Life Skill Project International Annual Report 2021
The year 2021 was a challenging year. As in the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and restrictions made it hard to continue regular activities. Due to the Covid restrictions in Pakistan, both our skills centres, near Lahore and Gujranwala, had to be closed for some time. Even when we were allowed to open, strict Covid protocols had to be followed, which increased pressure on our staff and monthly expenditure. Our leadership team ensured that the government guidance was followed to keep our students and staff safe.
Both of our currently running centres were due to complete two years of training and closed with a certificate award ceremony in late 2021. Because of the face-to-face and practical nature of the training and the lack of online facilities and equipment, it was not possible to offer online classes. But due to Covid, the students could not complete the whole syllabus, so the length of the course duration had to be extended by six months to allow the students to finish their entire two years.
At the end of 2021, both Centres had been running smoothly since Covid restrictions had been lifted. The families were very keen and are already asking when the next centres would be opened and when daughters would be able to attend. If possible, the board of trustees plan not to have a gap between closing one centre and opening another as a delay might mean we lose good staff. They recognised that it would be wise to continue with two centres, but it all depends on successful fundraising.
Our treasurer reported that finances were holding steady, although the end-of-year balance was lower than at the start of 2021, which was expected due to covid. Regular donations had dropped slightly, fundraising was challenging, and one-off events, which usually raise half of our income, could not be held. Regular donations are needed to remain at the current level or increase if we are to continue our long-term commitment to enable the charity to look forward with confidence. It was hoped that 2022 would bring new fundraising opportunities as things returned to normal.
We continue to use social media for publicity and to promote our charity; however, we could do better. Thanks to a willing volunteer, the life Skill Project International website has been launched and is now active and can be accessed at www.lifeskillprojectinternational.org
The chair, Mussarat Iqbal, thanked the trustees and our donors for their commitment and support for Like Skill Project International. The passion and hard work of the trustees enable us to help the disadvantaged and poor girls gain skills and basic literacy; empower and release them to be independent and employable. We look ahead to 2022, hoping that God’s gracious providence and generosity of our donors will enable us to continue the good work as in previous years.
| Accounts Summary 2021 | Accounts Summary 2021 | Accounts Summary 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Brought forward | 3728.66 | |||||||
| Receipts | ||||||||
| Regular Donations | 1821.00 | |||||||
| Individual Donations | 650.00 | |||||||
| Fundraising | 828.64 | 3299.64 | ||||||
| Payments | ||||||||
| Centre Exp | 4039.67 | 4039.67 | ||||||
| Balance as at 31st August 2021 | 2988.63 | |||||||
| Represented by: | ||||||||
| Balanceper bank statement 31st December 2021 | 2988.63 | |||||||