Annual Report of Trustees 10/12/2020 to 1/1/2022
WDEF registered with the Charity Commission in November 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) whose only voting members were its charity trustees using a Foundation model constitution. The elected officers were Aster Belay (Chair) Siobhan Crawley (Vice-chair) Feyisa Demie (Treasurer) and Brian Foster (Secretary) with eight other trustees.
Over the course of the year the organisation met each month, on-line. The Covid-19 pandemic significantly restricted our face-to-face activities during this period but we used the time to develop the organisational infrastructure. We established the website (wdfsg.org/) and secure emails for officers.
The following policies were agreed and published on the website:
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! Complaints handling
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! Conflicting interests
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! Risk management
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! Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
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! Children
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! Adults
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! Volunteer management
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! Anti-money laundering
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! Financial management
We encountered some difficulties in opening a bank account and as a result we were only able to research and plan fund-raising activities.
On May 3rd 2021 a partner organisation in Oromia received its certificate of legal recognition and opened a bank account. Hundee Barumsa Warqinaa Dachaasaa (WADA) agreed the constitution and elected Board members, audit committee members and the management team.
The second anniversary of Workneh Dechasa’s death was commemorated on-line, on May 15[th] 2021 attended by around 50 friends and colleagues. The event included personal contributions in memory of Workneh, an account of the work of WDEF to date and a video of a meeting between community members, education officials and NGO representatives on-site in Malkaa-Dhagaa Gudar.
During the course of 2021 we came to realise that the Foundation model constitution was not appropriate to the needs of the organisation; to achieve our objectives we needed to involve more members and enrolling everyone as a trustee would make governance unwieldy. On the 2nd October 2021 the trustees unanimously agreed to adopt an amendment to the constitution changing the organisation to a CIO whose members elect trustees (an Association model Constitution). This would allow the organisation to grow our membership and allow a smaller group of people to focus on finance and governance.
The meeting reconvened as a General Meeting of Members and all existing trustees retired from office. This meeting then elected five trustees. Aster Belay (Chair) Siobhan Crawley (Vice-chair) Feyisa Demie (Treasurer) Teferi Degeneh (Assistant-treasurer) and Brian Foster (Secretary). It was agreed that General Meetings would be held each month and Trustees would meet every two weeks.
Aster Belay visited Ethiopia in early October. She saw the school site and met with people involved on the ground. The Local Authority has taken soil samples prior to the commencement of building works. The school is seen as a hub for the community and there are plans to have a community clinic based there.
An application to CAFbank (the bank of Charities Aid Foundation) has been submitted based on the revised constitution and the current trustees.
WORKNEH DECHASA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE REPORT 10/12/2020 TO 1/1/2022
| INCOME | Year ending 1/1/2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| £0.00 | ||
| EXPENDITURE | ||
| £0.00 | ||
| ASSETS AT YEAR END | £0.00 |
Note: As the CIO encountered difficulties in opening a bank account ((now resolved) no financial activity was possible during the reporting year.