Iyamide Thomas (Treasurer); Dr Babatunde Gbolade (Financial Oversight); Mrs Beryl Juma (MBE); Dr Victor Labor; Dr Abdul Anasa Sesay; Ms Ibilola Campbell, Captain John Dalby, and Mr Jeremy Labor.
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Working together, the Trustees are continuing to provide governance and oversight; ensuring that decisions, governance and spending commitments are consistent with SALPACT’s Charitable Objectives as stated in the Constitution in line with Charity Commission’s rules.
Since the end of the Covid pandemic, Trustees have continued to meet remotely (virtually) throughout this financial year for their monthly Board meetings.
At every monthly Zoom meeting held this financial year, Trustees discussed progress, reviewed actions, and made key decisions about how funds could be raised and disbursed.
## **PUBLICITY**
SALPACT is not a membership subscription-based organisation and therefore relies on its individual Trustees to act as ambassadors for the Charity, and for providing small sums of cash donations to support administrative costs. The trustees have once again provided much needed publicity across their professional and social networks about the work of SALPACT.
The SALPACT website, which was launched in 2017, has been updated and made user-friendly. Some of our past fundraising events and work done by SALPACT, have been uploaded unto the website. We will continue to improve on the site.
SALPACT is fundraising to enable us do more work for the needy. The trustees donate annually to the organisation which is a great help. We have also approached various companies for funding, but we have been unsuccessful so far.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024/2025**
In this financial year 2024/2025, SALPACT has upgraded its website to make it more user friendly. Most of our activities can be seen on the website. We have a website host who we pay on an annual basis for maintenance of the site.
We were able to raise a small amount by one of our trustees selling a few cookbooks and the money raised went into our SALPACT account.
SALPACT has identified one patron of notable standing in Sierra Leone, to represent SALPACT and to support our projects at the school as well as in Freetown, in the absence of a trustee.
The school held its Thanksgiving ceremony in February 2025. SALPACT once again provided bottles of cold water for each child as they were marching in hot sunshine.
Funds raised during the Thanksgiving church service, was used to renovate the headmistress’s office, which was in need of some repairs.
SALPACT received an Impact Assessment Report from the Headmistress of Gloucester School in Freetown, Sierra Leone, regarding the prizegiving ceremony which was held in February 2024. The prizes donated by SALPACT, had a positive impact on the children with a significant improvement in their academic performance.
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The pupils’ improved performance was very encouraging and has motivated us to continue supporting the school during their future prize–giving ceremonies.
SALPACT has purchased a laptop for the secretary, to enable her carry out her work with ease.
We the trustees at SALPACT, gave assistance of **£500** to an agricultural female led organisation WAADO (Women’s Agriculture and Advocacy Organisation), based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where women in the community create self-help projects to help themselves get out of poverty and dependency and become self – sufficient. These women plant vegetables on a selected plot of land and then sell these vegetables at the local markets, to help feed their families. The money is to provide seedlings and tools to the women.
## **PLANS FOR 2025/2026**
Other support being considered by Trustees include computer technology, football kits for the children, books and basic science materials and tools, including annual support for the prizegiving and thanksgiving ceremonies at Gloucester REC School.
## **Sierra Leone Poverty Alleviation Charitable Trust - Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31[ST] March 2025**
SALPACT’s opening current account bank balance on 1 April 2024 was **£293.05**
The opening savings bank balance on 1[st] April 2024 was **£3417.00**
Bank opening balance 01 June 201 **OPENING BANK BALANCE ON 1[st] APRIL 2024 £293.05 Donations by trustees £510.00 Sale of cookbooks £30.00 TOTAL INCOME into current account £540.00 TOTAL INCOME £584.79 Transfer of funds from current to savings accoun** t **£500.00 Bank credit into savings account £44.79**
## **TOTAL INCOME { including bank interest} £584.79**
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## **EXPENDITURE from savings account:**
|
Website and zoom hosting**£105.95**|
|---|
|
Cost of prizes and bags to|
|Gloucester REC School + shipping**£208.00**|
|
Laptop**£239.00**|
|
**WAADO £500.00**|
|**TOTAL EXPENDITURE - £1052.95**|
|**CLOSING BALANCE ON 31 MARCH 2025 £330.34 –**CURRENT|
|**CLOSING BALANCE ON 31 MARCH 2025 £2905.79 –**SAVINGS|
## **TOTAL AMOUNT £3236.13 – SALPACT’s NET WORTH**
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