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2024-08-31-accounts

Project Zambia

2023-2024 Annual Report

Presented at 12[th] AGM Tuesday 8[th] April 2025

On Google Meet

Reference and Administration Details

Charity Name – Project Zambia

Registered with Charity Commission of Northern Ireland – NIC100057

Charity registered with the Inland Revenue – XR87823

Charity Address – c/o Westcourt Centre, 8-30 Barrack Street, Belfast, BT12 4AJ Governing document Constitution Website www.projectzambia.com E-mail projectzambiamail@yahoo.ie Twitter @Project_Zambia Facebook fb.com/ProjectZambia Instagram _projectzambia__

Management Committee Members

Contents

  1. Governance and Public Benefit Reporting

  2. Main Achievements in the year

  3. Trustee statement with regards to CCNI Public Benefit guidance

  4. Public benefit statement

  5. Objectives for 2024-2025 year

  6. A Review of Financial position

  7. Appendices

  8. Mission Statement

  9. History of Project Zambia

Governance and Public Benefit Reporting

Project Zambia is a registered charity with the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland (NIC100057). It is managed by its management committee; who are all volunteers and elected at Annual General Meeting. All elected committee members for 2023-2024 served the whole year and there were no co-opted members. In Project Zambia’s governing structure, the management committee are the trustees.

During the 2023 -2024 year, Project Zambia continued to work in partnership with identified communities in Zambia; in furtherance of our joint goals and projects. All projects during this year were in keeping with the aims in our charity’s constitution and were solely for charitable purposes. There were no private beneficiaries and no harm identified during this year.

Project Zambia’s purposes/ aims are detailed in its constitution as follows:

  1. The provision of funds for food for the poorest people living in Zambia

  2. The provision of funds for the building of schools in communities in Zambia; where access to school is limited due to cost/distance

  3. To support schools with provision of funds for teacher's allowances, educational resources and maintenance of school building

  4. The provision of funds for basic first aid care for people living in Zambia who cannot afford medical treatment

  5. The provision of funds for the installation of the means for clean water access and proper sanitation facilities; for some of the poorest people living in Zambia

  6. To support the set-up and maintenance of income generating projects in Zambia; for the relief of those in need

  7. To develop the capacity and skills of the members of the socially and economically disadvantaged communities which Project Zambia supports; in such a way that they are better able to identify and meet their needs to participate more fully in society

During the review of the year, the committee identified that an additional aim would better describe some of the work that the charity engages in. This is to cover projects that are funded for orphanages/ transit centres for maintenance of these buildings and furniture etc. The charity is currently working with NICVA to agree wording and will liaise with CCNI in regards to this in a timely fashion.

Main Achievements in the 2023-2024 year

Project Zambia was established to work towards alleviating poverty and enhance communities through educational, health and income-generating projects in Zambia. During the 2023-2024 year, a group of Project Zambia volunteers travelled to Zambia. This is only the second group to travel to Zambia after Covid-19 pandemic.

During this year, Project Zambia worked with the following communities on projects that are in furtherance of the charity’s objectives were:

  1. Kabwata Orphanage and Transit Centre

  2. Mongu

  3. Vision of Hope

  4. Mapepe

  5. Home of Hope

1. Kabwata Orphanage

Kabwata Orphanage and Transit Centre is home to approx. 75 children and young people, who have been orphaned, whose family cannot support them or have been removed from their family by social services. Kabwata Orphanage is one of the organisations, which is governed by Angels in Development. It serves children normally up to the age of 18 years old and in some cases, older than this – depending on their individual needs. This partnership is one of the oldest, continual and longest-established relationships.

Projects included:

Once again, throughout this year, funding was provided for a feeding programme and allowances for Aunties.

There have been ongoing, increasing security concerns in Lusaka area and this has impacted on some of our projects, including Kabwata Orphanage. There has been an increase in electric outages and this has led to opportunistic criminal activity. Within Kabwata Orphanage, there is a security gate, which is powered by electric. Therefore, the security of orphanage has been compromised, as it has not working consistently. During the year, we were notified that there had been a break-in in the Orphanage. Although, no children/ aunties were physically hurt, this understandably was a very frightening experience for the children and the aunties. Project Zambia funded a new security gate and generator, which has alleviated this situation.

Another large donation was made to further roll out the Child Protection and Safeguarding training. This project was supported by Worley Foundation as a restricted donation.

● This project is in keeping with ‘Aim 7’.

2. Mongu

Mongu is located in the Western province in Zambia. Project Zambia have partnered with this community for almost 15 years; thanks to connections with the Christian Brothers who are located there. Due to distance, there was no visit to Mongu.

Projects included:

Project Zambia continued to support the feeding programme throughout the year for 80 vulnerable families. It was highlighted during last year’s AGM that this feeding prgramme was struggling as the price of food had increased substantially. A formal request with pricing was later received and it was agreed to increase the funding for this feeding programme during the 2023-2024 year. The committee agreed to increase this funding by £1,500 per year (25% increase) and this has been agreed to remain in place for 2 years. This increase was gratefully received.

3. Vision of Hope

The Vision of Hope is a project that supports female homeless youths, based in Lusaka. It is comprised of residential aspect and a skill-building aspect. This partnership has been in place for approximately 7 years and has grown from strength to strength in this time.

Projects included:

There was continued support for the ‘Inchengelo Training Program’ through generosity of the Worley Foundation, which deals with the areas of child protection, human trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV). Chitalu Chisimba, the director of the Vision of Hope is the project lead on this initiative alongside Muma Kapambwe. They are working with St Mary’s University College (Belfast) and UNZA.

Volunteers spent time in Vision of Hope. Volunteers assisted with re-painting the building and there was a party organised for the young girls/ ladies.

4. Mapepe

Mapepe is a rural community based on the outskirts of Lusaka. This year, Project Zambia has continued rebuilding a positive, working relationship with Mapepe community and working

on governance and stronger partnership. This has been a lengthy but valuable process. Mapepe village is associated with several projects and these include home-based care team, Mapepe Blessed Hope School and community projects.

Projects included:

Volunteers spent time in Mapepe village. Funds were donated to new IDs for exams and steel doors for the toilets. During the year, funds were sent for the teachers to attend International Women's Day celebrations and Teacher’s Day. This was gratefully received by the teachers and allowed them to network with other schools and teachers. Funds were also sent for school maintenance during the year and cleaning supplies. There was a cholera outbreak, which led to the schools being forced to close and deep cleaning had to be completed, prior to re-opening. Project Zambia was able to fund to assist this.

5. Home of Hope

The Home of Hope is a project that supports male homeless youths, based in Lusaka. It is comprised of residential aspect (both short-term and long-term), street outreach, family reconnections, emotional support and a skill-building aspect. This is one of the oldest and most established partnerships that Project Zambia has engaged with.

Projects Included

Volunteers spent time in the Home of Hope and socialised with the young boys/ men. Funds were used to purchase new mattresses for all of the beds. This was gratefully received.

6 . St Lawrence School

St Lawrence School is situated in Lusaka , near Misisi compound. Project Zambia has had a lengthy relationship with the school and is one of the oldest partner communities.

Project included:

A request was made for a new battery and science equipment for the school. This was funded during the 2023 - 2024 year.

Public Benefit Statement

The charity trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. All activities were to further its purpose for the public benefit.

- Objectives set for the 2024 2025 year

Our objectives for the year ahead:

A Review of Financial Position

2023-2024 2022-2023
Income
(fundraisers,
standing orders, donations
etc,)		 £52,387 £71,697
Costs directly allocated to
Communities		 £51,550
●Kabwata - £28,700
●Mongu £6,750
●VOH - £5,000
●Mapepe - £1,200
●HOH - £900
●Whilst in Zambia - £9,000		 £47,395
Support Costs £19,453
●Travel - £12,464.69
●Insurance - £2,274.91
●Accommodation/ travel -£2,366.04
●Professional costs - £1620.48		 £39,702

Project Zambia’s income for 2023-2024 year was lower than in previous year (£18k difference). This is primarily due to smaller number of travelling volunteers and this led to lower fundraising total. It should also be noted though that with the lower number of volunteers, this also resulted in lower travelling and accommodation costs. The total amount of funds that was donated to the communities that the charity supports had actually increased, in comparison to the prior year.

Project Zambia committee is overall pleased with the continued efforts by volunteers to fundraise and the overall financial shape of the charity.

The Project Zambia 2023-2024 accounts were independently examined by Richard Whan from Richard Whan & Co Chartered. On completion of examination, there have been no concerns raised, in regards to the management of finances and no issues to raise with CCNI. It is also noted within the report that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. There was no note made about the surplus of finances at year-end.

Overall, Project Zambia is in a healthy financial position and hope to continue in this position moving forward.

Our Mission Statement

Do what is just, show constant love and live in humble fellowship with all you meet. And remember: you cannot change the whole world, but together we can change our world. (Peter Tembo, St Catherine’s Centre)

Project Zambia is a social justice organisation. It is a member of the Edmund Rice Developing World Immersion Programme and takes its ethos from that organisation.

Project Zambia works alongside and in partnership with some of the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world in Zambia (mostly around Lusaka Province). Its work includes HIV/AIDS, education, sanitation, income-generation, orphans, street-children, education and empowerment of disabled children, Home Based Care, health care, microfinance and other projects that community leaders advise.

Project Zambia seeks to:

Project Zambia welcomes volunteers and support from all sections of our community and from all faiths, genders, social backgrounds and races.

Short History of Project Zambia and why we work in Zambia?

Project Zambia is a registered charity. In 2004, a group of local people from North Belfast were inspired by the charitable work which St Mary’s CBGS carried out during the few years prior. Project Zambia was founded to continue this charitable work on a bigger scale. In the early days, Project Zambia held meetings in Cassidy’s Bar and was predominantly based in North Belfast.

Since then, Project Zambia has grown considerably and gained much local support. Today, PZ continues to fulfil the aims of the original group but now operates on a larger scale. Our main base moved to Westcourt Centre in Belfast this year. PZ has held meetings in Queen’s Student Union, Cultarlann, Devenish and other community hubs. During 2020, Project Zambia now has ‘Zoom’ meetings as well!

The Christian Brothers, whose founder is Edmund Rice, have had an established presence in Zambia for many decades. They were kind enough to allow us to make use of their local knowledge and organised initial introductions; particularly Br Mc Court and Br Kearney. They highlighted areas which were in great need of support and introduced Project Zambia to trusted associates who we continue to work with to this day. The Christian Brothers and the wider Edmund Rice Network (ERN) continue to be a great support to Project Zambia.

Zambia is a sub-Saharan country which is extremely poor. Poverty affects every aspect of life. The average life expectancy is only 48 years old . Many people live in sub-standard accommodation; effectively slum conditions. School can be too expensive for families and diets can be very poor. The country has high rate of HIV/ AIDS and as a result, a high proportion of the child population is orphaned. Therefore grand-parent led households and child-led households are common.

Project Zambia currently supporting five communities in Zambia. There have been many great achievements and challenges during this year. It is a testament to our volunteer network that after all this time and especially this year; PZ is still successfully supporting the communities who we are committed to. This is especially remarkable as PZ is operating during a global pandemic, which has had a negative effect on global travel and also on public gathering – which is what most of our fundraising is based upon.

Every summer since 2004, an adult group of volunteers has fund-raised and travelled to Zambia with the aim of affecting positive change and building relationships with host communities. Due to the impact of Covid-19, 2020 was the first year that Project Zambia volunteers could not travel to Zambia. However, our network of volunteers continued to support our Zambian partners throughout this challenging year.

Despite the particularly difficult circumstances, Project Zambia has affected positive progress with impoverished communities. This is only possible with the support of the communities and trusted associates who represent them.

A word from the leadership team:

We would like to thank all those who have continued to support and believe in the cause of social justice about which we are so passionate. This year and the one previous have presented many challenges to our charity and our partners in Zambia. We promise to continue working hard to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic and to provide sustainable solutions for improving the lives of our partnered communities in Zambia. Zikomo,

Project Zambia management committee.