Malarchi Pooncholai Trust Registration number: 1092994
Annual Report 2022
Aims, objectives and achievements.
The Trust aims to lift children, who are either orphans or in the care of a lone parent, in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu in South India, out of dire poverty through the provision of regular financial, educational and medical support and regular issues of hygiene parcels and clothing. One hundred and thirteen children of school and college age, benefit from this outreach programme. Thirteen of these are in further education including two following BSc Nursing, four following B Com, two BSc and one Diploma in Nursing. Since the pandemic made evident the dire poverty and appalling deprivation of a group of elderly pariahs in two hamlets, the Trust also aims to make the situation of sixty-two elderly and neglected men and women more comfortable by the daily provision of cooked meals.
Two UK trustees and one donor visited the projects in September.
Finance
The already audited India accounts were received by email on time and were scrutinised. They were found to be reasonable and accurate and were accepted by the UK Trustees.
Children - Developments and activities.
Children and their parents met in May, at the beginning of the academic year, to receive the educational equipment needed for the year and to be given advice regarding educational matters where needed. They were given meals and snacks during the visit. Those youngsters who had completed year 10 or +2 years met with Prabakaran to discuss their futures
Children and parents met in groups in September to meet with two UK Trustees and a visiting donor. They received various awards and gifts, new blankets and clothing. The food, which was extremely well received, was prepared by a former Pooncholai resident, Esakkimuthu, who is developing a very promising career and business in catering.
Staff
Esakkimuthu resigned his post as a fieldworker with the Trust in order to start up a business in catering. Our two other fieldworkers have chosen to carry out his duties for the time being. All members of staff are very settled in their roles, which are being carried out extremely well. They are, two fieldworkers, a female clerical worker, responsible for keeping the daybook and for the accounts amongst other duties, a cook, responsible for daily meals for the recipient elderly people, a cook’s assistant in this project and a general worker, who oversees the construction of toilets and delivers food to the elderly when necessary.
Toilets construction
Those of our families who are recipients of toilets have expressed their delight in the considerable improvement in their lives that this has brought.
We have received a number of applications for toilets in the two hamlets and have agreed a policy regarding this. A form has to be completed by applicants with proof that they have a very small income e.g. they are recipients of ration cards. Those with government jobs or who have more than a very small piece of land or own what is known as a “concrete house”, in other words a substantial dwelling, will not have their applications considered.
Visits to projects
With risk from Covid very greatly diminished, UK trustees were able to freely visit all projects. Without exception, it was clear that the children included in the Outreach project are benefiting very substantially. Their ability to engage more fully in the educational process, due to a greatly improved diet, is marked and a large proportion of those reaching the end of statutory education choose to continue into the +2 years and thereafter proceed to higher or further education.
Newly constructed toilets for those families, who had hitherto not had access to a toilet, were visited, often without notice. Without exception, these toilets were very well kept and in a clean and orderly state. Many of the families expressed their gratitude for greatly improved lives as a result of having a toilet. The women and girls in particular benefit hugely from the privacy that they are now afforded.
There is a government initiative for the construction of toilets and we enquired of our families why they had not taken advantage of this. We were told by the
families that they have to initially find the money to build their own toilet and are reimbursed once construction has been completed and inspected. However, they report that the materials used are often substandard and the constructions are short lived. Additionally, since they have no spare money, they have to borrow, at a high interest rate, the necessary funds.
The group of elderly extremely poor pariahs living in two hamlets are appreciative of the two meals and snacks that they receive each day. Having met some of them at the beginning of this project, the UK trustees were impressed by how much healthier they are now and were pleased to hear that their capacity to buy the simple medications and hygiene items that they need is now far greater. During several visits to these hamlets the appalling state of some of the roofs of those elderly receiving support from the Trust became very evident. These rush roofs had holes patched with polythene bags and the discomfort caused by the many leaks during the monsoon must have been truly dreadful for old bodies and bones. After consultation with other trustees, it was decided to fund repairs where they were particularly needed.
Reunion
It was decided to send out an invitation for all former Pooncholai children to attend a reunion. A large number managed to attend the event in a rented hall in Reddiyarpatti, close to our headquarters. Many of them had travelled a long distance and only those who were incapacitated or had important commitments did not attend. It was a highly successful event and for the visiting UK trustees it was extremely rewarding to hear about the successes of each individual. Without exception, they had done well in terms of their careers and none of them had been engaged in menial work. The majority of them were married and many had one or two children. Their memories of their lives in Pooncholai were positive and joyful and their happy reunions, with those that they consider to be their brothers and sisters, were a pleasure to see.
In the tradition of Tamil Nadu, several attendees gave spontaneous speeches all of which spoke from the heart and were touching. We were particularly moved when a brother and sister, both brought up in Pooncholai, gave speeches of gratitude and presented a substantial (in terms of their salaries) donation to the Trust. Both would have become agricultural coolies without the education and care that they received in Pooncholai. The sister has become a paediatric nurse and her brother a chef. Following this presentation others also made smaller but very welcome donations.
Funding
Because of a past very generous legacy, the Trust is in the very fortunate position of being able to extend its work without any difficulties, whilst retaining sufficient funding for unforeseen eventualities during the next year and beyond.
Carol Evans Chairperson
CHARITY COMMISSION POR tNGL4ND AND WAIES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a F•r th• p•r6od 01 DI R041 To I.IZ.kn22 Section A Receipts and payments Unr•tytrtcted lund• Re8irict•d fund• Endowm•nt funds Total lunils Lasi ygar A1 R•c•l ARJ 3) 157 ? Is? l••• tabl•l. rotal rn¢•lpts AJP• Sub tot•1 91 A4 A•••t and In¥Mtm•nt Sub tot•1 Tot•1 p•ym•nt8 qi 14•t 01r•cp1(P4ym•nts) AS Trnn•f•r• b•••n lund• A• lund• l•t y••r •nd C•h lunds thls y••r •nd 11 Ib CCXX Rl •cc¢unts Issi l?hl?•Vi*•
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period UnroStrlGI R•stri¢te fund• lund¥ idowineiil fund• Latligo Deull B1 C••h lynd• c-. Total ¢uh lunds lund• v••1 lund• fund• Det,711s Deiails Co•t 83 Inv••tm•nl •M•t• F to whkh Dpidils 84 A+tr r•tsln•d lor th• ch•rlty'• own u•• Fund to whkh kniount du• 85 Ll•bllltl•• Sn•d by om Of on b•hall ol Al Iho Iruile•• SnafL Ptht Nam• Date of
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to th• trust•••l m•mb•rn of On 4ccounts for th• year end•d tsi br r_E.44ik)Y Charity no Ilf any) ii?I k)Ib£ S•t out on pag•• I report to the trustees on my examination of the ccounts ol the abova charity ('the Trust") for the year ended '4I11-I firy"2.L R••pon8lbllltl•s and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basls of r•port ol the accounts in accordance wrth the requirements ol the Charities A 2011 (Ihe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in rarying out my exafflination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by ttle Charity Commission under section 145{5llb) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matenal matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any maierial respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance wrth 8ection 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting record8 Ind•p•nd•nt •xamln•r's sLgt•ment I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the 8xamination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please délete the words in the brackets if Ihey do not apply. Data: Slgn•d: Nam•'. R•l•vant prof••slonal qu•llficatlon(8) or body (If any)". Addr••s: IER Octobgr 2018
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiners Report R•port to the tru•teesl m•Mrn of Fr•f• W, On accounts for th• yoar •nd•d Charity no (if any) S•t out on pago• I report to the trustees on my examination of the unts of the above R••pon•lbll1ti and AS the chanty tru8tees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation b••ls of rnport of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charrtbes A( 2011 Ilhe Act.). I report in respect of my examination of th8 Trust's accounts carried out under s8Ction 145 of the 2011 Act and in Carrying out my examinatK)n. I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charty Commission under section 14515)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no matenal mallers have come to my attention (other than that disdosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance wth section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wrth the accountsn9 records Indop•nd•nt •xamln•rf8 Statement I have no concems and have Come across no olher matters in connacts'on with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the aG¢ounts to be reached. . P188se delete the ¥wds in the br8ckets rf they Iyo not apply. Dats: Slgnod: Nam•: R•l•v*nt profo••lon•l quallflcatlon(s) or body Ilf anyl: r rlthi (l{itr) J• 4 ¢ Addr•M: IER OCtor 2018