li THE ZENA LAUNCHPAD 2023 Annual Report
Contents
Introduction 3 Letter From the Co Founders 4-5 Summary of Accomplishments
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Programme and Project Highlights
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6 Entrepreneurship Training Programme 7 Success Stories 10 Phase III Business Project 11 Agricultural Training 12 Graduate Q&A 15 The Men’s Lunch
Impact 16-17 Impact Assessment 21 Story - NAMWEBYA SAMALI 22 Story - LUBUGA SARAH
“I am proud of many things all because of Zena. I am proud to be named among the women business owners in Kamuli today. I am proud to have a savings account in the bank with actual funds that have come from my own business. I am proud that my son now goes to one of the good schools in Kamuli district.” SALIMA (2022 COHORT)
Letter from the Co Founders
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(Pictured: The Zena staff team in Uganda)
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2023 marked our seventh year as contracts with large businesses an organisation and a particularly in town, attend trade shows, and exciting year for our team, our scale nationally. The longer we are operations and our impact. We able to run our model, the more we were thrilled to secure the land become convinced in the power of title for our new 3 acre campus female entrepreneurs - not only in site which begins construction in their businesses but in what they 2024, we were featured on ITV bring to their wider communities. This Morning on UK Television for International Women’s Day, we The stories and data we have more than doubled our capacity for collected over the past year impact on ground from graduating represent a new focus on impact an average of 10 women per year metrics and data collection as to 25 women per year. We also we begin to see our oldest Zena saw what we think is our strongest graduates reach their 5th year graduating class yet start businesses of business! We’re believers ranging from a pharmacy to a that what you measure shows duck farm and experienced the what you value, and we want to highest number of women coming continue our commitment to holistic for interviews yet (400 for just 25 empowerment by ensuring our places). metrics of success take the whole
The stories and data we have collected over the past year represent a new focus on impact metrics and data collection as we begin to see our oldest Zena graduates reach their 5th year of business! We’re believers that what you measure shows what you value, and we want to continue our commitment to holistic empowerment by ensuring our metrics of success take the whole individual into account, measuring economic, educational as well as relational and spiritual indicators of empowerment and transformation.
We were proud to pioneer a men’s outreach program to support the Zena women in their relational dynamics with husbands, fathers and brothers as they experience a change in their financial situation which has been an exciting and important addition to our programming.
As we look forward to 2024 we are excited to be entering into a capacity building year, with new staff members, new curriculum modules, and the start of construction of our new campus!
Additionally, we had the privilege of seeing the 2022 graduates move from strength to strength. We saw women hire employees, win major
Caragh and Loren (Zena CoFounders)
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Accounts for The Zena Launchpad for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Registered charity number: 1185868 CIO: CE019231
Report of the trustees for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31st December 2023
The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31st December 2023.
These financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (Charities SDRP (FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011).
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Officers for the period: Jane Pleace Peter Tibigambwa Sarah Gough (Chair) Sebastian Mitchell
Registered office: 3 Avenue Gardens, Teddington, TW11 0BH
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE, AND MANAGEMENT The Zena Launchpad is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by its Foundation document dated 6th November 2020.
New Trustees are appointed by the existing Board of Trustees on the basis of their expertise and involvement in furthering the mission and vision of the charity. The Board of Trustees meets quarterly to oversee the vision and strategies of the charity. The Zena Launchpad took on one full time employee in December 2023.
Bank:
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
Independent examiner: Andrew Gardner 7 The Fairway Lake Isle of Wight PO36 9EE
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in deciding the activities undertaken by the Charity in the period. The Trustees are satisfied that the information provided in the report and accounts meets the public benefit reporting requirements.
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Summary of Accomplishments
“Owning a business now has given me a voice and made me famous, people know me all over town. The moment you mention the girl who makes charcoal stoves, you will be immediately directed to my workshop. I have been given leadership roles in different youth groups because of what I am today. I am proud to have gone through Zena.”
NANCY (2022 COHORT)
We have broadened our impact by increasing 418 the number of programme individuals members from 10 In impacted by The to Zena Launchpad programme. 2023: 25
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New Training Partner We commenced training in agricultural practices and farming 25 for sustainable rural livelihood in partnership with Iowa State women University – Uganda Program (ISU-UP) comprehensively trained in Entrepreneurship Over Leadership £38 700 (UGX 188,000,000) Literacy generated in sales by Zena 90% graduates in 2023, and Digital Literacy of businesses launched over in 2022 celebrated Holistic Skills their first birthday £10 700 and are still running (UGX 52,000,000) through our successfully. profits generated by Zena unique 1-year graduates in 2023. training programme. individuals Zena graduates, who employed by 2022 now make up our 20 Zena graduates. alumni community. 67
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making, communication, leadership, reading and writing, computer, management and so much more through classes and one-on-one mentoring sessions. All of which help set them up to become proficient businesswomen when they graduate from our programme. Most importantly, they saved enough capital to start their dream business ventures at the end of the training.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMME 25 women went through our unique 1-year entrepreneurship training programme in 2023, getting access to training in entrepreneurship, leadership, literacy, and digital literacy. Through our training programme, our graduates are equipped with valuable skills in financial literacy, creativity, decision-
Graduate Successes (2022 Cohort)
ASERI
Aseri is a graduate of our entrepreneurship training programme. She owns a clothes shop in Kamuli central market and is one of our most outstanding graduates.
SALIMA NAKATUBA
Salima is a graduate of our entrepreneurship training programme. She operates a successful laundry business in Kamuli and among her clients is Century Hotels, one of the biggest hotels in Kamuli.
ELIZABETH
Elizabeth is a graduate of our entrepreneurship training programme and a poultry farmer in Kamuli. This year she grew her farm from stocking 300 chickens at the start of the year to 700 by December.
LYDIA KIFUKO
Lydia is a graduate of our entrepreneurship training programme and a juice manufacturer in Kamuli, she manufactures and packs juice from tamarind fruits. Her product, Promise Tamarind Fruit drink is certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. She also employs 4 people at her business.
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“I am leaving this programme a different person from the one that joined. Today, I can educate my children. I have kept my children in school throughout the year using my monthly stipend from Zena. I can also take better care of myself as an individual. My status in my family has been elevated: I am now seen as a dependable person when decisions have to be made and I am a part of solutions in my home.” BIRIBAWA SARAH (2023 COHORT)
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PHASE III BUSINESS PROJECT Being an entrepreneurship training programme, we like to allow our trainees to test out their business skills on a hands-on project. This year, we had five groups of five members each working together on a business of their choice in a business competition where the most profitable group at the end of the project took the prize. Each group got an initial capital of UGX 250,000 (£51) which they used to start and operate their business for 3 months. The results were impressive with one group turning that into UGX 916,000 (£188) in 3 months! A deserved reward of a goat was shared by the winning team.
AGRICULTURAL TRAINING
In partnership with the Iowa State University Uganda Program (ISU-UP), we offered agricultural training to our programme members where they learned about the best, new, and modern farming practices. More than 80% of the population in Kamuli and 100% of our programme members are involved in
agriculture at a certain level. Based on this, we found it helpful to train our programme members in this area to equip them to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in agribusiness to farm for their consumption and reduce household expenditure for sustainable living. Some important courses covered under this training included; agricultural enterprise selection, livestock management, record keeping, and budgeting in agricultural enterprises, nutrition, agribusiness planning, risk management in agribusiness enterprises, value addition to agricultural products and so much more.
“I learned four important lessons (my dream being a poultry farm) I learned how to save costs on the treatment of chickens by using locally available ingredients like onions and papaya for de-worming. I also learned about the best practices in piggery, I hope to transfer these to my own farm. A goat farm is one of my dream projects for the future and I learned about treatment, gestations, signs of heat, and proper breeding practices, all of which will be important to me. Lastly, I was taken aback to learn that the best season to start preparing to plant bananas is the dry season.”
ATALA CATHERINE (2023 COHORT)
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for life after graduating from our training programme by learning about startup challenges and how to navigate them, business startup preparations, saving and investment, learning to handle competition, going from startup to growing business, and so much more. Our graduates are a great inspiration for our programme members who look up to their success to fuel their success.
GRADUATE Q&A
Over the last few years, The Zena Launchpad has produced a crop of outstanding women entrepreneurs and leaders who have gone on to be valuable members of their communities. We are extremely proud of them. To continue fostering this success among our graduates, we have been inviting our exemplary graduates to hand out important lessons, knowledge, and insights in question-and-answer sessions. These Q&As have been important in preparing our current cohort
“[At the graduate Q&A] I learned to separate capital from profits and how to keep money safely. I learned that in the business I am going to do - a clothes boutique - it is better to store money in the form of stock rather than in cash because it is easily consumable in cash. I also got to know someone who is doing my dream business successfully and whom I can consult as I learn.”
BOGERE SCOVIA (2023 COHORT)
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THE MEN'S LUNCH We believe that the men – the husbands, fathers, brothers – in the lives of the women we work with play a big part in the success of our entrepreneurship programme. That is why we decided to bring them fully on board this year, we organised two men’s lunches in the first and final quarter of the year, in which we got to meet all the men. They got to know what we do and the impact we want to create through empowering the women financially. These lunches
presented a good opportunity to listen to issues, and challenges, answer questions about the programme, and get feedback on our programme from the men who entrust us with their wives to be a part of our training programme, all through dialogue. We also used this opportunity to speak about how best men can support women in their dreams and work together with them to eradicate poverty in households for a more sustainable livelihood.
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Through our
88% of our graduates and programme members feel they have a good support system of people they can approach for solutions in different situations. This is a testament to the kind of support system Zena wants to build for its alumni.
entrepreneurship and leadership classes, 96% of our programme members feel that they have enough knowledge to start and operate successful businesses.
82% of our programme members and graduates feel that they have been financially empowered enough to take care of their financial requirements.
Impact Assessment
Through our activities and projects, we aim to fight poverty by granting women entrepreneurs access to debt-free capital and training in entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to start smallscale businesses from which to earn income and rise above the poverty line to live sustainably. We also aim to promote gender equality by empowering women financially to make them dependable contributors to their families and the communities where they live. However, our impact on our graduates and our community goes deeper than that according to our research.
Through our Functional Adult Literacy class (FAL) 79% of our programme members are confident that they can read and write.
20% increase in the number of women in our training programme meaning we can make a bigger impact.
80% of Zena graduates operating businesses feel that they have a stable income source through those businesses.
90% of women in our programme and graduates say that they are being heard and that their opinions matter in the decisions made in their homes. This indicates the right steps are being taken in the fight against gender inequality and marginalisation of women in their homes and marriages.
UGX 7,400 (£1.52) – The average daily income of a Zena graduate indicates that Zena graduates are living above the poverty line.
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“This programme has helped transform women’s lives in our community. At first, I did not know what they did. Then I saw a woman in my community who had been living in very bad conditions for a long time and she had built a house for her family by the time she completed the programme. I was so happy for the woman and extremely thankful to the organisation. The whole community had thought that nothing good could happen to this woman.”
PATRICK, BODA DRIVER
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Impact Stories
all these things at my home now. People in my village, including my husband are astonished by the change that I have experienced this year, especially because I was completely illiterate when I joined the programme. Many of them ask me about the source of all the change they have seen and I tell them about Zena. I am very thankful to Zena for all that has been done for me.”
live sustainably using common things available to us that we usually overlook because we don’t look at them from a business perspective as such, I have bought some chickens which I rear on free range at my home, these will be a supplementary source of income for me in the near future. In addition, there are some things that I did not have in my home that I have now. I bought bedding: been done for me.” a mattress and bedsheets for my children and myself. I also bought (2023 COHORT) other things like jerrycans for safe storage of water and I have
SAMALI NAMWEBYA
“The programme got me from a very difficult place, I had given up all hope, I never thought I could get money from anywhere. I could not even think of going to the bank to borrow from there because I have no assets for security, and neither did I think of ever going there to withdraw my own money as I do now. My children used to be sent back from school for failure to pay school fees but they have been fully in school this year. I learned an important lesson on how to
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December 2023, my business has more than doubled. I value it at more than UGX 400,000 (£82). I thank Zena for the knowledge and training. I also want to thank Zena for the literacy class. Right now, I can happily say that I can write my name, sign documents, and attend meetings happily without fear of not knowing how to write.”
SARAH LUBUGA
“I want to thank Zena for the business knowledge I am going away with. Before, I never thought that I could get capital or even start a business. Particularly, the Phase III project had the biggest impact on me, it was an eyeopener. It showed me how I could start my own small business with very little money. So I used part of my October stipend to start a small business selling women’s clothes. I started the business with UGX 170,000 (£35) on 1st October 2023 and today, 8th
(2023 COHORT)
“This organisation has given employment to people in the community. I am one of those who have benefited once in a while. I have saved part of what I have been paid for the times I have offered a service and made a down payment on a piece of land where I plan to build a home for my family next year.”
KYANDA, CASUAL LABOURER
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FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Trustees have prepared accounts for The Zena Launchpad in accordance with the requirements of the SORP of best accounting practice.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ZENA LAUNCHPAD I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Zena Launchpad (‘the Trust’) for the year ended 31st December 2023.
Review of the year
The Zena Launchpad raised income of £238,544 from donations during 2023. Our expenditure was £163,358 and we have £105,334 of restricted funds at the end of the year to put towards the Construction Campaign project.
Income and Expenditure
The Zena Launchpad relies on donations for its source of funding. Most of the donations came from individuals and we are grateful to the broadening group of churches, trusts and businesses joining in to support our innovative approach.
Most fundraising was undertaken by the trustees and volunteers. The costs of raising funds amounted to £56,199 due to the cost of running The Zena Ball, a charity fundraising ball held at Kensington Palace. Revenues from the ball covered these costs and made a profit of nearly £15,000 towards the restricted funds for the Construction Campaign.
All the grants made by The Zena Launch Pad were to Zena Uganda (an International NGO) to support their delivery of the programmatic work of training women as entrepreneurs.
Reserves Policy and Balance Sheet The Zena Launchpad is the primary funder of the entrepreneurial training scheme at Zena Uganda. The women commit to the programme of 12 months. As our income is mostly from lump sums rather than regular giving, we aim to keep over 3 months running costs of that programme in reserve to ensure all the women who join can finish the programme.
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.
Scope of Examination
To enable my examination, I have been provided with detailed Excel spreadsheets containing all relevant accounting records, bank statements, supporting records and a copy of the draft Statutory Accounts.
The examination of accounts has included the following actions –
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Checking the consistency of records contained on the Excel spreadsheets, that detailed expenditure and income statements reconcile with the accounts summary. 2. Reconciliation of accounting records to bank statements. The bank balance was agreed to the annual accounts statement.
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A sample of invoices from the accounting records were examined and were matched to bank statement entries.
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Gift aid submissions were examined and matched to receipts from HMRC.
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:
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accounting records were not kept by the Trust in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with those records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Andrew Gardner 7 The Fairway Sandown Isle of Wight PO36 9EE 9th April 2024
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31ST DECEMBER 2023
| INCOME FROM: Donations and legacies Investment income TOTAL INCOME EXPENDITURE ON: Raising funds (events) Charitable activities Other costs TOTAL EXPENDITURE Net income / (expenditure) Gross transfers between funds Net movement in funds RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
2023 Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ 82,561 155,983 238,544 794 794 - 83,355- - 155,983- - 239,338- - -- - 56,199- 56,199 - 105,009- - 2,000- 107,009 - 150- 150 - 105,159- - 58,199- - 163,358- (21,804) 97,785 75,980 0 0 0 (21,804) 97,785 75,980 52,749 7,549 60,298 30,944 105,334 136,278 |
2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ 58,378 - 58,378 67 67 |
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| - 58,446- - -- - 58,446- - 600- 600 - 95,849- - 4,469- 100,318 - 150- 150 |
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| - 96,599- - 4,469- - 101,068- (38,153) (4,469) (42,622) 0 0 0 |
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| (38,153) (4,469) (42,622) 90,902 12,018 102,920 |
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| 52,749 7,549 60,298 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2023
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2023 2022
Notes £ £ £ £
Tangible Fixed assets 1 - -
Current assets
Debtors and accrued income 3 2,104 -
Cash at bank and in hand 134,324 60,448
136,428 60,448
Creditors: falling due within one year 4 (150) (150)
Net current assets 136,278 60,298
Net assets less current liabilities 136,278 60,298
Net assets 136,278 60,298
Reserves
Unrestricted funds:
General fund 30,944 52,749
Restricted funds 105,334103,334 7,549
136,278134,278 60,298
136,278134,278 60,298
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The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard 102. These accounts were approved by the trustees on and were signed on its behalf by 9/4/2024
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS OF THE ZENA LAUNCHPAD FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31ST DECEMBER 2023
1 Accounting Policies
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the charity’s accounts.
Basis of Preparation
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to the accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice FRS 102 and with the Charities Act 2011.
Incoming Resources
The accounts are prepared on the accruals basis of accounting: income is recognised when receivable, except for donations of all kinds that are recognised when received; income tax recoverable is recognised at the same time as the donation. Funds generated through sales of merchandise are accounted for gross. Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the charity. Legacies are only recognised when received.
Resources Expended
‘Resources expended’ has a wider meaning than ‘expenditure’: it excludes the costs of fixed assets that are capitalised but includes their subsequent depreciation on the basis set out below. The categories as defined by the SORP 2006 are:
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Costs of generating funds are those costs incurred in fundraising. - Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services. It includes all costs that can be allocated directly to such charitable activities.
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Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the independent examination fees.
Funds
Unrestricted funds represent funds that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the charity. Restricted funds are funds donated with restrictions as to their use.
Fixed Assets and Depreciation
Items of plant and equipment are capitalised where the acquisition value exceeds £1,000.
| 2 Income 2023 £ Donations Fron individuals 135,419 From individuals through fundraising event 63,483 Donations from churches, schools and businesses 26,450 Grants from grant making trusts 4,000 Income tax recovered via gift aid - 9,192- - 238,544- 3 Debtors 2023 £ Income tax recoverable - 951- Prepayments and accrued income - 1,153- - 2,104- 4 Creditors due within one year 2023 £ Accounts payable - -- Accruals - 150- - 150- Remuneration of independent examiner amounts to £150 5 Staff numbers and costs Number of staff employed by The Zena Launch Pad (from 1st December 2023) 1 The costs of employment were Payroll - 1,667- Employers NI - -- Employers pension contributions - -- - 1,667- 6 Related Party Disclosures No trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any benefits from their association with the charity. 7 Commitments There are no capital committements as at 31 December 2023 (2022: Nil) 8 Restricted funds Balance brought Income Expenditure Year to December 2023 £ £ £ Unrestricted funds 52,749- 83,355- (105,159) Restricted fund for men's ministry - 4,000- (2,000) Restricted fund for building a new training cent 7,549- 151,983- (56,199) 60,298- 239,338- (163,358) Balance brought Income Expenditure Year to December 2022 £ £ £ Unrestricted funds 90,902- 58,446- (96,599) Restricted funds for - improvements to buildings and land 7,549 - - entrepreneurship director salary 4,043 (4,043) - training of junior staff 426 (426) 102,920- 58,446- (101,068) |
2022 £ 38,569 - - 5,000- - 6,000- - 8,809- |
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| - 58,378- |
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| 2022 £ - -- - -- |
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| - 150- |
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| 2022 £ - -- - 150- |
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| - 150- |
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| 0 - -- - -- - -- |
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| - -- |
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| Balance carried £ 30,944 2,000 103,334 |
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| 136,278 | ||
| Balance carried £ 52,749 7,549 - - |
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| 60,298 |
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