## RUVUMA DEVELOPMENT AID ANNUAL RECEIPTS & PAYMENT ACCOUNT 2024 Ruvuma Development Aid is a registered Scottish Charity SC033311 1 **RUVUMA DEVELOPMENT AID (RUDA)** _Scottish Charity Number SCO 33311_ ## **Membership** Membership shall be open to all persons who have an interest in furthering the aims of the Charity. Members elect from their number an executive of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. ## **Governing Document** The Association is a charitable association with the purposes and arrangements being set out in our constitution. ## **Charitable Purposes** Our purposes, as recorded in our constitution, are to relieve poverty and advance education for the inhabitants of the Ruvuma region of Tanzania by assisting and liaising with Community Based Organisations on a variety of projects designed to improve their conditions of life. ## **Fundraising Activities and Achievements** We have been fortunate to have the support of two Rotary Clubs, North Fife Rotary and Cupar Rotary. With funds of £4,500 from the Cupar Rotary we funded a water project to create another water source for the growing school population. Towards the end of the year, were given funds of £10,000 by the North Fife Rotary towards building a two classrooms nursery school. We also were given a single donation of £1,000 towards funding any sponsored student at college who might need extra financial help. One of our older sponsors, donated £12,500 specifically to pay for the nursing college education of Aloycia, one of our sponsored students. We took part in two Christmas Fayres and raised £1,225 in total. ## **Volunteers Visit** visited for a month in July 2024 and was able to take up to date photographs of the project and the children to share with our sponsors and supporters. She spent time observing in each of the classrooms and reported back to the committee on her return from Tanzania. She was delighted to see the secondary school teachers using the iPads she had taken over in the classroom. She was also able to inspect the new Primary School girls’ dormitory building which was our planned build for this year and was impressed by the quality of the finish on the building. A toilet block under construction was later completed nearby. discussed the reinstating of after school clubs and an increased presence of at least two teachers at the school on a rota from the end of the school day until time for the evening meal. 2 She also worked with to buy and pack the trunks with uniforms, books and everything else the form V and VI students need for their High schools. Forms III and IV students were taken on a tour of the Peramiho Trade school. ## **Pastoral Care** pays the students’ fees and buys everything they need to start High school or college. She is their named contact at school or college and with another member of staff, she accompanied the students on their first day at their new High School. Many of which are far from the region and some of which necessitated an overnight stop. ## **Computers** It was good to see the students from Primary and secondary studying in the computer suite. There is still no reliable internet access but during a visit to NMSE from representatives of an American charity, they promised financial help with this issue next year as they were very impressed by our computer hub. A second-hand laptop for the school bursar, and 11 used smart phones were taken over for the students at college, Trade schools and Form 6. Most of the iPhones were purchased from the Turing trust charity. These will make it easier for students to communicate with the person looking after their interests in Tanzania. Second-hand iPads were given to both the headmasters and a few of the secondary staff. ## **Library** The library is well used and well organised. Unfortunately, a break in at the school has left it without the data projector that the librarian used to show films. The thieves also stole our sewing machine, there is little hope that these items will be returned. We have since invested in extra security and bought some padlocks with alarms fitted. The children are still playing chess, so a knockout chess championship was organised by nd the librarian. The students also enjoy board games and were introduced to Connect 4 during visit. collected more games and sent three boxes to the library in October 2024 but they have failed to arrive. ## **Construction** A new deeper well was drilled and a pump installed to take water to the site of the raised platform in the secondary school grounds. Pipework was laid from the well to the platform where a large storage tank will be erected. This should guarantee a water supply right through to the end of the dry season. Aggregate, concrete and sand were bought to make the bricks and the builders began the foundations for the 2 nursery classrooms, office and toilets. The new girls’ dormitory has been completed and painted inside and out. A toilet block has been added so the primary school boarding girls can now move in. This will then free up an L-shaped room in the classroom block which can be used for indoor sports and other afterschool club activities. ## **Primary School** Based on the results of the mock exams we expect results published in January again show that NMSE Primary School is maintaining its position in the top 10 schools in the category of English Medium Schools with classes of fewer than 40 students in the Songea region. The Primary school roll is approximately 225 of which 3 are sponsored children. Funds to buy new uniforms and shoes for the sponsored children were sent in April 2024. 3 ## **Form IV sponsored students 2024** On the basis of the Mock exams our sponsored students are likely to have passed their Form IV National exams. The sponsored students graduating in 2024 will go to Trade, High school or college depending on their exam results. ## **NMSE Graduates** None of the group of students who graduated in 2023 chose to apply to Trade school in January so all were offered a pre-high school course from February to July covering science subjects and computer skills. Many of the students subsequently changed the High Schools after one term to schools nearer to home. One sponsored student applied to a government college from Form IV and another from Form V was accepted to college in Dar es Salaam to study to be a medical officer. Unfortunately, one of our students got pregnant by a male student at her government High school and has had to drop out of the sponsorship programme. This year we asked the sponsors to pay High School fees in May if at all possible since there were now too many students for the charity to pay the upfront costs. Most of the sponsors agreed to do this with only four continuing to pay monthly and one group saving towards next year by paying upfront and then continuing their monthly payments. There are also sponsors of seven of the graduates from 2022 who have either donated lump sums or are paying extra monthly and thus saving towards the college costs of their sponsored student/students. spent a considerable time preparing the ten graduates of 2022 for High school. At least this year many were given places at schools within the Ruvuma region. Despite the government schools supposedly being ‘free’, the annual cost of uniforms, text books, notebooks, school contribution, health insurance plus bedding and agricultural tools and the transport of students to their various distant high schools, works out at around £780 per student. These new graduates have found the first term difficult. The high school rules are very strict and the classes are in much larger. Three girls ran away after just three days in their new government high school and declared that they wanted to apply to go straight to college instead. nterviewed them with a parent or guardian and let them know that having spent so much on getting them ready for High school and paying a year’s fees, their sponsors could not now find the fees for college. spoke to the teachers at the school in question and they agreed all three girls could return to their High School. We may allow these girls to apply for college after completing Form V if they are still unhappy at High School provided they complete Form V. ## **Maintenance** liaised with a former technical teacher, Jordan Millinga on what repairs and improvements were needed for the rest of the school buildings. This was done in great detail and included items like sorting wobbly bunkbeds, burying exposed pipes, clearing old machinery from the school grounds and clearing termite nests. Some of these tasks were completed during her visit. The windows in the primary school will need replacing soon as they have been attacked by termites. Emergency funds were sent to replace the engine in the school bus with a reconditioned engine. 4 ## **Farming** The school has two cows and one gave birth to a female calf so we are gradually rebuilding the herd that was lost due to East Coast fever. The harvest was a very good one this year with enough maize grown to feed the students for the whole year and the older students helped with the harvesting in July. Beans were grown at Litowa and Chinese leaves in the gardens of the school. There are also mango, avocado, banana and lemon trees planted around the school grounds. Funds of £500 were sent to buy fertiliser as the fields are prepared for next year’s crops. ## **Members Remuneration and Expenses** Our members did not receive any remuneration apart from travel expenses to Tanzania to assess the project and the costs of items bought for the children and paid to The charity paid £1,769.53 which she refunded with a little extra by donating £2,000. ## **School and College Fees** The fees paid by the sponsors, goes towards the school running costs for salaries, health insurance, food, uniforms and educational materials. We thank these sponsors for their continuing investment in the children of Ruvuma. The fees for Primary are £32.50 per month while the secondary fees are set at £60 per month in the UK. The Trade School fees are £350 a year with £35 a month living costs thereafter. The VETA school costs is £150 plus £40 a month living costs as food is not provided at the school. College is £1,000 a year with between £45 and £65 a month living costs depending on the location. We are also paying a wage of £100 a month to mentor the sponsored students. ## **Plans for the Future** Now that the girls’ dormitory and toilet block are complete we can continue with the building of the two new nursery classrooms. We will send the funds raised by North Fife Rotary and work will start on the building of two nursery classrooms. This new build and an adjoining play area will be the main focus for 2025. The dining hall has still to be painted inside and out, doors and windows to be fitted and tables and benches to be built. At this point the construction of the NMSE schools should be complete. The project will continue as we support all the sponsored students through higher education. ## **Reserves** Of the balance in January each year, we hold funds aside to cover the advance payment of fees for those sponsors who choose to pay annually. We also hold back one month’s NMSE school fees of £2,000 in case there is a delay in the releasing of funds to the school account. We continue to send funds in Sterling instead of Tanzanian shillings as this route by-passes the Central bank in Africa. So far this has worked well and the funds have not been delayed and are only taking four working days to arrive in the NMSE school account. We also have £900 set aside for the printing of posters for the archive room at the secondary school. Approved by the members and signed on their behalf by hair 5 ## **RUVUMA DEVELOPMENT AID** ## **Independent Examiner’s Report** I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pages 7 to 8. ## **Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees and the Examiner** The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the Accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”) and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) (“the 2006 Regulations”). The Charity’s Trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section (44)(1)(c) of the 2005 Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. This report is made to the Trustees, as a body, in accordance with the terms of my engagement. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the Charity’s Trustees for my work or for this report. ## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement** My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the Accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the Accounts and seeks explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the Accounts. ## **Independent Examiner’s Statement** In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Regulations, and - to prepare Accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Regulations have not been met, or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the Accounts to be reached. Date:29/08/25 6 ## **RUVUMA DEVELOPMENT AID** ## **Receipts & Payments Account for the Year ending 31 December 2024** ||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||2024
Non-restricted
Funds|2024
Restricted
Funds|2023
Non-Restricted
Funds|2023
Restricted
Funds| |||£|£|£|£| ||||||| ||**Receipts**||||| ||||||| ||Donations Received||||| ||||||| ||||||| ||Annual Child Support|45,661||35,928|| ||Miscellaneous Donations|5135||12,955|| ||North East Fife Rotary||10,000||2,600| ||Cupar Rotary||4,500||| ||College Fees for Aloycia||12,500||| ||Designated College Fund|3,030|||| ||||||| ||Fundraising||||| ||||||| ||Kiltwalk|0||3,349|| ||Everyclick/Give As You Live/CAF|431||147|| ||Misc Fundraising|2,255||1,450|| ||||||| ||||||| ||Gift Aid HMRC|8,999||7,538|| ||||||| ||||||| ||**Total Receipts**|**65,151**|**27,000**|**61,367**|**2,600**| ||||||| ||||||| ||**Payments**||||| ||||||| ||Expenses for Fundraisingactivity|0|||| ||Grants/Donations to Ruvuma|52,410|9,500|55,600|2,600| ||Bank Charges|180||270|| ||Miscellaneous Expenses|1,914||3,036|| ||||||| ||**Total Payments**|**54.504**|**9,500**|**58,806**|**2,600**| ||||||| ||**Surplus**|10,647|17,500|2,561|0| 7 ## **RUVUMA DEVELOPMENT AID** ## **Statement of Balances for the Year ending 31 December 2024** ||Non-
restricted|Restricted|Non-
restricted| |---|---|---|---| ||2024|2024|2023| ||£|£|£| ||||| ||||| |**Opening Bank Balance**|||| |Bank of Scotland – Treasurer’s Account|12,153|0|9,592| ||||| |**Surplus for the Year**|10,647|17,500|2,561| ||||| ||||| |**Closing balance**|||| |Bank of Scotland – Treasurer’s Account|22,800|17,500|12,153| |Notes: The restricted funds of £4,500 donated
by Cupar Rotary were spent on the water
project and £5,000 of the £10,000 donated by
North Fife Rotary was spent on the nursery
build.
college money of £12,500 has
yet to be spent.|||| Approved by the members and signed on their behalf by 28/08/25 28/08/25 8