Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)
Year ended 31 March 2017
Achievements and performance
As the third and final year of the EPWD (Empowering People with Disabilities) project, funded by Big
Lottery, came to an end in March 2017 we can reflect on the outstanding success by the team in Tanzania. All targets for the project were exceeded with 295 individuals benefiting from the programme through receiving livelihood training and empowering them to be able to provide for them and their families, 10 small Co-operatives were established producing a variety of goods and, over 25 employers were made aware of their obligations under disability legislation. Every participant in the project received training on Disability Equality and their rights under the UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities). We were able to facilitate an exchange visit to Northern Ireland for the Project Co Ordinator, Trainer and Chair of the Project Advisory Board. An independent evaluator concluded the project was an outstanding success.
Training for teachers on the inclusion of children with disabilities in the classroom continued this year with a group session taking place in the capital Dodoma for educational authority officials.
We were able to extend the Disability Champions programme that we have developed with the support of UK and Irish Trade Unions into Ethiopia. We identified and trained the Union Trainer from the CETU (Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions) and delivered the first sessions in this year with cooperation of the trainers from Uganda and Tanzania. We have secured funding for this programme for 3 years.
Disability Aid Abroad continues to strategically support the Mehayo centre in Morogoro, Tanzania to nurture and support children and young people with disabilities who have been abandoned by their families. In this year we have started to fundraise for the Kanyerere school for inclusive education, the first of its kind in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Financial review
The charity has continued to carry out it's activities in the current year. The Total Income was E33,727 (2016 E144,104), and Total Expenditure for the year was E80,788 (2016 E90,015), of which €58,920 (2016 E68,892) was out of restricted funds . Net Expenditure for the year amounted to E47,061 (2016 Net Income €54,089).
Unrestricted Funds decreased during the year by E741 to E20,913. This level of unrestricted reserves would be sufficient to maintain the current level of expenditure for a period of 3 months. The Trustees are satisfied with this level of unrestricted reserves.
Plans for future periods
We will continue to deliver Disability Champions programme in Ethiopia and work with the ILO (International Labour Organisation) to print and disseminate the Disability Champions programme as widely as possible. Our greatest efforts will be made to secure funding to continue the work of empowering people in Tanzania through livelihood programmes and training.
Small company provisions
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.
Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2017
The trustees' annual report was approved on 20 December 2017 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:
A Brown Charity Secretary