Company no. 01861434 Charity no. 326859
Year end 31 March 2022
## **2022 Annual Report and Audited Accounts** Celebrating **38 years** of changing lives
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **We are Able Child Africa**
The leading UK charity working solely to improve the lives of children and young people with disabilities in Africa.
For over 38 years, we’ve been making lasting change for children with disabilities in Africa, operating across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia.
We break down the barriers to inclusion for children with disabilities and empower them to fight for their rights. We create change on a national scale by influencing governments and other agencies.
We are a small charity making a big impact. We are uncompromising in our mission. We are experts in what we do and are passionate about the approach we take. We are bold and agile, with the courage to innovate and take disciplined risks.
**Introduction** 3
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **What’s in this report?**
|**Welcome from our Chair**|**05**|
|---|---|
|**Why we exist**|**06**|
|**What we do**|**08**|
|Protect & Educate|**10**|
|Empower|**11**|
|**Our Impact**|**12**|
|Uganda|**14**|
|Kenya|**16**|
|Tanzania|**18**|
|Rwanda|**20**|
|Malawi|**22**|
|Zambia|**24**|
|**Building Local Capacity**|**26**|
|**Grace’s Story**|**27**|
|**Advocating for Change**|**28**|
|**Financial Report**|**30**|
|**Celebrating You**|**31**|
|**Looking Forward**|**33**|
|**Strategic Priorities**|**34**|
|**Report of the Trustees**|**36**|
|**Audited Accounts**|**46**|
4 **Contents**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Welcome from our Chair**
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Jim Sellars
Chair
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It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our 2022 Annual Report. We are very proud of the work we do through our partners to protect, educate and empower children with disabilities, so they are able to fulfil their potential. In the last year, our partners worked with over 700 children and supported over 1,000 parents across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia. Among the many highlights, we secured our first multi-year grant funding for our newest partner ZAPCD in Zambia and have become a leading figure in the UK and internationally on disability-inclusive child safeguarding, following the launch of the Disability-inclusive Child Safeguarding Guidelines.
Like many charities, we were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic both operationally and financially. In the last financial year, we saw a significant contraction in our funding. However, the team and our partners have worked tirelessly through these challenging times and we are delighted that funding and, most importantly, service delivery are returning to pre-pandemic levels.
As part of our five-year strategic cycle, we have launched a strategic review of Able Child Africa, in conjunction with our partners and wider stakeholders. The new strategy will aim to ensure that the organisation will continue to support the children we work with in the best possible way. Excitingly, we have recently received multi-year grant funding to support some of the proposed changes and we look forward to sharing more details of this new strategy, when it is finalised in the new year.
We work side-by-side with our six partners and their commitment, vision, and knowledge drive the success of Able Child Africa, without whom none of our work would be possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for everything they have done this year and throughout our many years of successful partnership.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the entire Able Child Africa team. Karl, our CEO, and Lauren, our Head of Programmes and Advocacy, provide both inspirational leadership to the whole organisation and drive the long-term vision of Able Child Africa. We are also indebted to the Board of Trustees, whose diverse skillsets and experiences have been crucial in navigating the challenges of the last two years.
Despite the organisation's recovery following the pandemic, the external fundraising environment remains difficult. We do not underestimate the challenge ahead, and our final thanks are reserved for all our donors, whether individual, corporate or institutional, small and large. Your generosity is the organisation's lifeblood, and we remain indebted to your continued support. This has enabled Able Child Africa to deliver all the work described in the following pages and to continue our vital mission to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
While this has been a challenging period, the organisation remains well-placed to flourish and ultimately support many more children who need our support. We are really excited about the future and sincerely hope you will continue to feel moved to support us in our vital work.
Best wishes,
**Jim Sellars**
**Welcome from our Chair** 5
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **60 million**
people with disabilities live in Africa, the vast majority of which are children.
## **Only 1 in 10 attend school**
This impact is worsened for girls with disabilities.
## **Fighting for rights & change for children in Africa.**
Children and young people with disabilities are among the most marginalised in the world. Those living in poverty are disproportionately affected. Many continue to spend much or all of their lives in institutions, away from their families and are vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse. They are forgotten, hidden and have been systematically excluded.
Children with disabilities are **4 times** more likely to suffer abuse
or violence
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Why we exist**
Up to 80% of children with disabilities from low-income countries will not live to be 5 years old. The children that do are four times more likely to suffer abuse and eight times less likely to go to school.
## **Our vision is a world in which all children with disabilities are fully included as equal members of society.**
We believe that every child is able. Able to learn. Only half of the children who begin go Able to participaton to complete th **e** . Able to ir primary education. Most drop out after a few months due to feelings of exclusion, isolation or stigma.
Local disability-focused organisations are severely underfunded and under-resourced, so Able Child Africa plays a key role in supporting local partners to protect, educate and empower children with disabilities so they are able to fulfil their potential.
Every day, these children are facing barriers such as stigma and discrimination just for being who they are. They are some of the most vulnerable children in the world.
Denying children with disabilities their equal rights has a lifelong impact. **It leads to a life of poverty, abuse, dependence and discrimination.** We believe every child is able: able to learn, able to contribute to society and able to shape their own future.
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **What we do**
We work with local partners to **protect, educate and empower** children with disabilities so they are able to fulfil their potential. We do this by...
## **Strengthening local organisations**
We strengthen local organisations on the ground which ensures they can deliver lasting change in the countries where we work.
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Zambia**
**Uganda Tanzania Kenya Malawi**
**Rwanda**
We have over **38 years’** experience working with local organisations across Africa to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
Our **mission** is to promote the realisation of equal rights for children and young people with disabilities in Africa and to facilitate their meaningful inclusion in all aspects of life.
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Protect.**
## **Ensuring the protection of children with disabilities in Africa.**
Children with disabilities are at a higher risk of violence, abuse or exploitation due to the multiple barriers that prevent them from protecting themselves or reporting incidents of abuse. We work with all our partners to improve and support local safeguarding practices and ensure the protection of children in the areas where we work.
By supporting local families and organisations to break down the stigma and discrimination around disability, we ensure the **protection** and inclusion of children with disabilities within their communities. We have been working to do this in Kenya...
## Improving Child Safeguarding in Kenya
We worked with our partner **Action Network for the Disabled** (ANDY) in Kenya to build their capacity to safeguard children with disabilities. Much of ANDY’s early work had focused on supporting young people, however, they were increasingly looking for ways to work with younger children with disabilities, as they identified large numbers of children who were out of school. ANDY sought Able Child Africa’s support to include children with disabilities in their five-year strategy, and together we developed a new child protection and safeguarding policy for the organisation.
The full involvement of both ANDY and Able Child Africa in this process ensured that both national and international standards were considered. Crucially, we have been able to apply our extensive experience and knowledge of the considerations needed for inclusive safeguarding, specifically for children with disabilities.
## **Educate.**
## **Changing the lives of children with disabilities through education.**
In low income countries, over 90% of children with disabilities do not attend formal school. To tackle this problem, we have developed inclusive **education** projects that support children with disabilities to access mainstream education alongside their peers, improving their educational outcomes and ensuring they are able to fulfil their potential.
We have been working in Uganda to change the lives of children with disabilities through education…
10 **What we do** - Protect & Educate
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## Child to Child Inclusive Education in Uganda
We teamed up with our partners **Uganda Society for Disabled Children** (USDC), to implement an Inclusive Education Project using an innovative Child to Child approach. The project worked to support children to break down the environmental, institutional and attitudinal barriers faced by children with disabilities to accessing safe, inclusive education.
Using the Child to Child approach, children already attending school are encouraged to identify and engage with out-of-school children with disabilities in their communities. Together with teachers, they identify barriers to exclusion, and work with schools and communities to ensure that children with disabilities are in education, and importantly stay in school.
We worked with 27 schools across three districts (Lira, Adjumani and Nebbi) over 5 years, enabling us and USDC to get over 1,500 children with disabilities into school.
## **Empower.**
## **Empowering children with disabilities in Africa to fight for their rights.**
For too long children with disabilities have been forgotten, hidden and systematically excluded. A key reason is that the children and their parents have been unaware of their rights and are disempowered in the fight for justice. By **empowering** children and young people with disabilities with knowledge of their rights, they are able to break down the barriers to their inclusion for themselves and their peers.
## Raising Aspirations in Rwanda
With funding from the UK Government, we joined the fight to ‘leave no one behind’ in Rwanda, partnering with **Uwezo Youth Empowerment** (UWEZO) to empower children and young people with disabilities to demand inclusion within the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Alongside UWEZO, we developed and implemented a youth-led model, where we trained young people with disabilities to mentor and work with younger children with disabilities. Through this approach, we provided a platform to develop youth-led solutions for meaningful inclusion, where young people themselves become the key advocates for inclusion at the community and government level.
This has created new mechanisms and networks, where young people with disabilities are empowered to campaign for their inclusion across society.
**What we do** - Empower 11
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Our impact**
**Objective 1: Support African-led organisations to help children with disabilities and their families realise their full potential**
**In 2021/22,** we have been working with **six partners** across **six countries** in Africa to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
**We directly supported children and young people with disabilities** through enrolling out-of-school children into schools, providing disability aids, making school premises more accessible, establishing mentoring networks and activities to break down damaging myths about disability.
## **Children & young people with disabilities directly supported**
**Uganda: 243** children & young people supported **Kenya: 69** children & young people supported **Rwanda: 74** children & young people supported **Tanzania: 250** children & young people supported **Malawi: 68** children & young people supported **Zambia: no stats available as yet**
## Total **704**
12 **Our Impact**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **We trained teachers in inclusive teaching**
**methods,** providing the necessary training and tools to help teachers support all children in the classroom and ensuring children with disabilities can participate in lessons alongside their peers.
## **Teachers we trained**
**Uganda: 86** teachers trained **Kenya: 40** teachers trained **Rwanda: 0** teachers trained **Tanzania: 12** teachers trained **Malawi: 37** teachers trained
**Zambia: no stats available as yet**
## Total **175**
**We supported parents of children with disabilities** through parent support groups or community events, giving parents the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face, support each other and work together to advocate for their children’s inclusion.
## **Parents we supported**
**Uganda: 566** parents supported **Kenya: 208** parents supported **Rwanda: 50** parents supported **Tanzania: 90** parents supported **Malawi: 150** parents supported **Zambia: no stats available as yet**
Total **1,064**
## **Government officials we worked with**
## **We worked with government officials**
**and ministers** advocating for improvements in disability inclusion at a local and national level in key government services in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Malawi.
**Uganda: 65** government officials we worked with **Kenya: 20** government officials we worked with **Rwanda: 12** government officials we worked with **Tanzania: 2** government officials we worked with **Malawi: 29** government officials we worked with **Zambia: no stats available as yet**
Total **128**
**Our Impact 13**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Uganda**
We have been working in Uganda **since 1984**
alongside our partner **USDC** , supporting children with disabilities and their families to break down the barriers to inclusion.
Many people living with disabilities in Uganda continue to face **stigma** and **discrimination** . In northern Uganda, where we work, 80% of people with disabilities have been identified as living in chronic poverty. Despite significant progress at a policy level in Uganda, there is an implementation gap. With a policy of Universal Primary Education, school enrolment has reached 90%. However, this is not the case for children with disabilities, where only 2% are graduating to secondary level.
## What we’re proud of
As part of our Comic Relief funded project, we are proud to have **successfully opened all 18 of our Community Learning Centres** (inclusive community-based pre-primary schools) across the districts of Nebbi and Adjumani in northern Uganda. Government restrictions due to COVID-19 had prevented them being opened as planned in the previous year, however they are all now fully operational with children both with and without disabilities playing and learning together through our inclusive Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum. The children are being taught by a dedicated group of 54 parents and caregivers who have been trained in inclusive early childhood education practices (IECE) and inclusive safeguarding and we are now looking forward to seeing how these children grow and develop through IECE before they successfully transition into primary schools.
## Supporting children with disabilities through individualised education plans
This year we completed our new project with USDC, funded by The Marr Munning Trust, which seeks to widen access to individualised learning plans (ILPs) for children across Uganda’s public school system. We are supporting 60 children with disabilities across six primary schools in Lira to build the evidence base on why ILPs are so effective at helping children with disabilities reach their full potential in school. At the same time, we are working closely with the government’s District Inspector of Schools to help advocate to policymakers on why and how ILPs should be rolled out to other primary schools in Lira and across the country, enabling us to reach even more children with disabilities.
14 **Our Impact** - Uganda
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
We trained **47** service providers and Village Health Teams
## **Through our current projects**
on early identification and early intervention for children with disabilities
We provided medical assessments for
We supported **506** parents
**126** children with disabilities
through Parent Support Group meetings
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Mr. Egea’sHow we
Story
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Mr. Egea is a 41-year-old man who has a physical disability and is a parent of a child who enrolled in one of our Community Learning Centres in northern Uganda. He saw that the learning centres could benefit from more resources and decided to **lead a campaign in his community that would ultimately strengthen his child’s inclusive early childhood education** . Mr. Egea travelled across his village in his adapted wheelchair to lead a campaign to raise local materials for the construction of semi-permanent structures for the learners from the learning centre so they could have a better space to learn. He went from home-to-home requesting people to support the construction of the new classroom, with many members of the community donating. The parents of the centre were overjoyed at the role Mr. Egea played and how **his advocacy had given all the children a chance to keep learning** and so they elected Mr. Egea to become a member of the management committee of the centre to guide the
“ **The parents of the centre were overjoyed** at the role Mr. Egea played and how his advocacy had given all the children **a chance to keep learning**
**Our Impact** - Uganda 15
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Kenya**
We have worked in Kenya **since 2009** with our partners **ANDY** supporting children and young people with disabilities to be included in all aspects of their lives.
While Kenya has a system of free primary education, the curriculum requires basic skills that most children with disabilities do not have. Very few have accessed early education, meaning young people with disabilities are less likely to be employed, and more likely to be living in poverty. With limited access to education or health care, these young people continue to face injustice, stigma and sometimes abuse and violence. This is magnified in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum where ANDY is based, and home to an estimated **100,000** people with disabilities.
## What we’re proud of
As part of our Comic Relief funded inclusive Early Childhood Development programme with ANDY in Kenya, we have had real **success with the adopted Parent Champion model and the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) meetings** . The Community Based Rehabilitation groups bring together government officials, education, health and community professionals, parents of children with disabilities and other individuals that have a responsibility to uphold the rights of children with disabilities. The groups were able to work with the Ministry of Education to highlight the key challenges faced by children with disabilities in educational inclusion, such as a lack of officials responsible for formally assessing children. Through these meetings and their engagement with officials within communities, Parent Champions have also secured access to school bursaries, disability cash transfers, additional trainings and free services including physiotherapy assessments.
## Improving the quality of early years education for children with disabilities
Despite children being eligible to enrol in pre-primary education from the age of three, assessments in Kenya are only conducted with children from the age of five. There is also a significant gap of officials responsible for assessing and identifying children with disabilities. This means that children who need additional support in their early years are excluded at this crucial stage in their life, resulting in lower enrolment and lower retention of children with disabilities. With the development of our ‘Early Years Child Functioning Assessment Tools’, we are now seeing increasing numbers of children with disabilities identified within the schools we are working in. The tools assess different functions of individual children such as vision, hearing, mobility, learning, communication, dexterity and playing, and emotions. Through their implementation along with the required teacher training, children with disabilities are not only being enrolled into school who would not have been earlier identified, they are also staying there.
16 **Our Impact** - Kenya
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
**Through our current projects**
We trained **40** teachers on inclusive teaching practices and disability rights
We trained **199** parents
We advocated for the rights of children with disabilities with
to better equip them to support the early childhood development of their children with disabilities
**18** government officials
## **The impact of a Parent Support Group for Mama Baraka**
Mama Baraka is a member of one of our Parent Support Groups in Kasarani, Kenya. She is a single mother with two children, one of whom is a child with Down syndrome called Baraka. Mama Baraka joined the local Parent Support Group and it has been a huge help, supporting her to cope with the challenges she faces in her everyday life.
## “
“The Parent Support Group has been my second home for me. I am able to talk to other members, where we **share the same challenges which helps me to be strong each day** . ”
With the **support from the Parent Support Group** , she has been able to **start her own business** . Mama Baraka secured a loan as part of a Village Savings and Loan Association Scheme. This provided her with the capital to start a catering business where she now sells potatoes and chicken in her community.
## “
“The loan I got helped me to start my own business so **I am able to support my children** , especially the transport for Baraka to go to school. This was my biggest challenge, at one time, I had contemplated withdrawing him from that school.”
The income generated from her business has been instrumental in **ensuring she has the money to support both her children to attend school** . Through the Parent Support Group, **Baraka’s teachers have also received training** to ensure Baraka experiences an inclusive environment at school where he can learn and play together with his peers. **Through our support, Baraka has a brighter future ahead of him.**
**Our Impact** - Kenya 17
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Tanzania**
We have been working in Tanzania **since 2007** alongside our partners
(CST) to change the lives of children and young people with disabilities through inclusive education.
Many children and families in Mbeya are living in poverty, often exacerbated by **disability** , HIV/AIDS and **high mortality rates** . Here, services for children with disabilities are severely lacking and poorly resourced. Although primary education is free in Tanzania, children with disabilities often do not develop the basic early learning skills needed to succeed in this environment and are continually left behind when it comes to accessing primary education.
## What we’re proud of
Following the legacy of Irma Skeeles, we have realised the construction of a new block at Child Support Tanzania’s (CST) inclusive school in Mbeya. Consisting of a new physiotherapy room and classroom, CST have been able to enrol more children with disabilities who can now benefit from the inclusive education services that CST provide. With funding from Rangoonwala Foundation, we will soon begin delivery of a new project that aims to improve the health and education of CST’s students with disabilities through the establishment of their Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre in the new physiotherapy room. In addition to purchasing brand new physiotherapy and occupational therapy equipment, CST’s teachers will be trained and continually mentored to ensure students receive the rehabilitative support they require to develop and reach their full potential. Parents will also receive guidance on how to support the therapeutic needs of their children at home, further helping to prevent children with disabilities from missing school and therefore reducing the inequalities that exist between children with and without disabilities.
## Quality School Libraries for All
This year we worked with Child Support Tanzania to open inclusive libraries in three primary schools in Mbeya, Tanzania. With funding and books provided by Book Aid International, these libraries will provide nearly 3,000 children with and without disabilities with access to a range of books, including textbooks, storybooks, novels, and sensory books. Together with Book Aid International, we trained a cohort of teachers to act as librarians in each school, with the equipment, knowledge and understanding to successfully run inclusive libraries in their schools. The passion and skill they brought to the training has been central to the success of the project. Accessibility audits of the library spaces were undertaken by children with disabilities to identify barriers to inclusion, with custom made shelves designed to enable the library space to be fully accessible to all children. The libraries are now open, with teachers using the books encouraging an even greater passion for reading and learning.
18 **Our Impact** - Tanzania
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Through our current projects**
We supported **90** parents of children with disabilities through Parent Support Groups
## We supported **2,800** children
## We have opened **3** inclusive school libraries
with and without disabilities to access school books through our inclusive school libraries.
to enable children with and without disabilities to access a wide range of schoolbooks, literature, and inclusive learning resources.
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Individual
Case Study:
Grace’s love of reading
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Grace, who is six years old and full of enthusiasm for learning, has a physical disability. As a student at Child Support Tanzania’s (CST) inclusive school, Grace has benefited from the new inclusive school library that opened at her school, with **over 3,000 books to choose from** . Grace is too young to read on her own, but by using the new facilities, Grace has improved her basic reading and writing skills. She is now beginning to read some sentences in books and speak the sounds. This has given her **increased confidence and she is improving all the time** . She is also starting to show improvements in her daily activities within the school environment. It has helped her play with other children, and make new friends by being part of the reading groups.
“ My daughter has brought **great changes in her community** . She has taught us to see that **children with disabilities can achieve great things** .
**Mother** of a beneficiary of our work
**Our Impact** - Tanzania 19
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Rwanda**
We have been working in Rwanda **since 2016**
alongside our partners
**Uwezo** Youth Empowerment
(UWEZO), empowering
children and young people with disabilities to fight for
their rights and access inclusive education.
Nearly half of all people with disabilities in Rwanda are under 35. Two-thirds are not in education or employment and over **90%** fall below the national poverty line. Children with disabilities comprise less than 1% of all primary school students, and this rate drops further at secondary level. As they grow older, these inequities remain; Rwandan youth with disabilities are far less likely to participate in the workforce, with only a small number in employment. While Rwanda has a good track record of inclusive policies and has taken many strides towards better inclusion of its population, many children with disabilities are still unable to access basic services and face stigma and discrimination.
## What we’re proud of
This year we were proud to strengthen Able Child Africa and UWEZO’s ability to design and deliver effective disability-inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects. We held a two-day workshop for young people with disabilities, allowing them to reflect on their experiences of disability-inclusive WASH from our completed Jersey Overseas Aid funded project, and to suggest strategies for best practice in health-focused programming in the future. The evidence gathered during these workshops has enabled us to work with UWEZO to co-create disability-inclusive data collection tools, which can capture data from the experiences of people with disabilities face, relating to WASH and other health-related projects.
## Making Rwandan child protection systems disability-inclusive for children with disabilities
This year we started an exciting new project in Rwanda with our partner UWEZO, with funding from Euromoney Institutional Investor. The project is focussed on making Rwandan child protection systems more disability-inclusive for children with disabilities. Children and young people with disabilities are often at much higher risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Compounding these risks, is the lack of appropriate mechanisms to prevent, report and respond to child protection cases for children with disabilities. Where services do exist, they are often not disability inclusive or accessible, meaning that many issues are not dealt with appropriately.
The project is tackling these issues by supporting child protection systems in Rwanda to be more disability inclusive and sensitive to the needs of children with disabilities, particularly girls. The project is supporting the parents of children with disabilities to prevent and report abuse to ensure their children do not continue to fall through the net. Youth advocates with disabilities have been identified to become mentors for the younger children with disabilities and tasked with mapping current child protection services to assess their accessibility, which will inform the changes needed to make them more inclusive for children with disabilities. The project will then form an evidence base to promote inclusive child protection systems across Rwanda and more widely.
20 **Our Impact** - Rwanda
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
**Through our current projects**
We have trained **12** young people with disabilities in mentoring, inclusive child protection and safeguarding
We provided **60** children with disabilities with one-to-one mentoring from older young people with disabilities
## We facilitated **50** parents
of children with disabilities to attend training workshops on positive parenting and child protection.
## **Individual Case Study: How we Liana’s journey as a youth advocate in Rwanda**
Liana has had a physical disability since childhood. **In 2018, her potential to positively impact on the lives of other children and young people with disabilities was recognised when UWEZO selected her as one of the twenty ‘Youth Disability Advocates’ in a now completed youth-led project.** In her role as a youth advocate, Liana received training in multiple areas of advocacy, disability and inclusion. Using these skills and her own experiences as a person with a disability, Liana mentored children with disabilities in their homes, working closely with the children’s families, surrounding communities and schools and regularly meeting with government officials to discuss effective ways of ensuring disability inclusion in policy development and implementation.
During her time as a youth advocate, Liana’s confidence grew significantly, and she discovered a real passion for advocacy. She also discovered her talent for acting and would regularly take part in radio shows and plays, which covered different elements of disability inclusion. She found that her own experiences as a person with a disability enabled her to easily step into the stories and tell them in an authentic way, and in turn these shows were positively received by listeners.
This year, when Able Child Africa and UWEZO launched our new disability-inclusive child protection project, **Liana was selected to be one of the new project mentors** due to her continued enthusiasm. Her experiences of having a disability and of being an experienced project mentor and disability advocate has meant that she is confident to take on the new role. Liana is continuing her passion for performance and activism by writing and acting in radio plays that focus on child protection and safeguarding for children with disabilities, and which invite listeners to think about how to keep children with disabilities in their communities safe. **The difference in Liana’s confidence from the beginning of the advocacy project in 2018 to her now is clear to see.** She hopes to pass on her passion for acting to other children with disabilities so they can continue to tell their own stories.
**Our Impact** - Rwanda 21
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Malawi**
We began working in Malawi in 2020 with the
**Organisations in Malawi** (FEDOMA), and in two years we already achieved notable successes.
## What we’re proud of
Feedback collected during our projects directly from children with disabilities themselves and their families identified that one of the biggest barriers to children with disabilities attending education at a crucial early age is the lack of access to medical care, correct diagnosis of their disability and subsequent provision of assistive devices which could support their equitable inclusion. We are therefore proud to have facilitated mass medical and disability screening events for children with disabilities in Malawi, with identified children then referred to formal medical services. After medical assessments and referrals were completed, assistive devices were procured for those children who could benefit, and follow-up visits were arranged with these children to monitor their progress and improve rehabilitation outcomes. This whole process ensures that these children are adequately supported to equitably access education.
Improving the accessibility of Community-Based Childhood Centres (CBCCs)
As part our Early Childhood Education (ECE) project in Malawi, we have supported accessibility audits and modifications of Community Childhood Centres to ensure they are fully accessible and inclusive for all children to attend safely. At the start of the project, a total of 10 Community Childhood Centres were audited across different project districts, and all were found to be inaccessible in one way or another. Two Community Childhood Centres did not have any structure at all, with children instead learning under a tree. Other inaccessible features included a lack of ramps or handrails, doors that were too narrow for wheelchair users, uneven floors, poor lighting, broken roofs/doors/walls, inaccessible tables or chairs, inaccessible toilet facilities, and a lack of any play items, toys or educational equipment. Following the accessibility audits, led by people with disabilities, we have supported the modification of these Community Childhood Centres including building ramps, widening doorways and installing handrails and more accessible latrines. We have also equipped the centres with inclusive play equipment such as toys, swings, balls and learning materials to encourage children with disabilities to be able to play and develop key skills in a more fun and inclusive way, preparing them for further learning.
22 **Our Impact** - Malawi
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
**Through our current projects**
We enrolled **68** young children with disabilities
into early childhood education
We trained **37** teachers
We enrolled **150** parents
(Community Childhood Centre workers) in disability inclusive teaching methods
of children with disabilities into parent support groups
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Jasmine’s
Educational Journey
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As part of our three-year project to improve access to Early Childhood Education (ECE) for young children with disabilities (aged three to five years old), a key element has been improving awareness in the community that help to identify and support children with disabilities. One such child has been Jasmine, a six year old girl who lives in a rural area of Malawi. Her family had previously kept her at home simply due to a lack of knowledge on how to support her and what services were available. After the project’s training of Community Childhood Centre staff and community awareness raising events, several people from the community identified Jasmine, who was previously unknown to staff. Utilising their training, **the staff were able to visit the girl and her family, informing them of her right to an education and what the project could do to support them** . They were able to bring her to the Community Childhood Centre to join in with her peers and were also able to offer basic physical therapy and nutritional advice to her family. She is also being fitted with two assistive devices as part of the project, enabling her to sit up and to move around more independently.
This example **shows the project’s value in bringing together different project actors to take ownership of outcomes** . In this instance, a combination of informed community members and trained Community Childhood Centre staff have collectively led to the empowerment of this child and this is being replicated throughout the project, at multiple other sites.
**Our Impact** - Malawi 23
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Zambia**
As one of our newest partners, we began working in Zambia with **Zambia Association of Parents for Children with Disabilities** (ZAPCD) last year, with ZAPCD chosen as a partner organisation who can help us further our collective mission and add value to each other’s work.
In Zambia, it is estimated that there are just over 1
million people with disabilities, which equates to 7.2% of the population. Lack of access to services are cited as one of the main barriers people with disabilities face. For children with disabilities, no inclusive education policy or statements that outline the need for inclusive education at any level exists in Zambia. As few as 22% of children with disabilities are in Early Childhood Education (ECE), 52% in primary education and only 12% are recorded as having completed secondary education. The needs of children with disabilities are not fully considered in government plans, with national data and evidence desperately needed to inform and influence the government to address the ECE needs of children with disabilities in Zambia. Recognising that education starts at pre-primary level, focusing on efforts to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of ECE for children with disabilities offers a real opportunity to give children the best start possible to progress through their educational journey.
## What we’re proud of
In 2021, we concluded our very first project with ZAPCD in Zambia, following funding from Vitol Foundation. The funding was to conduct a national review of the availability and accessibility of Early Childhood Education (ECE) services for children with disabilities in Zambia. The review examined the barriers children with disabilities face and identified some successful approaches for inclusive early childhood education that already existed. This allowed an analysis of recommendations on what would be the most sustainable solutions for furthering inclusive early childhood education in the country. This project was completed through consultations with children with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, community leaders, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), government officials, teachers, and other education professionals. The evidence of this comprehensive review produced a detailed evidence paper and has since informed the development of a multi-year inclusive ECE programme, funded again by Vitol Foundation, which is due to start in September 2022.
24 **Our Impact** - Zambia
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## We consulted with **241** people
to inform the design of our funded multi-year inclusive Early Childhood Education programme, including 56 children with disabilities.
## **The Zambia How we Inclusive Early Learning Programme**
We are delighted to announce that starting in September 2022, we have **funding secured for our first new multi-year programme with ZAPCD** , ‘The Zambia Inclusive Early Learning Programme’ funded by Vitol Foundation.
The new programme has a **primary aim of ensuring young children with disabilities equitably access inclusive Early Childhood Education** . Working across six Early Childhood Education Centres (pre-primary schools) in the Eastern Province of Zambia, the project will tackle the complex barriers children with disabilities face. Activities will target individuals that have a duty of care, such as parents, teachers, government officials and community leaders, while child-centred activities will encourage children with and without disabilities to better support each other.
Newly formed Parent Support Groups will ensure parents are equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide Early Childhood Education support in the home, with grants for business enterprises helping to tackle financial barriers. The six centres across the region we identify will become ‘centres of excellence’ for inclusive Early Childhood Education provision through teacher trainings, the incorporation of inclusive play and the use of Individualised Education Plans for children.
Collectively, this will **ensure the region is better equipped** to support children with disabilities and demand the inclusion of children with disabilities in Early Childhood Education.
**Our Impact** - Zambia 25
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Building Local Capacity**
Building the capacity of our local partners is a core part of the work we deliver and . **central to our impact strategy**
It is a distinct objective in our strategy and outlines a commitment to provide focused and measured organisational development support to each of the organisations we work with. We only work with organisations where both parties feel they can add value to each other, and we ensure that a willingness to take part in this reciprocal capacity building is considered in the selection of new partners.
## **Objective 2: Build the capacity of a network of African-led disability organisations, both individually and collectively, to maximise the impact and sustainability of their work**
This year, we worked with our partners on their defined organisational development priorities and determined how we can provide the identified support. We met with our partners to develop workplans for their organisational development priorities and created a set of defined ‘mini projects’ that will target thematic areas of improvement in their systems, policies, processes or staff practices. This covers areas such as finance, safeguarding, programme management, fundraising and monitoring and evaluation.
In **Uganda** , we supported USDC to prioritise their organisational development needs into three projects covering inclusive safeguarding, financial processes and monitoring and evaluation systems. USDC led the process for prioritisation and chose inclusive safeguarding as their first priority area of focus. We supported them to conduct an audit of their safeguarding policy using our new policy audit tool and to develop activity-level risk assessments in our current projects. All staff were then trained, equipping them to redraft their safeguarding policy to address gaps identified in the audit. We are now working with USDC to implement these best practices into their wider team to create a leading safeguarding culture across the organisation.
In **Kenya** , we began working with ANDY to improve the organisation’s ability to diversify its income through the development of an unrestricted fundraising strategy. A key part of this has involved sharing Able Child Africa’s own fundraising plan and working with the team to identify opportunities in Kenya, such as hosting a gala dinner, asking marathon runners to raise funds or identify and develop relationships with high-net-worth individuals. ANDY have successfully delivered campaigns to raise funds previously, and together we will look to build on this momentum to support ANDY’s sustainability as an organisation.
In **Tanzania** , we continued to support Child Support Tanzania (CST) to improve their financial management and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) capacity through a visit to their offices in April. We worked
with CST to review the progress made and redefine their development priorities in this next phase of partnership. We also worked with CST to begin the development of workplans for the new mini projects they want support with, targeting areas of their organisational development. These are now being implemented through a project to improve their evaluation and finance systems.
In **Rwanda** , we supported UWEZO to build their capacity in designing and delivering inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes. We facilitated a specialised training for their staff, which covered multiple elements of technical programming, empowering UWEZO to deliver more specialised programmes in the future. We also facilitated workshops with their staff and young people with disabilities to gather their experiences of WASH projects and to co-create specialised WASH data collection tools, which we will continue to incorporate in future programmes.
In **Malawi** , we worked with our partner FEDOMA to strengthen their capacity in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), working together to map their existing data collection tools, policies and processes. We visited the FEDOMA offices in March, where we held a workshop with project staff to plan and co-create new data collection tools, which will allow them to collect specific disaggregated disability data in their projects.
In **Zambia** , we worked with ZAPCD to identify the learnings from our national scoping study, which looked at the accessibility of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Zambia. This was used to develop a multi-year inclusive ECE application to the Vitol Foundation, which was successful. The project, which is due to start in late 2022 will assess the types of changes needed among different groups, such as parents of children with disabilities, government, schools and communities, to ensure they have maximum impact for children themselves. The current focus now is on developing ZAPCD’s safeguarding and monitoring systems to strengthen project delivery and management for this next phase.
26 **Bulding Local Capacity**
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## **Grace’s story**
Grace was born with a physical disability which meant her limbs didn’t develop, yet she **didn’t have access** to the **vital equipment** she desperately needed.
**This is where Able Child Africa came in.**
It was through our **‘Child-to-Child’ Inclusive Education Project** in Uganda that Grace was finally able to be assessed. It was clear that Grace was being held back by not having access to a wheelchair, which could give her a vital level of independence.
With our support, **Grace received her modified wheelchair** , which included an attached table, meaning she could practice her reading and writing whenever she wanted. **Grace was finally able to go outside independently, make**
**new friends and go to school.**
## “
While she should have been learning to walk, Grace was left completely dependent and vulnerable. Her parents struggled to look after her, so she went to live with her grandfather. Despite trying many times, he found it impossible to enrol her in any school, so she ended up staying at home.
I love that the friends I have made can take me to school. It means I now feel **included** and think **I will be able to do great things** .
– Grace
**GracLuke’s Story 2** 97
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Advocating for Change**
We are committed to raising awareness of the unique barriers that children with disabilities face and **actively advocate for recognition of their rights** and the **funding associated with their inclusion** .
We believe our partners are best placed to advocate locally and seek to strengthen their capacity to influence change. As such we work primarily through our partners to advocate for the inclusion of children with disabilities in local policies, procedures and budgets. We stand alongside them to hold their Governments to account for their stated obligations and commitments as outlined in national charters, constitutions and international frameworks and ensure it is them, not Able Child Africa who are recognised for projects that deliver local advocacy. We also work with partners to deliver local community level campaigns and awareness raising strategies to ensure children with disabilities grow up in supportive unprejudiced environments.
**Objective 3: Effect positive changes in the realisation of the rights of children with disabilities through strengthened policies, improved budgeting and expanded opportunities for child and youth participation.**
## **This year**
This year, our partners have we have had some significant success in influencing and strengthening national level policies.
In **Uganda** , USDC have been able to gain the support of the District Inspector of Schools in Lira to support our project that focuses on improving access to Individualised Learning Plans (ILPs) for children with disabilities in primary schools. USDC have raised awareness of this project through their leadership in educational government working groups, Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) meetings and individual advocacy meetings with senior civil servants.
In **Kenya** , as a result of continued lobbying activities and the establishment of two Community Based Rehabilitation groups, which bring together government officials, education and other professionals, parents and community members, there have been several successes. Several children have received additional support, such as bursaries and assistive devices. Parents have also received additional training and grants to strengthen their businesses, with this income in turn supporting the inclusion of their children with disabilities in schools.
capitalised on when they were able to become a policy influencer for the development of the new strategy for the 2022-26 period this year. CST has since used this access to develop pieces of guidance on the strategy implementation, helping to share their learnings on quality inclusive education through guidance for teachers on child-to-child approaches.
In **Rwanda** , through project inception meetings for our inclusive child protection programme, UWEZO have continually engaged with local government officials. As a result, the officials have helped to facilitate the identification of children and young people with disabilities in their communities and have attended community meetings to talk about the importance of protecting and empowering children with disabilities. UWEZO continue to work with these officials to secure their buy-in, and to ensure ongoing support in improving the accessibility of child protection services in communities.
In **Tanzania** , Child Support Tanzania (CST) have continued to be a leading voice in Tanzanian civil society for the inclusive education of children with disabilities. CST were invited by the government to review the previous National Strategy for Inclusive Education (NSIE) 2017-2021, giving them an influential voice. This position was
28 **Advocating for Change**
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In **Malawi** , our project has continued to ensure sustained engagement with both local and national government actors to embed support for disability-inclusive Early Childhood Education. This includes successfully lobbying the Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare to support the recognition of a link between disability and poverty, something that is crucial in addressing some of the most entrenched barriers that children with disabilities face. As a result of this advocacy, the Minister agreed to engage the Ministry of Health to deliver this message during the World Health Assembly, including writing a letter to the World Health Organisation Regional Director and Malawi’s UN representative.
## **In the UK**
In the UK, we work to advocate for children with disabilities by providing training and facilitating workshops for mainstream organisations and donors on child-led disability inclusion. We believe that by influencing larger mainstream organisations with a wider reach across their projects, we create a cost-effective and efficient way of reaching larger numbers of children and their families.
We have continued in our leadership roles as a Co-Chair of the UK Bond Disability and Development Group and the Bond Child Rights Working Group Steering Group. This year we have also taken on a leading role on the International Development and Disability Consortium (IDDC) Inclusive Safeguarding Task Group.
**Disability-inclusive Child Safeguarding** - Our work on the
Disability-inclusive child safeguarding guidelines has continued to have widespread impact. Able Child Africa was specifically referenced in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) new disability strategy. Following publication of this strategy, we have focused on ensuring the FCDO’s strategy becomes an outward facing and accountable document, as opposed to a set of internal performance indicators. We also took our expertise to the Global Disability Summit in February 2022, running a side event on safeguarding and contributing to wider advocacy goals to make sure that the commitments made are realised globally.
**Momentum Panel Series** - This year we continued to grow our series of knowledge sharing events around important issues affecting children with disabilities, bringing people from across the world to learn and share their experiences. The first event discussed the benefits and challenges of the child-to-child approach to inclusive education for children with disabilities. Another looked at how investing in disability inclusion offers real
In **Zambia** , we have been able to capitalise on consultations with government officials as part of our national review, to secure buy-in for the multi-year inclusive Early Childhood Education programme for children with disabilities in Zambia. Our partner ZAPCD has continued to engage with officials to build momentum, working closely with them to identify children with disabilities and select the six target schools, which is an approach that has successfully supported the sustainability of our programmes elsewhere.
value for money gains both in the short and long-term for societies, and why supporting children with disabilities is worth every penny. These events have continued to be a useful forum for raising awareness of these important issues concerning disability inclusion and we look forward to expanding the series this year with talks on individualised learning plans and psychosocial disabilities.
**Training and Knowledge Sharing** - This year we have continued to deliver trainings and webinars for organisations across the sector on several topics relating to disability or inclusion. Working with organisations such as Jersey Overseas Aid and Liliane Fonds, we have developed a specialised series of training packages and consultancies, which draw on our extensive organisational experience of disability inclusion. These training packages are suitable for different types of organisations, whether they have needed help with the basics of disability inclusion, or have been looking for specialised disability-focused training. Recognising that the cost of trainings can often be prohibitive for smaller or grassroots organisations, the training packages include a price structure that is based on the size and income of organisations. We are also continuing to periodically host free webinars and trainings for Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to ensure they have access to our resources.
**Advocating for Change** 29
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Financial Report**
## Overview
**Able Child Africa’s total income this year was £688,771 which represents a reduction of 28% from the previous financial year.** This is comprised of £436,832 in restricted funding (including grants) and £251,939 in unrestricted flexible funding.
Total expenditure this year was £737,645, which is a 19% reduction from the previous financial year.
## **Income and Expenditure**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Income and Expenditure Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds
Income £251,939 £436,832 £688,771
Expenditure £360,896 £376,749 £737,645
Net Income (Expenditure) -£108,957 £60,083 -£48,874
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## **Spending on Charitable Activities**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Expenditure Split Charitable Activities Raising Funds Total Expenditure
Total £612,430 £125,215 £737,645
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## **Raising Funds**
Expenditure on charitable activities amounts to **83p for every pound** raised and comprises costs of our projects in Africa, our advocacy and influencing work as well as related support and governance costs.
## **Charitable Activities**
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17%
83%
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## Reserves
**We ended March 2022 with £199,382 of unrestricted reserves.** This included £17,764 of designated funds, resulting in a net unrestricted reserves figure of £181,618, well above our 6-months reserves target. We have continued to maintain a strong unrestricted reserves position throughout this unstable period and predict a growth in our unrestricted income levels over the next year.
_Our full report and accounts are available at this end of this report._
30 **Financial Report**
## **Celebrating You**
Nothing we do would be possible without the many people who support or fund us, complete challenges for us or provide in-kind support. So, to all of you, a massive thank you!
## **Our Patrons**
We are lucky to have some amazing patrons who continue to support our work and raise the profile of what we do. We want to thank Anne Wafula-Strike, Ellie Robinson, Keith Nethercot and Emeli Sandé for all their support over the last year and we look forward to an exciting year ahead.
## **Our Ambassadors**
There are a small group of people who go above and beyond in their support of our work. Our Ambassadors are incredibly dedicated individuals who understand the importance of our work and are willing to back us on a personal basis and over a long period of time. We want to say a huge thank you to Azad Ayub, to Clare Persey, to Vijay Parikh and to Baz Mehta for your unwavering support and personal connection to what we do. Your support is not taken for granted and we are proud to call you part of the Able Child Africa family.
## **Our Corporate Supporters**
We are very fortunate to have some amazing corporate partners, whose continued support through a challenging environment over the last few years has been vital.
To The Exile Group, to Dan Sheriff, Dom Kloiber, Katy Rose and Hesham Zakai and all the team, a huge thank you not only for your continued generosity of support, but your willingness to make us part of your family. The Exile Group currently provide us with an office space free of charge, which means a significant saving to the charity and means more money can get to where it is needed most.
To PenCarrie and to Clare Persey, thank you for once again not only continuing your support but for increasing your support and commitment to the work we do. It means a lot.
To Hassell Inclusion, to Rosnah and Jonathan Hassell for quietly providing an incredibly generous and long-term commitment to the charity and buying in to what we do. Your support is valuable, and it is great to have you with us on this journey.
To Cargill and Juwon Sofola for your significant and continued annual donation towards our work.
We would also like to thank everyone that donates their services free of charge or at reduced rates to help us keep our costs down and ensure as much money as possible goes to where it is needed most. A big thank in particular to Raihan Islam, Bakhtiyar Islam and everyone at Iirth for their brand and website support. To Michèle Renée Creative for your design support. And to Peter Weiss at Simon Muirhead Burton for pro-bono legal advice a huge thank you.
## **Our Marathon Runners**
Every year we are so lucky to have an amazing group of fundraisers who take on the challenge of the London Marathon and raise funds for our work. This year, we had our biggest ever team with nearly 40 runners. We want to thank each and every one of you that ran and raised money for us this year. We know how difficult both parts of that challenge can be and it was great to be able to cheer you all on, on the day.
We also want to say a special thank you to a few of you who went the extra step this year. To Peter Slot, who for the second year in a row donned his cheese outfit and raised over £7,000 for Able Child Africa - an incredible achievement. To Sarah Abrams, who flew over from the USA for the race and raised nearly £5,000 for our work. And to Danny Harty, Rory Nixon and Roddy Pimentel who all raised over £3,500 and helped raise awareness of our work.
## **Our Individual Supporters**
There are so many of you that support our work. From regular monthly donations to spreading the news of our work. Each and every one of you is an inspiration and we thank you for the role you play in changing the lives of children with disabilities. A special thank you goes out to Cath Ford and Tony Shubrook, Steve Smith and Tunji Akintokun, for supporting us for so long and for your unwavering support to help us achieve our mission.
To American Century and Paul Harrison, who have now provided five years of support through their grant donation and matching scheme, allowing us to build a base on which we hope to be able to grow our support in the US.
**Celebrating You** 31
## **Celebrating You**
Nothing we do would be possible without the many people who support or fund us, complete challenges for us or provide in-kind support. So, to all of you, a massive thank you!
## **Our Trustees**
None of what we do would be possible without the support of an incredibly passionate Board of Trustees, who all give up their time to make us a better organisation. The last two and a half years have been particularly challenging for everyone, but the Trustees have remained compassionate, strategic and committed to the staff team, which helps create a positive atmosphere throughout the organisation.
So, to our UK Board - to Jim Sellars who has put in an incredible shift as Chair since taking over the role in 2020. To Kate Oldridge Turner who stepped down as Vice Chair after completing her six-year term and who has been a powerhouse of support over this period. To Heather Barr who has been an invaluable support over her time as Trustee, to Martin Hill, Emily Bueno, Cat Carter, Mitul Shah and to our two newest Trustees, Maria Omare and Miiro Michael, we want to say a massive thank you for everything that you do, we couldn’t do it without you.
We also want to thank our US Board of Trustees, who are working very hard to help us establish our base in the US. To Paul Harrison, Liz Macfadyen, Rachelle Gregory and Neil Hankinson, a huge thank you for the time, energy and commitment to help us build something new, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead.
## **We would like to thank the following donors for their support in the last year**
American Century Investments Azad Ayub Ltd. Book Aid International Cargill Comic Relief Euromoney Institutional Investors Exile Group Hassell Inclusion Network for Social Change PenCarrie The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust The British and Foreign School Society The Commonwealth Foundation The Marr Munning Trust Vitol Foundation
## **Our Staff**
And finally, a huge thank you to the whole staff team, who work tirelessly to bring to life the vision of the charity. We are very lucky to have such a passionate, hard working and skilled team, who help drive forward the organisation to make it what it is. We think they are all great and would like to thank them for making Able Child Africa feel like a family and a really positive place to work.
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## **Looking Forward**
**Karl Hankinson** Chief Executive Officer
As we emerge out of the last two and a half years, we do so into a very unstable world. We are currently facing one of the most challenging environments for charities in the last thirty years. With the decline of aid funding, the cost of living crisis and the current geopolitical instability, we are having to work as hard as ever to raise money and more importantly raise awareness of the challenges faced by children with disabilities in Africa.
That being said, Able Child Africa is emerging in a strong position. While we saw a 28% decline in our income in the last year due to a significant decline in aid funding, we are predicting to be back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year and in a strong position to build for the future. This is down to the generosity of many supporters who have continued to stand by the organisation through the last few years. This support has been and continues to be humbling and I would like to thank everyone that has supported us over the last year. Whether you donate monthly, ran the London Marathon, or attended our Annual Gala, your support means a great deal.
We are now looking forward into what will be an exciting stage for the organisation. While our current partnership model has been extremely effective, we have realised there is a need to refine our current approach so that we are able to future proof the organisation and most importantly, provide more effective support to the organisations we work with in Africa. We also want to make Able Child Africa more representative of the organisations we work with, with more power concentrated in Africa.
To do this, we are embarking on an ambitious but achievable new strategy. We have spent the last twelve months conducting a strategic review, looking at what we do and where we make the most impact with the goal of setting a new course for the organisation to best support children with disabilities. This has been an inspiring and energising process that has engaged the whole team, our partners, parents and most importantly children and young people with disabilities.
Out of this process, we have a developed a new direction, which will be developed into a full strategy for launch in April 2023. This change will be a three-year journey, which will result in a growth of the number of partners we work with and an expansion in the number of countries where we work. But ultimately, it will ensure we are able to support more children with disabilities and their families.
Many thanks
**Karl Hankinson** Chief Executive Officer
**Looking Forward** 33
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Strategic Priorities**
We are developing our next **five-year strategy,** marking a step change for the organisation.
## **2. Transition to an international organisation, with a new representative governance structure**
We believe there is an opportunity to grow into more of an international organisation, rather than one solely based in the UK. This is in terms of being able to bring the right people into the organisation with the right experience, but also with the aim of becoming a more representative organisation of the people we work with.
The **three key components** of the new strategy are as follows.
## **1. Adaptation of our current partnership model**
We believe there is a need to build a wider network of organisations that work with and for children with disabilities across Africa. We want to use our tried and tested partner approach to support more organisations, to share best practice between countries and ultimately reach more children with disabilities.
Our focus will remain on strengthening civil society organisations, prioritising Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, but working with other organisations as well. We will continue to provide direct support, trainings and materials to these organisations but in a different way, creating resources for the whole network rather than individual partners. We will become specialists in what we do, facilitating knowledge sharing and best practice, and facilitating a more robust collection of data on children with disabilities to ensure those currently hidden away are identified and then supported.
Through this new approach, we will look to self-fund and secure funding for new innovative projects, testing models and coordinating larger consortium projects across the network. And we will play a leading role as an international advocacy agency for children with disabilities, bringing together the voices and skill sets of a larger network of experts in the field to campaign for change.
We will begin by recruiting our first role in Africa, to develop our new Network model. This Network Manager will ensure the network we build is effective and fit for purpose, using the experience of our current partners and other stakeholders to build a model that works. We will also grow a new small team in the US, capitalising on the opportunities we have there to grow awareness of what we do and build further support. And finally, we will work to create a governance structure above the current Boards, which places more power in the hands of the people we work with and for. We are passionate about this approach but want to find a structure that works, so will be consulting with various stakeholders to achieve this.
## **3. We restructure and invest in our fundraising team to deliver this**
The fundraising landscape has changed significantly over the last three years, with an unstable external environment significantly affecting our ability to bring in funds. While some of these changes are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, some of the shifts will remain, meaning it will be harder than it was before to bring in funds to support our work.
Because of this, we will need to invest in, and restructure our fundraising team to remain fit for purpose. Our plans are ambitious but very achievable, and the additional staff resource we have identified will ensure we are able to secure the necessary funds to support this shift. While this investment will increase costs at the outset, we believe this investment is necessary and will ultimately allow us to grow and have a greater impact on more children with disabilities, while ensuring we remain a strong and stable organisation to navigate the uncertain landscape.
34 **Strategic Priorities**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
Able Child Africa 2021 Annual ReportAble Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
**Looking Forward** 35
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Report of the Trustees**
The Trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2022. The financial statements have been prepared based on the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with Able Child Africa’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, applicable law, and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **1. Structure, Governance and Management**
## **1.1 Legal Status**
Able Child Africa is a company limited by guarantee registered in England, not having a share capital, incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 (company number 01861434). The company is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 326859). Able Child Africa was previously known as the Uganda Society for Children with Disabilities.
## **1.2 Trustees**
The Trustees (who are also Directors of Able Child Africa for the purposes of Company law) who held office during the financial year are set out in this document. They represent a diverse skill set with experience in finance, law, HR and the third sector, including programme delivery, safeguarding and advocacy. The Board of Trustees is led by the Chair, James Sellars. The Trustees delegate the day-to-day operation of the charity to the staff team, managed by the CEO, Karl Hankinson. The CEO also acts as Company Secretary. During the year one Trustee left the Board, and two new Trustees were appointed.
Trustees are appointed in accordance with the provisions in Able Child Africa’s Articles of Association, which allow for appointment at any time. New trustees are nominated by current members of the Board of Trustees, following an open and competitive recruitment process, and approved by a majority vote of the Board. Once appointed, Trustees undergo a thorough induction process. Trustees do not receive any remuneration but may claim for incidental expenses, such as travel to board meetings.
The full Board meets on a quarterly basis. We also have one sub-committee, the Resources Sub-Committee that meets quarterly to oversee finance, unrestricted fundraising and give recommendations to the board. The Resources Sub-Committee has its own identified terms of reference, nominated chair and reports to the full board. The chair of the Resources Sub-committee is currently Martin Hill, appointed in March 2020.
The Board of Trustees is primarily responsible for setting and maintaining the strategic direction of Able Child Africa, setting policies and managing resources, risk and staffing. Trustees ensure appropriate procedures and safeguards are in place and take reasonable steps to ensure that these are followed, and they review the Articles of Association, last revised in 2017, to ensure they remain fit for purpose. They carefully monitor finances to ensure viability and sustainability of existing commitments and future plans; they oversee decisions relating to non-budgeted commitments in excess of £1,000; and budgeted commitments in excess of £5,000. Trustees also oversee and ensure compliance of statutory and legal requirements, both internally within Able Child Africa as well as to our beneficiaries and donors.
The Board oversees staff remuneration and sets the pay scales and any benefits package, currently limited only to pension payments, for the organisation. Salary scales are benchmarked using the Croner Charity Rewards Report, which provides the most comprehensive set of data on salary and benefit packages for the Charity Sector in the UK. The last pay scale review was completed in 2017 and amended in 2020.
**Audited Accounts** 37
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **1.3 Staffing**
Able Child Africa maintains a small staff team in the UK. For most of the financial year we had nine staff members, which included the Chief Executive, a Head of Programmes & Advocacy, a Senior Programme Officer, two Programme Officers, a Finance & Operations Executive, a Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager and a Fundraising & Communications Officer. We also had one part-time Advocacy & Communications Assistant for the full year.
Able Child Africa is an equal opportunities employer, committed to equality of opportunities regardless of gender, disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation. We are also proud to be a registered ‘disability confident’ committed employer. In our recruitment processes we particularly encourage applications from people with disabilities and people with direct experience of living or working with children with disabilities; those meeting essential criteria are guaranteed an interview.
## **1.4 Fundraising Performance**
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Able Child Africa experienced consistent growth over the last few years, averaging 20% growth for each of the last five years up to this year. 2021/22 saw us contract for the first time in seven years, caused largely by the drying up of restricted grants across the sector. This trend seems to be temporary however, with income for 2022/23 predicted to be just under £1million again.
We have over £300,000 of multi-year grants secured for delivery for 2023/24 already and we are in a strong position to deliver against our strategic objectives. We do still see challenges in securing continued large scale grant funding over the next strategic cycle and have invested in our fundraising team in order to diversify our fundraising to ensure our sustainability over this period.
## **1.5 Public Benefit Statement**
Able Child Africa works for the public benefit through its international development and advocacy work, in support of children with disabilities in Africa.
The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s objectives and aims and in planning future activities for this year and those contained in the next Strategic Plan.
Our charitable object as outlined in the Articles of Association is:
To relieve charitable need, promote health, advance education and promote the social integration of disabled children for the public benefit, with a focus on (but without limitation) promoting such disabled children achieving their human, social, cultural and economic rights (as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (“UNCRC”), Universal Declaration of Human Rights (“UDHR”) and subsequent United Nations conventions and declarations and in regional codes of human rights which incorporate the rights contained in the UNCRC, the UDHR and those subsequent conventions and declarations) by any means the Trustees in their absolute discretion choose and in particular by raising awareness as to the needs of disabled children and advocacy as to how those needs can best be met.
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## **2. Financial Review**
We are proud that our work offers real value for money to our donors. Our expenditure on ‘charitable activities’ amounts to 83% of total expenditure. As a small bespoke charity, we recognise the value of every penny donated and reaffirm here our continuing commitment to carefully managing support costs in order to ensure that we maximise expenditure on charitable activities. However, we also recognise the need to invest in new activities as we grow and are committed to making reasonable and timely investments in order to respond to increasing regulatory requirements and securing our own financial sustainability through unrestricted fundraising in an increasingly difficult and uncertain external environment.
## **2.1 Income**
Able Child Africa’s total income this year was £688,771 which represents a reduction of 28% from the previous financial year. This is comprised of £436,832 in restricted funding (including grants) and £251,939 in unrestricted flexible funding.
The higher proportion of income (63%) for the financial year was restricted through grants from institutional donors and corporate partnerships. including Comic Relief, and Vitol Foundation - see note 4 for more details.
Unrestricted income amounted to 37% of total income, which was raised from individual donors, through unrestricted corporate support from TXF, Cargill Financial Services Europe Ltd, PenCarrie, Hassell Inclusion and American Century Investments; and through our fundraising events including our annual gala fundraising event and the London Marathon.
## **2.2 Expenditure**
Total expenditure this year was £737,645, which is a 19% reduction from the previous financial year. Restricted expenditure totalled £376,749, which was spent delivering projects to benefit children with disabilities in Africa; these are detailed in note 6.
Expenditure on charitable activities amounts to 83p for every pound raised, and comprises costs of our projects in Africa, our advocacy and influencing work as well as related support and governance costs. Our fundraising costs, 17p for every pound raised, are kept as low as possible whilst still allowing us to raise sufficient funds to deliver against our mission. This year cost of raising funds primarily includes fundraising staff time. Support costs, which cannot be solely attributed to either charitable or fundraising expenditure, are allocated in proportion to estimated staff time spent on each activity.
## **2.3 Reserves**
It is our policy to retain sufficient reserves to safeguard ongoing commitments and operations. Trustees regularly review our reserves policy in line with ongoing plans, budgets and cash flow forecasts.
The reserves policy, as defined in April 2020 states that the organisation should hold a minimum of 3-months of unrestricted expenditure at all times, with the aim to maintain reserves at a level above 6-months unrestricted expenditure. This decision is overseen by the Resources Sub-Committee.
Based on the 2021/2022 budget this indicated a target reserves of £157k. Having carried forward unrestricted reserves of £311,015 (including £85,000 of designated funds) at the start of the year, we ended March 2022 with £199,382 of unrestricted reserves. This included £17,764 of designated funds, resulting in a net unrestricted reserves figure of £181,618, well above our target.
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## **2.4 Going Concern**
The Trustees reaffirm that Able Child Africa is a going concern, indicated both by the financial review contained here as well as forecasting for the next 12-months.
While the external environment over the last two years has placed a significant strain on our ability to bring in funds to the organisation, we have maintained a strong unrestricted reserves position throughout this period and predict a growth in our unrestricted income levels over the next year.
With the drop in grant income seen over the last year which caused a contraction in the size of the organisation, some concern remains regarding grant-based funding. However, we have seen a replenishment of some of our lost grants in 2022 and are also in the process of finalising our new strategy which we believe will ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of our organisation going forward.
## **2.5 Voluntary Help and Gifts in Kind**
We would like to thank all our generous volunteers and supporters for their work this year. We would like to thank the Exile Group for their continued in-kind support, most notably providing us with a long term office space. We would also like to thank Latham & Watkins and Simons Muirhead Burton for providing us with pro-bono legal support.
## **2.6 Investment Policy**
The Trustees have the power to invest in such assets as they see fit. At the present time we do not have any funds invested but may review this position in future should resources allow.
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## **3. Risk Management Statement**
The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that Able Child Africa has the appropriate systems of control in place, financial and otherwise. Through the implementation of the Strategic Risk Register, the Trustees interrogate and proactively seek to reduce, eliminate or mitigate risks. The major risks to which Able Child Africa is exposed to are identified by the senior management team and nominated board members and reviewed by all Trustees at each quarterly board meeting.
The Trustees remain satisfied that current internal systems provide reasonable assurance that the organisation operates efficiently and effectively, safeguards its assets, maintains proper records and complies with relevant laws and regulations. At present the Trustees consider the two most significant risks are around financial sustainability and preventing child safeguarding incidents. These main risks, together with agreed mitigation strategies, are summarised below.
## **Risk of insufficient funding and economic instability preventing us from delivering against our mission**
In the current climate, risk to income, both restricted and unrestricted is high. At present we have a strong unrestricted reserves position, with over 6-months reserves at March 2022 and a stable unrestricted income portfolio. This has helped us manage navigate the turbulent period over the last two and a half years. However, while unrestricted income streams have been affected in the short term, in the more medium term, the focus is on the risk of reduced grant-based funding and other changes in the sector. While significant reductions in grant-based funding wouldn’t affect our continued operations, it would affect our ability to make impact on scale. Changes in grant donor arrangements or preferences, particularly regarding our largest and most regular donors, will therefore have a significant impact on our output. At present we have approximately £300k of funding already secured for the next year but are working to identify new donors and diversify our funding streams. We are also planning for a new external environment and looking at how we future proof our organisation as the funding and donor landscape changes. All this is being done collaboratively and transparently with the Board of Trustees to ensure proper oversight and a strategic response to a changing situation. Financial oversight is provided by the Treasurer (monthly) and Resources Sub-Committee (quarterly) who review rolling cash flow projections and annual budgets. This regular monitoring ensures we regularly monitor performance against targets, as well as implement strategic shifts early when required.
## **Risk of compliance in the implementation of projects by our partners**
Able Child Africa’s strategy and theory of change both clearly lay out why we have chosen to work in partnership with African-led organisations. Principally, we believe quality, success and sustainability of our work depends on being grounded in the local context; we also believe this offers greater value for money to our donors. However, taking responsibility for the implementation of projects by our African partners, particularly where we are the primary grant holder, carries financial and reputational risk. We seek to mitigate this risk by developing collaborative, working relationships and transparent lines of communication with our partners; and having in place overarching Partnership Agreements and supplementary Funding Agreements in relation to each secured grant. We also conduct multiple in-person visits each year to check compliance of grants and improve systems. Following Covid-19 and the restrictions on travel, we have been able to resume travel this year to conduct these checks. During these visits, the programmes team regularly review activity delivery and project expenditure by partners, interrogating the quality of delivery and spend against outcomes. Project specific risk registers are developed collaboratively with partners for each project; these inform Able Child Africa’s overall risk register and are reviewed and updated on an annual basis with partners. We have also developed a bespoke Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, as well as a summary for our overseas partners, which is in compliance with the UK Bribery Act 2010.
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## **Risk of safeguarding incident causing harm to one or more of the vulnerable people we work with**
As an organisation working with some of the world’s most vulnerable children and young people, Able Child Africa understands the importance of our role in their safeguarding. As a partner-led organisation we also understand the threat of an incident involving one of our or our partner's staff, volunteers, or Trustees. While we do everything in our power to minimise the risk involving a staff member, volunteer or Trustee, we accept that due to the nature of our work, there is an increased likelihood of the witnessing or reporting of abuse. We aim to deal with this risk in an honest and transparent way that puts the child or vulnerable adult at the centre of any action.
We have a detailed and robust Inclusive Safeguarding Policy and Procedures that outlines the measures in place to reduce a Safeguarding incident that affects a child or vulnerable adult; and to appropriately act on any reported incident or suspicion of abuse. We have robust recruitment processes, with DBS checks on all staff, Trustees and volunteers upon appointment. All our staff are trained in safeguarding with regular team workshops where staff can discuss thoughts and facilitate learning and we have recruited a Safeguarding professional onto the board as the nominated lead. While our policies and procedures are strong, we are currently undergoing a full review and update of our systems to ensure they not only fit for purpose, but best practice.
## **Risk of loss of business continuity through unexpected sudden departure of key members of the team**
The success of Able Child Africa’s results and impact lies with its small and extremely dedicated staff team. The unplanned and sudden loss or departure of staff therefore places a risk to our ability to operate efficiently, particularly given the size of the team. To mitigate this, we have taken a number of steps both to improve staff retention and to ensure the loss of institutional knowledge is reduced. Over the course of the last two years, we have placed an emphasis on staff wellbeing and organisational culture to improve staff retention and provide an attractive and supportive environment for staff. To protect institutional knowledge, we have built processes into our CRM system and have started to implement a change in culture to document the organisational knowledge away from individual staff members. We have revised and updated our Business Continuity Policy this year to improve our oversight of the risk, particularly in light of a global pandemic and are well-equipped to manage this risk.
## **Risk to Able Child Africa staff or volunteer safety during travel**
Although Able Child Africa does not currently work in conflict areas, political instability, the social turbulence, violence and kidnapping risks associated with travel to our chosen countries cannot be completely eliminated. We take our duty of care to our staff and volunteers very seriously through robust travel policies and procedures to manage security risks and provide reasonable but not absolute assurance against any occurrence. Ahead of each trip the Head of Programmes undertakes an internal risk assessment, documents travel plans and movements, and provides a travel briefing. Staff and volunteers who travel have access to a security and emergency travel app on the smartphone they are provided for travel and this is available to download on personal devices. Our latest security procedure review and staff training was undertaken last year, with a new Travel Safety and Security Policy developed following an internal review.
## **Risk of ineffective management of staff, volunteers, supporters’ and/or beneficiaries’ personal data**
As a small organisation with limited resource to cover IT infrastructure, we understand the potential risks of ineffective IT systems or a cyber security attack that leads to a potential data breach. This risk is increased while we work remotely during
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the current extended period. As part of the GDPR regulations, Able Child Africa has improved its IT policies, systems and infrastructure to better ensure that individual’s data held by Able Child Africa is consensual, relevant for its purpose and secure. We have revised Data Protection Policies to bring them up to date with GDPR and ensured their effective implementation across the organisation. We have developed new IT Usage and Security Policies and Procedures to provide effective guidelines to staff on using IT and people’s data within the organisation. We have developed a data register outlining the data we collect, the purpose for collecting it and where it is stored. Staff have received Data Protection training pre- and post-GDPR implementation and we have updated our data retention policies and developed Privacy Notices for all stakeholders to the organisation, including staff and Trustees. All our Privacy Notices and practices underwent an external review by a specialist law firm to ensure we are fully GDPR compliant and to ensure more effective management of all our data. This was completed at the end of 2020.
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## **4. Statement of Trustee Responsibilities**
The Trustees (who are also Directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. In so far as the trustees are aware:
- There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware
- The Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2022 was ten. The Trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The Trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
## **Auditors**
Godfrey Wilson Ltd were appointed as the charitable company's auditors in 2017 and have acted in that capacity for the last five years. They have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf on 03 December 2022:
James Sellars – Chair
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Company no. 01861434 Charity no. 326859
## **Able Child Africa**
> **Report and Audited Financial Statements Able Child Africa Report and Audited Financial Statements 31 March 2022 31 March 2022**
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Reference and administrative details**
**For the year ended 31 March 2022**
**Company number** 01861434 **Charity number** 326859 **Registered office and** Unit 6 Madeira Tower **operational address** 34 Ponton Road London SW11 7BA **Trustees** Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Abubakar Askira (resigned 24 April 2021) Heather Barr Emily Bueno Catherine Carter Martin Hill Miiro Michael (appointed 18 September 2021) Maria Omare (appointed 18 September 2021) Catherine Turner James Sellars Mitul Shah **Company secretary and CEO** Karl Hankinson **Bankers** CAF Bank Barclays Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue 1 Churchill Place Kings Hill London West Malling E14 5HP ME19 4JQ **Solicitors** Bates Wells & Braithwaite 2-6 Cannon Street London EC4M 6YH **Auditors** Godfrey Wilson Limited 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
**Audited Accounts** 47
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## **Independent auditors' report**
## **To the members of**
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Able Child Africa (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2022 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The Trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
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## **Independent auditors' report**
## **To the members of**
## **Able Child Africa**
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us;
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns;
- ▪ certain disclosures of Trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit.
## **Responsibilities of the Trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement set out in the Trustees’ report, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
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## **Independent auditors' report**
## **To the members of**
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:
(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.
(2) We reviewed the charity’s policies and procedures in relation to:
- Identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations, and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
- ▪ Detecting and responding to the risk of fraud, and whether they were aware of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and
- Designing and implementing internal controls to mitigate the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud.
(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.
(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.
(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.
(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:
▪Testing the appropriateness of journal entries;
▪Assessing judgements and accounting estimates for potential bias;
▪Reviewing related party transactions; and
▪Testing transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
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## **Independent auditors' report**
## **To the members of**
## **Able Child Africa**
A�further�description�of�our�responsibilities�for�the�audit�of�the�financial�statements�is�located�on�the� Financial�Reporting�Council’s�website�at:�www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.�This�description� forms part of our auditor’s report.
## **Use of our report**
This�report�is�made�solely�to�the�charityʼs�members,�as�a�body,�in�accordance�with�Chapter�3�of�Part� 16�of�the�Companies�Act�2006.�Our�audit�work�has�been�undertaken�so�that�we�might�state�to�the� charityʼs�members�those�matters�we�are�required�to�state�to�them�in�an�auditorʼs�report�and�for�no� other�purpose.�To�the�fullest�extent�permitted�by�law,�we�do�not�accept�or�assume�responsibility�to� anyone�other�than�the�charityʼs�members�as�a�body,�for�our�audit�work,�for�this�report,�or�for�the� opinions we have formed.
## Alison Godfrey
## Date: ���������������
## **Alison Godfrey FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)**
For and on behalf of:
## **GODFREY WILSON LIMITED**
Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
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## **Able Child Africa**
**Statement of financial activities** _(incorporating an income and expenditure account)_
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
|Note
**Income from:**
Donations
3
4
Other trading income
5
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
**Total expenditure**
6
**Net income / (expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
8
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**
Charitable activities
Charitable activities|Restricted Unrestricted
£
£
-
233,619
436,832
-
-
18,253
-
67
436,832
251,939
-
125,215
376,749
235,681
376,749
360,896
60,083
(108,957)
2,676
(2,676)
62,759
(111,633)
182,714
311,015
245,473
199,382|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
**233,619**
**436,832**
**18,253**
**67**
**688,771**
**125,215**
**612,430**
**737,645**
**(48,874)**
**-**
(48,874)
**493,729**
**444,855**|2021
Total
£
271,220
685,305
738
167|
|---|---|---|---|
||||957,430|
||||83,061
826,652|
||||909,713|
||||47,717
-|
||||47,717
446,012|
||||493,729|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 15 to the accounts.
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Balance sheet**
## **As at 31 March 2022**
|Note
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
11
**Current assets**
Debtors
12
Cash at bank and in hand
**Liabilities**
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year
13
**Net current assets**
**Net assets**
14
**Funds**
15
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
General funds
**Total charity funds**|**£**
**36,677**
**424,518**
**461,195**
**(16,340)**|**2022**
**£**
**-**
**444,855**
**444,855**
**245,473**
**17,764**
**181,618**
**444,855**|2021
£
1,869|
|---|---|---|---|
||||40,051
470,021|
||||510,072
(18,212)|
||||491,860|
||||493,729|
||||182,714
85,000
226,015|
||||493,729|
These�accounts�have�been�prepared�in�accordance�with�the�special�provisions�applicable�to� companies subject to the small companies' regime.
Approved by the trustees on ��������������� and signed on their behalf by
James Sellars - Chair
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Statement of cash flows**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
|**Cash used in operating activities:**
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Decrease in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
**Net cash used in operating activities**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
**Net cash provided by investing activities**
**Decrease in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**|**2022**
**£**
**(48,874)**
**1,869**
**(67)**
**3,374**
**(1,872)**
**(45,570)**
**67**
**67**
**(45,503)**
**470,021**
**424,518**|2021
£
47,717
5,316
(167)
33,064
1,321|
|---|---|---|
|||87,251|
|||167|
|||167|
|||87,418
382,603|
|||470,021|
The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **a) Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Able Child Africa meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
## **b) Going concern basis of accounting**
The Trustees reaffirm that Able Child Africa is a going concern, indicated both by the financial review contained here as well as forecasting for the next 12-months. While the external environment over the last two years has placed a significant strain on our ability to bring in funds to the organisation, we have maintained a strong unrestricted reserves position of £199,382 and strong cash position of £424,518 throughout this period and predict a growth in our unrestricted income levels over the next year.
Concern continues regarding grant-based funding, which has caused a slight contraction in the size of the organisation. However, we are in the process of finalising our new strategy which we believe will ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of our organisation going forward.
## **c) Income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
Income received in advance of provision of earned income, sales, and consultancy is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.
**Audited Accounts** 55
9
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **d) Donated services and facilities**
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.
On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
## **e) Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **f) Funds accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the Trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## **g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## **h) Grants payable**
Grants payable are recognised as expenditure on the earlier of a) when the charity has a present obligation to transfer resources; and b) when the charity ceases to control the resource (e.g. via transfering funds to the grant recipient).
## **i) Allocation of support and governance costs**
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on the basis of staff numbers, as follows:
||**2022**|2021|
|---|---|---|
|Raising funds|**18%**|17%|
|Charitable activities|**82%**|83%|
56 **Audited Accounts**
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **j) Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:
Computers, database and website 3 years straight line Furniture and fittings 5 years straight line
Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500.
## **k) Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **l) Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## **m) Creditors**
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **n) Financial instruments**
The charitable company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **o) Pension costs**
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.
## **p) Foreign currency transactions**
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Balances denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the year end.
**Audited Accounts** 57
11
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **q) Accounting estimates and key judgements**
In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.
The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are depreciation as described in note 1(j).
## **2. Statement of financial activities: prior period comparatives**
|**Income from:**
Donations
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
**Net income / (expenditure) and net movement in funds**
Charitable activities
Other trading income|Restricted
£
£
-
271,220
675,305
10,000
-
738
-
167
675,305
282,125
-
83,061
713,490
113,162
713,490
196,223
(38,185)
85,902
Unrestricted|**2021**
**Total**
**£**
**271,220**
**685,305**
**738**
**167**|
|---|---|---|
|||**957,430**|
|||**83,061**
**826,652**|
|||**909,713**|
|||**47,717**|
58 **Audited Accounts**
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **3. Income from donations**
|**Income from donations**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Gifts in kind*
Legacy income
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
**Total**
Fundraising events and community
Individual donors
Corporate donors
Sponsored challenge events|Restricted
£
£
-
67,343
-
16,004
-
41,487
-
93,626
-
15,159
-
-
-
-
-
233,619
Unrestricted|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
**67,343**
**16,004**
**41,487**
**93,626**
**15,159**
**-**
**-**
**233,619**|2021
Total
£
33,717
15,303
54,005
53,178
5,000
85,031
24,986|
||||271,220|
All donation income in the prior year was unrestricted.
*Gifts in kind relate to the following goods and services provided free of charge:
|Rent
Prizes for gala dinner
Gifts in kind|**2022**
2021
**£**
£
**14,000**
-
**1,159**
5,000
**15,159**
5,000|
|---|---|
## **4. Income from charitable activities**
|_Grants > £10,000:_
Comic Relief
Vitol Foundation
Euromoney
The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust
Book Aid International
Jersey Overseas Aid Commission
The British & Foreign School Society
_Smaller grants < £10,000_
**Total**|Restricted
£
£
183,994
-
127,959
-
35,000
-
20,000
-
18,860
-
13,485
-
14,920
-
22,614
-
436,832
-
Unrestricted|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
**183,994**
**127,959**
**35,000**
**20,000**
**18,860**
**13,485**
**14,920**
**22,614**|
|---|---|---|
|||**436,832**|
**Audited Accounts** 59
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **4. Income from charitable activities (continued) Prior period comparative**
|_Grants > £10,000:_
Comic Relief
Vitol Foundation
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Jersey Overseas Aid Commission
Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation
Marr Munning Trust
Ashla Charitable Trust
_Smaller grants < £10,000_
**Total**|Restricted
£
£
329,576
-
113,220
-
112,045
-
53,940
-
24,218
-
23,893
-
-
10,000
18,413
-
675,305
10,000
Unrestricted|**2021**
**Total**
**£**
**329,576**
**113,220**
**112,045**
**53,940**
**24,218**
**23,893**
**10,000**
**18,413**|
|---|---|---|
|||**685,305**|
## **Government grants**
The charitable company receives government grants, defined as funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Jersey Overseas Aid Commission to fund charitable activities. The total value of such grants in the period ending 31 March 2022 was £18,485 (2021: £190,971). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants in the current or prior year.
## **5. Other trading income**
|Auction sales
Sales income|Restricted
£
£
-
12,560
-
5,693
-
18,253
Unrestricted|**2022**
2021
**Total**
Total
**£**
£
**12,560**
-
**5,693**
738
**18,253**
738|
|---|---|---|
All other trading income in the prior year was unrestricted.
14
60 **Audited Accounts**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **6. Total expenditure**
|**Total expenditure**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Sub-total**
**Prior period comparative**
**Sub-total**
Grants payable (note 7)
Staff costs (note 9)
Allocation of support and governance costs
Running costs
Non-salaried personnel
Programmes and operations
Fundraising and events
Governance
Governance
Programmes and operations
**Total**
Grants payable (note 7)
Staff costs (note 9)
Non-salaried personnel
**Total**
Allocation of support and governance costs
Running costs
Fundraising and events|£
-
64,395
-
-
45,006
-
-
109,401
15,814
125,215
£
-
49,552
-
-
20,053
-
-
69,605
13,456
83,061
Raising
funds
Raising
funds|£
£
268,643
-
242,944
34,553
4,618
2,463
-
45,326
-
-
-
6,552
23,145
-
539,350
88,894
73,080
(88,894)
612,430
-
£
£
509,032
-
234,110
32,737
7,483
2,279
-
39,449
-
-
-
5,585
9,433
-
760,058
80,050
66,594
(80,050)
826,652
-
Charitable
activities
Support and
governance
costs
Charitable
activities
Support and
governance
costs|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
**268,643**
**341,892**
**7,081**
**45,326**
**45,006**
**6,552**
**23,145**|
||||**737,645**
**-**|
||||**737,645**|
||||**2021**
**Total**
**£**
**509,032**
**316,399**
**9,762**
**39,449**
**20,053**
**5,585**
**9,433**|
||||**909,713**
**-**|
||||**909,713**|
**Audited Accounts** 61
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
**7. Grants payable to institutions**
Grants were paid to the following overseas partner organisations in pursuit of the charity's objects:
|Action Network for Disabled Youth (ANDY)
Zambia Association of Parents for Children with Disabilities (ZAPCD)
Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC)
Child Support Tanzania (CST)
UWEZO Youth Empowerment
Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA)
**Total**|**2022**
2021
**£**
£
**68,737**
66,015
**17,225**
-
**66,229**
126,219
**36,145**
123,869
**2,822**
141,105
**77,485**
51,824
**268,643**
509,032|
|---|---|
## **8. Net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:
|**Net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2022**|2021|
||**£**|£|
|Depreciation|**1,869**|5,316|
|Trustees' remuneration|**Nil**|Nil|
|Trustees' reimbursed expenses|**Nil**|Nil|
|Auditors' remuneration:|||
|Statutory audit|**5,220**|4,680|
|Other services|**300**|300|
62 **Audited Accounts**
16
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
**9. Staff costs and numbers**
Staff costs were as follows:
|**Staff costs and numbers**
Staff costs were as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
|Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs
Other staff costs
**Total**|**2022**
**£**
**303,511**
**25,699**
**11,292**
**1,390**
**341,892**|2021
£
282,815
23,423
8,326
1,835|
|||316,399|
One employee earned between £60,000 and £70,000 during the year (2021: one).
The key management personnel of the charitable company comprise the Trustees and the CEO. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel, including gross salary, employer national insurance contributions and employer pension contributions were £69,909 (2021: £67,213).
|Average head count|**2022**
**No.**
**8.03**|2021
No.
9.08|
|---|---|---|
## **10. Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
**Audited Accounts** 63
17
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **11. Tangible fixed assets**
|**£**
**£**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022
17,860
666
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2021
15,991
666
Charge for the year
1,869
-
At 31 March 2022
17,860
666
**Net book value**
**At 31 March 2022**
**-**
**-**
At 31 March 2021
1,869
-
**12. Debtors**
**2022**
**£**
Trade debtors
**774**
Accrued income
**15,226**
Prepayments
**20,657**
Other debtors
**20**
**Total**
**36,677**
**13. Creditors: amounts due within 1 year**
**2022**
**£**
Trade creditors
**90**
Accruals
**8,423**
Other taxation and social security
**7,827**
**Total**
**16,340**
**Computers,**
**database and**
**website**
**Furniture and**
**fittings**|**Total**
**£**
**18,526**|
|---|---|
||**16,657**
**1,869**|
||**18,526**|
||**-**|
||1,869|
||2021
£
-
5,532
27,769
6,750|
||40,051|
||2021
£
5,352
4,980
7,880|
||18,212|
64 **Audited Accounts**
18
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **14. Analysis of net assets between funds**
|£
Current assets
245,473
Current liabilities
-
**Net assets at 31 March 2022**
**245,473**
**Prior period comparative**
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Current assets
182,714
Current liabilities
-
**Net assets at 31 March 2021**
**182,714**
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds|£
17,764
-
**17,764**
£
-
85,000
-
**85,000**
Designated
funds
Designated
funds|£
197,958
(16,340)
**181,618**
£
1,869
242,358
(18,212)
**226,015**
General
funds
General
funds|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**461,195**
**(16,340)**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**444,855**|
||||**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**1,869**
**510,072**
**(18,212)**|
||||**493,729**|
19
**Audited Accounts** 65
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
||**At 31 March**|**2022**|**£**||**3,365**|**-**|**-**|**37,888**|**7,615**|**-**|**84,796**|**-**|**60**|**-**|**-**|**4,190**|**-**|**8,506**|**-**|**-**|**53,464**|**2,046**|**33,542**|**2,938**|**10,063**|**-**|**(3,000)**|**-**|**245,473**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Transfers|between|funds|£||-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|2,676|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|2,676||
|||Expenditure|£||-|(306)|(17,485)|(76,643)|-|(4,555)|(84,295)|(1,063)|-|-|(139)|(5,965)|(5,284)|(15,387)|(3,136)|(2,500)|(99,049)|(1,894)|(1,458)|(17,062)|(8,797)|(23,081)|(3,000)|(5,650)|(376,749)||
|||Income|£||-|-|14,920|74,108|9,768|(2,327)|102,444|996|-|5,001|-|13,485|4,528|-|-|2,500|104,878|3,940|35,000|20,000|18,860|23,081|-|5,650|436,832||
||At 1 April|2021|£||3,365|306|2,565|40,423|(2,153)|6,882|66,647|67|60|(5,001)|(2,537)|(3,330)|756|23,893|3,136|-|47,635|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|182,714|20|
|||||**Restricted funds**|Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation|Aletheia Foundation|The British and Foreign School Society|Comic Relief – Ready, Steady, Go|Comic Relief – Take All My Friends to School|Comic Relief – Promoting Inclusive Education|Comic Relief - IECE 4 ME!|The Commonwealth Foundation|Child Support Tanzania (CST) – Other|Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office|Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Safeguarding|Jersey Overseas Aid Commission|Laureus Foundation|The Marr-Munning Trust|Network for Social Change|The Carmela and Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation|Vitol Foundation - FEDOMA|James Tudor Foundation|Euromoney|The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust|Book Aid International|Vitol Foundation - ZAPCD|The Souter Charitable Trust|Other Restricted - FEDOMA|**Total restricted funds**||
66 **Audited Accounts**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
|**For the year ended 31 March 2022**|
**15. Movements in funds (continued)**
At 1 April
2021
Income
Transfers
between
funds
**At 31 March**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
**£**
**Unrestricted funds**
_Designated fund:_Irma Skeeles Legacy
85,000
-
(67,236)
-
**17,764**
General funds
226,015
251,939
(293,660)
(2,676)
**181,618**
**Total unrestricted funds**
311,015
251,939
(360,896)
(2,676)
**199,382**
**Total funds**
493,729
688,771
(737,645)
-
**444,855**
**15. Movements in funds: prior period comparative**
At 1 April
2020
Income
Transfers
between
funds
£
£
£
£
**£**
**Restricted funds**
Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation
47,567
24,218
(68,420)
-
**3,365**
3,676
-
(3,370)
-
**306**
5,852
3,247
(6,534)
-
**2,565**
23,662
74,807
(58,046)
-
**40,423**
49,434
43,955
(95,542)
-
**(2,153)**
33,067
78,076
(104,261)
-
**6,882**
Comic Relief - IECE 4 ME!
-
132,737
(66,090)
-
**66,647**
14,664
9,217
(23,814)
-
**67**
60
950
(950)
-
**60**
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
1,240
55,644
(61,885)
-
**(5,001)**
_Sub-total of restricted funds_
179,222
422,851
(488,912)
-
**113,161**
The British and Foreign Schools Society
Comic Relief – Ready, Steady, Go
Comic Relief – Take All My Friends to School
Comic Relief – Promoting Inclusive Education
The Commonwealth Foundation
Aletheia Foundation
**At 31 March**
**2021**
Expenditure
Child Support Tanzania (CST) – Other
Expenditure
21|
|---|---|
**Audited Accounts** 67
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
|**15. Movements in funds (continued): prior period comparative**
At 1 April
2020
Income
Transfers
between
funds
£
£
£
£
**£**
**Restricted funds (continued)**
_Sub-total of restricted funds from prior page_
179,222
422,851
(488,912)
-
**113,161**
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Safeguarding
6,779
11,405
(20,721)
-
**(2,537)**
-
44,996
(44,996)
-
**-**
Jersey Overseas Aid Commission
19,356
53,940
(76,626)
-
**(3,330)**
Laureus Foundation
1,323
-
(567)
-
**756**
-
23,893
-
-
**23,893**
Network for Social Change
11,746
-
(8,610)
-
**3,136**
2,473
5,000
(7,473)
-
**-**
Vitol Foundation
-
113,220
(65,585)
-
**47,635**
**Total restricted funds**
220,899
675,305
(713,490)
-
**182,714**
**Unrestricted funds**
_Designated fund: Irma Skeeles Legacy_
-
85,000
-
-
**85,000**
General funds
225,113
197,125
(196,223)
-
**226,015**
**Total unrestricted funds**
225,113
282,125
(196,223)
-
**311,015**
**Total funds**
446,012
957,430
(909,713)
-
**493,729**
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Covid-19 Rapid
Responses
The Marr-Munning Trust
UWEZO - Other restricted
**At 31 March**
**2021**
Expenditure|**182,714**|**85,000**
**226,015**|**311,015**|**493,729**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
68 **Audited Accounts**
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds**
## _Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation_
This 3-year grant supports the second phase, larger development of CST’s purpose-built, fully inclusive school site including architectural design, construction and school equipment. Capacity building support is also provided to CST in terms of strategic and business planning, training and capacity building as needed to transition to a larger profile, purpose-built school.
## _Aletheia Foundation_
This 1-year project by the Alethia Foundation and funded by Comic Relief project supported up to 8 young people living in Ayilo and Nyumanzi Refugee Settlement in Uganda to access education. The support was part of a grant from Comic Relief to the Aletheia Foundation who remained the grant holder and was responsible for the grant.
## _The British and Foreign School Society_
This 1-year pilot funded by the British and Foreign School Society will improve the access and quality of inclusive education in 3 primary schools by implementing a new early screening tool for children with disabilities who are either out of school or failing to achieve in school. The tool will implement the Washington Group Questions; thought to be a more practical and effective method to identify multiple disability types.
## _Comic Relief – Ready, Steady, Go_
This 3-year grant supported by Comic Relief and implemented by our Kenyan partner, ANDY, seeks to improve access to quality inclusive ECE for children with disabilities aged 4-6 in Nairobi, Kenya. This project will develop effective early identification systems, build the capacity of key ECD duty-bearers, and design an innovative Inclusive Play Programme to sustainably and holistically address barriers to their inclusion.
## _Comic Relief – Take All My Friends to School_
This 4-year grant funded by Comic Relief scales up two Inclusive Education projects currently delivered with our partner Child Support Tanzania within Mbeya, South West Tanzania. Working in a consortium with two other international disability organisations funded under the same grants stream, the project seeks to increase the access, quantity and quality of inclusive education. The project utilises the Child-toChild methodology developed with our partner USDC to ensure activities are participatory and determined by children.
## _Comic Relief – Promoting Inclusive Education_
This 5-year grant funded by Comic Relief supports a project implemented by our Ugandan partner, USDC. The project scales up a highly successful FCDO funded project, using an innovative Child-toChild approach to identify, enroll and educate children with disabilities into 27 primary schools in Northern Uganda. The project also includes teacher training, community sensitisations, national advocacy and educational access & learning provisions to both the children and their schools.
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds**
## _Comic Relief - IECE 4 ME!_
This 3-year project funded by Comic Relief will improve the primary school readiness of children with and without disabilities aged 3-6 years in Uganda through the development of a community-led inclusive early childhood education (IECE) model with caregivers, capacity building of key ECE duty-bearers and communities and a focused government advocacy campaign. This IECE model will be delivered through 18 community learning centres (CLCs) with activities delivered alongside local government schools to aid inclusion and break down barriers.
## _The Commonwealth Foundation_
This 3-year grant funded by Commonwealth facilitates a Coalition of 15 child-focused Civil Society Organisation and 20 Disabled Persons Organisations to jointly advocate for the rights of children with disabilities to raise the voice of civil society. Alongside training of officials and biannual Coalition strategy meetings, a public campaign led by the Coalition will raise awareness and encourage widespread advocacy to collectively push for the rights of children with disabilities to be fully recognised in policy development and implementation within the Kenyan Government.
## _Child Support Tanzania (CST) – Other_
This consisted of a 1-year grant from the The Leggatt Trust. The grants provided top-up funding to support our inclusive education programme in Tanzania and ensured children with disabilities received medical assessments during the project lifecycle.
## _Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office_
This 3-year project funded through the UK Aid Direct Community Partnerships stream contributed to the SDG aspiration to ‘leave no one behind’ in Rwanda by empowering children and young people with disabilities to demand inclusion in the SDGs. This project used a tested and new youth-led model whereby young people with disabilities were trained to mentor children with disabilities and then became the main drivers for inclusion at community and government level. The project was successful in finding youth-led solutions for meaningful inclusion and creating mechanisms where young people with disabilities could communicate evidence of best practice to policy makers.
## _Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Safeguarding_
This 1-year project supported by the FCDO Safeguarding Hub led to the development and design of the Disability-inclusive Safeguarding Guidelines for development practitioners. The guidelines were developed in consultation with young people with disabilities in Rwanda and in consultation with the wider sector. Following launch of the guidelines, a series of three webinars were delivered for Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) across Africa to upskill them on inclusive safeguarding.
## _Jersey Overseas Aid Commission_
This 3-year project funded by Jersey Oversees Aid contributed to the government’s commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ through the advocacy for disability inclusive WASH policies and programmes for girls with disabilities in education. This multifaceted and youth-led project identified out of schoolgirls with disabilities and trained female youth with disability (YwD) mentors to design and implement a twofold peer to peer mentoring programme using child-friendly resources.
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds**
## _Laureus Foundation_
This 1-year pilot funded by the Laureus Foundation piloted a disability inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights sports programme in two schools for 60 girls with disabilities to learn about relationships, consent and safeguarding in a non-judgemental and interactive space. Support networks and governments were engaged through disability inclusive support groups and child-led advocacy campaigns. Learnings were shared with existing health and education actors to inform potential scale up for the promotion of disability inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights for girls with disabilities.
## _The Marr-Munning Trust_
This 3-year project with our implementing partner USDC, expands on our prior Marr Munning Trust funded programme to directly support the early childhood education (ECE) of 60 children with disabilities across 6 schools in Northern Uganda (Lira & Nebbi). It will support the government’s need to scale-up the Individualised Learning Plan (lLP) by adapting our ILP and disability screening tool for an Early Childhood Education context and delivering a focused multi-year government advocacy campaign. The campaign will target a network of district- and national-level government officials; supporting them to make the 'business case' for adopting the tools at all government schools.
## _Network for Social Change_
This 1-year project supported by the Network for Social Change allowed us to expand and deepen our reach in inclusive WASH programming for children with disabilities and enabled us to better build the capacity of our partners in this area. The grant supports the development of training packages and resources that focus on the empowerment of girls with disabilities through inclusive sexual and reproductive health and WASH.
## _The Carmela and Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation_
This grant from The Carmela and Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation provided top-up funding to support our WASH project and specifically provided funds for additional training on mentoring and developing youthled and accessible child-friendly resources on WASH.
## _Vitol Foundation - FEDOMA_
This 3-year project aims to improve children with disabilities’ (3-5yrs) access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) through the introduction of innovative, inclusive, caregiver-run play schemes & the capacity building of actors responsible for children with disabilities early years development including government, (in)formal ECD service providers, communities, parents & children with disabilities themselves. Through their increased cooperation that ensures long-term systemic change, these actors will holistically break down barriers to ECD inclusion.
## _James Tudor Foundation_
This grant by The James Tudor Charitable Trust supports our project “ECD 4 Me Tool!” implemented through our partner, FEDOMA. This project aims to improve children with disabilities’ (3-5yrs) access to ECD through the provision of medical screenings, assessments and provision of assistive devices which will support them to better access education services.
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## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds**
## _Euromoney_
This two to three-year grant is in support of the project “I Matter Too: Making Rwandan child protection systems disability-inclusive for children with disabilities”. The project will adopt a community-based inclusive development approach to target child protection systems in Gasabo, Rwanda to ensure that children with disabilities, as the children most at risk of neglect and abuse, are able to equitably access child protection systems.
## _The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust_
This grant from Allan & Nesta is providing support to our project “ECD For Me Too”. It is implemented through our partner FEDOMA and is aimed at improving access to ECD services for children with disabilities through quality community-based inclusive early childhood interventions. This will be done by introducing innovative, inclusive, caregiver-run play schemes and building capacity of actors responsible for children with disabilities’ early years development to ensure a long-term systemic change and holistically breaking down barriers to ECD inclusion.
## _Book Aid International_
This one-year grant is for the project “Quality School Libraries for All”. This project will set up three inclusive libraries across three schools. This will include the donation of 9,000 books to the three schools (3,000 books each), once of which be CST’s inclusive school. The project will also provide funding to enable the schools to make inclusive adaptations to the library rooms to make them accessible for all children and will train teachers and school librarians on inclusive education techniques to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities in the new libraries.
## _Vitol Foundation – ZAPCD_
This five-month project supported by Vitol is called ‘IECE Zambia': Conducting a national review of the inclusiveness of Early Childhood Education (ECE) for children with disabilities in Zambia’. It aims to deepen our understanding of the multifaceted barriers children with disabilities face when accessing Early Childhood Education (ECE) services in Zambia through a national review of existing ECE provision. The aims are to deepen understanding of ECE for children with disabilities in Zambia, and to build momentum with key changemakers to advocate for improved inclusive ECE in Zambia.
## _Souter Charitable Trust_
This grant was in support of project ‘ECD For Me Too’ Improving ECD access for children with disabilities through inclusive community-based support and play specifically for conducting trainings for staff on child-to-child approach, disability inclusion, child protection, and the use of Individual Education Plans as well as training them to deliver a bi-weekly inclusive play scheme for children with and without disabilities.
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
## **Able Child Africa**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds**
## _Other Restricted - FEDOMA_
Consisted of the following two grants:
## _- Heb Ffin_
## _- Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust_
These grants were made in support of “ECD 4 Me Too!”. The project aims to improve children with disabilities’ (3-5yrs) access to Early Childhood Development through the provision of medical screenings, assessments and provision of assistive devices which will support them to better access education services. These grants were specifically made for conducting trainings for staff on child-tochild approach, disability inclusion, child protection, and the use of Individual Education Plans as well as training them to deliver a bi-weekly inclusive play scheme for children with and without disabilities.
## **Purpose of designated fund**
## _Designated fund: Irma Skeeles Legacy_
The legacy funding will facilitate the third phase of CST’s purpose-built, fully inclusive school site including architectural design, construction and school equipment. Specifically, the funds will realise the construction of an additional fully accessible classroom and physiotherapy unit.
## **Transfers between funds**
The transfer between funds represents an overspend on a prior year project that has been topped up by unrestricted reserves.
## **Funds in deficit**
Funds in deficit represent recoverable overspends in the current year, to be recovered via further restricted income in 2022/23.
## **16. Operating lease commitments**
The charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows:
|Amount falling due:
Within 1 year
Within 1 - 5 years|**2022**
**£**
**-**
**-**|2021
£
15,750
-|
|---|---|---|
||**-**|15,750|
## **17. Related party transactions**
During the year, 6 Trustees made donations to the charity totalling £3,955 (2021: £10,802 from 5 Trustees).
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Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
Able Child Africa 2022 Annual Report
+44 (0) 20 7733 6006 info@ablechildafrica.org.uk ablechildafrica.org
Unit 6 Madeira Tower, 34 Ponton Road Nine Elms, London, SW11 7BA
Able Child Africa is a registered charity No. 326859 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales No. 1861434 registered at the above address. Designed by iirth.co