ANNUAL REPORT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT AFRICA
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Food For Thought Africa was established for the relief of poverty, the advancement of education and to promote the benefit of people who are in need as a result of poverty and lack of resources (the beneficiaries) in Africa (the area of benefit) without distinction of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion and in particular to:
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a) Provide or assist others in providing food and developing food programmes for the beneficiaries in the area of benefit
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b) Establish, maintain and manage or co-operate with any local authority in the maintenance of schools or centres for adult learning
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c) Advance the education of the beneficiaries by providing or assisting in the provision of educational facilities and resources in educational establishments in the area of benefit
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d) Relieve sickness and distress among people in the area of benefit by any means
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e) Relieve poverty and hunger in the area of benefit by any charitable means and in particular the provision of grants, loans and training to enable poor people to establish and maintain projects which will enable them to relieve their own poverty
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f) Relieve unemployment and provide or assist in the provision of housing for those who are in conditions of need in the area of benefit.
This year the main activities undertaken in relation to these purposes were: Provision of feeding programmes to Kasarini Primary School and Thindigua Primary School, Nairobi, Kenya– purpose a and d.
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
This year we continued our feeding programme in Thindigua Primary School in Kiambu County in the outskirts of Nairobi and Kasarini Primary School in Nairobi. The feeding programme provides a cooked lunch to 1123 children from the surrounding slum areas every day. By providing lunch in school we encourage the children to come to school and get an education which gives them the opportunity to get themselves out of poverty for good.
We know from our experience of running feeding programmes in Africa for 18 years that our feeding programmes cause academic results to improve dramatically which has a positive impact on the child, their family and the whole community.
The project is managed by our former scholarship student Adan Noor who himself benefitted from the feeding programme at Cheleta Primary School and brings the total number of children we are feeding every day to 1123.
The trustees continue to seek new projects and are working with Adan to identify new programmes to support.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The total income for the year was £5274 raised through voluntary donations with £490 raised through gift aid relief. This represents a decrease of 12% on last year. Donations to Africa were £20,205 with expenses of £764 giving an income of £15,695.
The assets and liabilities are set out in the balance sheet with net current assets of £64,565.
Reserves Policy
It is the Board’s policy to reserve sufficient funds to ensure the ongoing operations of FFTA for 6 months. At the year end the reserves were above the minimum policy level and this is being reviewed by trustees, as they continue to identify new programmes, as detailed above.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The charity is a trust and governed by a trust deed dated 4[th] May 2007.
The trust is managed by a board of trustees which shall not be less than 3. A new trustee may be appointed by resolution of a meeting of all the trustees passed by a majority of those present. Meetings of the trustees are held on a regular basis and at least twice in every year. At these meetings accounts are reviewed against budgets and forecasts. Existing projects are discussed and funding for potential projects discussed and authorised.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Charity Name
Food For Thought Africa
Registration number
NIC 101864
Principal Address
7 The Courtyard Old Windmill Road Crawfordsburn BT19 1XJ
Trustees in the reporting period
Maeve Marnell Eamonn Marnell Denise Kennedy