“ BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN GHANA”
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Annual Report 2011-2012
Registered charity 1105489
m g ter ave n o l le O ur is to cy n o i a t ambi sting leg nge a a a l ve ch s to i t i s of po gh acces blic throu uality pu r q o high cation f in edu hildren c ol scho Ghana 2
All content Š The Sabre Charitable Trust 2011 Images supplied by staff and past volunteers Design and layout by Jackie McAngus: Tel: 0034 663 713 308 Email: info@elgastor.co.uk Printed free of charge by Davis Langdon, an Aecom Company
Message from Chair of Trustees Ian Bauckham
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am delighted to introduce this year’s Annual Report which reflects a highly successful year for Sabre. The past year has been one of growth and consolidation for Sabre. Turning to the charity’s core purpose first and foremost, a highlight of the year was the opening of the new Ayensudo kindergarten complex in Ghana which has brought better life chances for children in that area. I would like to congratulate everyone who participated in this project, both here in the UK and in Ghana.
have made contact for the first time in what we hope will become a long term, mutually beneficial relationship. As headteacher of one of these schools in the UK, it was my pleasure to host two colleagues from our Ghanaian partner school recently, and I know from the experience of that, and my own visit to Ghana a year or so ago, just how important it is to build up mutual understanding between the young people of our countries. A group of my own students will be visiting our partners in Ghana in the summer of 2012.
Running a charity in these stringent economic times is no modest undertaking. However, it is a mark of the confidence of donors in Sabre’s vision and effectiveness that income has risen markedly over the past year. A significant proportion of the new income has been generated by strategic new appointments in the UK, who even at this early stage have proved their value to Sabre’s work.
Education is about good quality facilities, but it is also about people and interaction. This past year has seen the development of a range of projects which have helped to improve the confidence and capacity of teachers in Ghana. Making these improvements sustainable and continuing to develop teachers professionally remains a key objective.
There has also been significant development in the partnerships dimension of Sabre’s work, and new schools both in the UK and in Ghana
As well as generating so many successful outcomes for young people in Ghana, Sabre never ceases to think strategically and to look to the future. The directors and trustees are absolutely committed to securing the future of the charity and continuing to fulfill its mission to improve education for children in the developing world in partnership with local communities. We look forward to exciting times ahead.
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Reflections from Ghana Managing Director Aubrey Malcolm-Green
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e have seen some incredible change this year on so many fronts. Sabre Trust in Ghana has established itself more formally, both in terms of finances and programme delivery, which is a step closer to the self-sufficient future we envisage. Over the course of the year our relationship with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the local government has developed significantly. This year saw some real focus emerging as to how effective our role can be. In two neighbouring Assemblies, Shama District and KEEA Municpality we have formalised the scope of our support to local education development matters by the signing of Memoranda of Understandings. The next step in our development plan for local sustainability has been to set up an office much closer to the GES/Assembly headquarters in the areas we work. This has sent a clear message that Sabre Trust is a serious partner not only interested in, but indeed capable of, longer term sustainable partnerships. This office is the hub for the delivery of our sustainable KG programme as well as managing our local relationships. Our thanks must go to Michael Agbetepey for his sustained efforts in setting the new office up.
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Following on from the successful completion of Ayensudu Kindergarten School, Joseph Stables, our UK resident engineer, confirmed what we had come to realise, that Lawrence Mensah’s apprenticeship would end with him being offered a full time permanent position with Sabre. Our model of training and capacity building was again bearing fruit. The final completion of the FIFA funded Football for Hope Centre in Cape Coast was a stern test for our construction projects team, working to shifting deadlines and snagging experimental technology, but one which they passed with flying colours. We are now very excited at the prospect of an entirely Ghanaian site team, managing a sustainable KG construction project from start to finish in either Amanano or Dominase. The introduction of a pilot Teacher Training Programme in the summer saw us take a step closer to understanding how we can deliver a high quality programme which can run over several years to achieve a goal of training all teachers, to better deliver early childhood education. Nick Parish joined the team in June and has played a vital role in developing and coordinating this programme.
The new office near the KEEA Assembly has left a gap in the old office, but not for long! The growth of the Partner Ghana programme has been fantastic and both James Love (UK) and Nick Margalski (Ghana) are to thank for this. With a constant flurry of activity around teacher training meetings and student planning visits both offices are a hub of development education activity. I am, as ever, delighted to have so many people across three continents visibly displaying their shared belief in what Sabre does. Year after year we are supported by a small group of indomitable volunteers and staff, and each new year brings more focus and determination. Thanks to Davina, Kathy, Erin, Beth, William, Osumanu to name but a few whose efforts continue to push us forward.
Reflections from UK Managing Director Dominic Bond
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ooking back on the last twelve months, I have the strong sense that this was the year when Sabre grew up – figuratively speaking of course! It has been a year of significant growth, both in terms of income and impact. To show a revenue increase of 25% during a year of such economic turmoil is a fantastic achievement, and if the grant funding disbursed directly in Ghana is also included, this growth rate leaps to 40%. This reflects a really fantastic effort by the fundraising team, as well as the strong growth of school visit bookings for 2012 through our Partner Ghana programme. To have replicated and extended the success of our Sustainable Kindergarten Complex at Ayensudo
is a great achievement – there are lots of examples of internationally designed school projects out there, each claiming to be more innovative and sustainable than the last, however very few get beyond the prototype stage or even off the drafting table. In completing our second sustainable kindergarten complex, we have shown our strong commitment to delivering a school design that can be scaled across Ghana, whilst staying true to the goals of creating a child-friendly school which is also kind to the environment. In Tullow Ghana Ltd, Arup and AECOM, we are incredibly fortunate to have three partners who are equally committed to our vision of building a brighter future for school children in Ghana, and for that we are extremely grateful. Our school partnership programme has also gone from strength to strength, and we are pleased to welcome James Love onto our team. With 28 schools now involved in these partnerships, the scope and variety of projects being undertaken, and exchanges between pupils
and teachers is fantastic. With the endorsement of our strategic partner, the Association of School and College Leaders, we are able to promote these linking opportunities to almost 17,000 head teachers and school leaders across the country. I started by referring to this as a year of growing up, and nowhere is this better reflected than in the work of the fundraising team. The hard work and dedication of our fundraising staff and volunteers has created a strong team that’s generating great results across all our fundraising activities. We are delighted that Nadine, who leads this team, has been nominated as this year’s Best Up and Coming Fundraiser by the Institute of Fundraising and wish her lots of luck for the awards ceremony in June. We hope that you enjoy reading this report, and would like to extend our thanks to absolutely everyone who has supported our programme this last twelve months – we really couldn’t do it without you.
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MEET THE TEAM ..............................................................................................................................................................................................
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Mike Agbetepey - Finance & HR Manager
Lawrence Mensah Construction Prog. Manager
Nick Parish Monitoring & Evaluation Mgr.
William Ampadu – Logistics Officer
Tom Malcolm Green - Communications Officer
James Love – Partner Ghana Coordinator
Nick Margalski – Partner Ghana Intern
William Quartey – Bamboo Technician
Francis Kwofie – Bamboo Technician
Davina Fareti – Intern
Solomon Mensah Site Plumber
Isaac Kofi Gyim Site Security
Nana Akua Preston - Volunteer Support
Sampson Yahans – Project Support”
Erin Janca International Volunteer
Beth Warnock – International Volunteer
Nana Preston – Project Support
Ian Bauckham Chair of Trustees
Aubrey MalcolmGreen - Ghana Managing Director
Dominic Bond - UK Managing Director
Nadine Adamski - Fundraising Manager
Abi Jago Fundraiser
Joseph Aggrey – Site Foreman
Steven Cole – Site Manager
Osmanu Salifu – Logistics Officer
Kathy Weir Tomorrows Stars
Eric Mensah Trainee Site Manager
Kofi Sammy – Bamboo Technician
Emmanuel Mensah Site Carpenter
Kevin Mann International Volunteer
Ama Yahans Volunteer Support
Delhatu Abubakar Driver
Matt Christie – International Volunteer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction 1.1.
Vision & Mission
1.2.
Our achievements in
2.
Whole School Improv ement Programme
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15
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2.1.
Building Better Scho
2.2.
Training Untrained Te
2.3.
Creating Learning Re
3.
Partner Ghana Scho ol Linking Programm e
ols achers
sources
3.1.
Overview of Partner
3.2.
Case Studies of Partn
3.3.
Student and teacher
Ghana
4. Partners 5.
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23
24
27
ership Projects
visits
Funding our Work
5.1. Fundraising 5.2.
Draft Statement of Fin
6.
Plans For 2012/2013
ancial Activity
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28 28 30 33
s ent e m n re ver ts ag o g o rs, omis n wh eo n Do econ ildre ty pr n i h d an hat c qual catio r u t e fo eiv ry ed ool gher c e r hi ds ma sch pri y in hieve ndar sta r, ac l sta lead s. ge na ely ve lon catio imat ul li f t u ed d ul ccess an e su r mo
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... In developing this year’s report we wanted to bring out some of the personal stories behind our programme. Alongside the descriptions of our projects and activities, you will find journals and accounts from some of the wonderful people who gave up their time as volunteers to help deliver on our goals.
1.1. Vision & Mission Sabre is a small charity working on a big issue – education. We are based in Ghana and work in close partnership with the Ghana Education Service to undertake projects which benefit marginalised and disadvantaged children in poor rural communities. Our aim is to provide an integrated solution which supports government initiatives to enhance the school education system (4-16 year olds) in rural parts of Ghana. Our solution is child-centred, sustainable, scalable and community-based. In delivering this solution, we partner with companies, organisations, schools, communities and individuals, in Ghana and overseas, harnessing their skills and enthusiasm to support our projects. Our long term ambition is to leave a lasting legacy of positive change through access to high quality public education for school children in Ghana, whilst establishing models that can be transferred to other countries, enabling future generations to achieve their academic potential and contribute to sustained economic prosperity for Africa.
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Number of KG children reached by Sabre’s work
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1.2. Our Achievements in Numbers
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2010/11 = 450
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2011/12 = 810
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Number of UK students on Sabre supported visits to Ghana
228
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Number of schools involved in the Partner Ghana programme
2010/11 = 10 2011/12 = 28
Increase of 180%
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Increase of 80% Increase of 7% ____________________________________________________ Funding secured from Trusts & Foundations
£
2010/11 = £7,250
2011/12 = £37,785
Increase of 421% 9
2. WHOLE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2011/12 has been a critical year in the continued development of Sabre’s support to the Kindergarten (KG) sector through our Whole School Improvement Programme (WSIP). Our model is an integrated and holistic response to the needs of the KG sector, and the WSIP is made up of three core activity areas: o Building Better Schools o Training Untrained Teachers o Creating Learning Resources
As the following sections illustrate, we have successfully implemented our second Sustainable KG Complex, achieving strong recognition for the excellence of the school’s design. We have also undertaken some important foundation work for the development of our teacher training programme, and furthered our support to teachers and children through our classroom resourcing schemes. The needs and challenges at the kindergarten level in Ghana remain significant – there are over
The new sustainable kindergarten complex at Ayensudo 10
600,000 four and five year old children not enrolled at kindergarten, only 50% of pupils have access to toilets at school, only one in three teachers has received any formal training, and on average there is one book for every three children in class. However, the benefits of a strong early years education are incredibly powerful and it is increasingly being recognised as the most critical sub-sector for investment in education. Donors, governments and economists agree that children who receive quality pre-primary education stay in school for longer, achieve higher educational standards and ultimately lead more successful lives. It is heartening to see that the value of a strong early years education is is being recognised as a critical issue by the Ghana Education Service and its development partners. We have been closely involved in a national initiative to review the current state of kindergarten education in Ghana and develop a new five-year operational plan for scaling up quality kindergarten education. This experience has allowed us to also develop our own consultancy service, which not only allows us to share our knowledge and expertise, but also helps to generate funding to support Sabre’s running costs.
The
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,200 5 t s Almo garten er kind oms are ro class held in s r eithe y shelter rar o es. p e r m t te nder or u
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2.1. Building Better Schools Sabre has been involved with the kindergarten sector in Ghana since 2004, and over the next four years we gained experience of building schools to the standard government design. It became clear to us that funding the construction of more government-style schools, which were dark, humid and noisy, would not fully reflect the ethos and aspirations of the new kindergarten curriculum adopted in 2007, nor would it create enabling educational environments that would help Ghana meet its commitments to the Millennium Development Goals for Education. Our vision for ‘Building Better Schools’ crystallised around the need to develop a new blueprint design that is child centred, sustainable, affordable, maintainable and creates a sense of ownership within the communities. The design had to be replicable nationwide to maximise its impact on children’s education and futures. Recognising that within Sabre we did not have the technical skills to realise this project vision, we went in search of technical partners with expertise in this field that would bring knowledge, guidance and experience to the project. In September 2008, global construction firms Arup and Davis Langdon (now part of the AECOM group) were inspired by Sabre’s new vision, and agreed to participate in this project on a pro bono basis and help us design a Sustainable Kindergarten Complex. The first prototype complex was built in the remote community of Dwabor, and inaugurated to great plaudits in February 2010. The key achievement of this year’s programme has been to replicate that project in the village of Ayensudo, where over 100 pupils were being taught under trees and in an improvised shelter. The Ayensudo Sustainable KG project was
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primarily funded by Tullow Ghana Ltd, with Sabre again assuming direct responsibility for managing and delivering the building, with the support of our technical partners. A wide cross section of local residents benefited from the project and this benefit will continue in the coming years. From the outset this project has adopted an inclusive and participatory approach. Before a brick was laid it was decided that members of the community, and the Chief of Ayensudo in particular, would be given a large amount of responsibility in ensuring that the project ran smoothly. As with previous Sabre projects, great emphasis was placed on using locally sourced and sustainable building materials, in addition to employing a predominantly community-based workforce.
H H H
Without the expertise of our technical partners at Arup and Davis Langdon, Sabre simply could not contemplate building schools to such a high standard – everyone on the technical team should be highly satisfied by the plaudits that this innovative school design is receiving. The new complex at Ayensudo has been recognised by UNICEF and the UK Department for International Development as providing some of the best kindergarten classrooms in the whole of Ghana.
We must also thank our generous donors, whose funding made this project possible. This is the first collaboration between Sabre and Tullow Ghana Limited, and we sincerely hope that the success of this project will be replicated in the future. Generous donations were also received from the European School Over 1,500 children will pass through the kindergarten during its in Munich and the minimum lifespan of 25 years. This will have an enormous impact Ghana International on levels of literacy and numeracy whilst also tackling some of the Bank Foundation, both problems faced in the primary school sector, where many pupils are ill-prepared for learning. new donors to Sabre, and again we hope to continue working with them in the future. 20 community craftsmen who were involved in the construction of We would also like to the school have learnt new techniques and technologies working with thank the staff at the sustainable materials. These skills will enable them to pursue new Municipal Education livelihood opportunities, as well as gaining work on other construction Office, under Director projects and participating in the school’s maintenance. Gabriel Gademor, for their continued collaboration and Current and future teachers will benefit from working in an improved facilitation. The learning environment which helps them to expand their teaching style community of Ayensudo beyond a rote-based learning approach. The regular in-service training supported the project provided by a partnership between Sabre and the Ghana Education with land and labour and Service (GES) will ensure that teachers are assisted in handling the have demonstrated their unique challenges of kindergarten instruction. strong commitment to the project.
s is t thi dels a h t mo say e to tanding n can v a h o ts “ We ucati rship e ou h d t e f w e o one shows ho in partn unity, d t e mm tha liver local co nd the e d a be e o en th , the PTA tatives, t e w t l n be o rese onal cho the s ment rep inspirati ly nt.� rn gove de a tru vironme i prov rning en an , Hum DFID e l a n o t n iser, el Hi Rach ent Adv lopm Ghana Deve
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Volunteer Viewpoint: Jo seph Stables My eyes sparkled durin g a whirlwind adventu re in East Africa after looking for an excuse my A-levels and I have to return to this great been continent ever since. engineer with Arup, I Now that I am working have developed key sk as a civil ills which can really ma the developing world. ke a difference to peop Through our partners le’s lives in hip with Sabre I grasp for a year and oversee ed the opportunity to the construction of the live in Ghana Arup designed Sustaina also developing local ble Kindergarten projec skills to build more sc t whilst hools in the years ahea d. My fiancée Uma was ab le to work for Sabre in a social media role, so embrace a completely it was a great opportu different lifestyle togeth nity for us to get away er. We lived in the comm who I was training to ov from London and unity of Ayensudo with ersee the next school a local graduate engin bu ild . Our home was based construction site but ou eer Lawrence, at the school in a little t of sight, so we could clearing of acacia trees detach ourselves and a rough road in an ov enjoy village life in the close to the erloaded rusty taxi an afternoons. The sea wa d made for an excelle community and had an s a short drive along nt cool down after a ho abundance of melons, t day under the sun. Ay oranges (which are ac Takoradi we could sque ensudo is a farming tually green!), and pin eze into a passing tro eapples and being on -tro and explore the be the main road to aches, towns and rainfo rests at the weekends . The work itself was inc redibly rewarding. In Ja nuary we levelled the buildings each for 60 site and by November pupils, set in a fenced we had delivered three plot with biodiversity pla field into the pride of separate school nting and outside teach the community by levell ing spaces. We also de ing it and providing dra times; especially in pla veloped the sports inage and goals with rea nning the works for vo l nets! Achieving all thi luntary community lab and also had farms, da s was challenging at our who worked to the y jobs and funerals to ir own version of GMT attend to. “Ghana Maybe Time” The most satisfying as pect for me was seein g so many different pe pot of cultures including ople engaging with an skilled and unskilled loc d learning from each al labour, international and international stake other. It was a real me volunteers, refugees fro holders visiting and he lting m the Ivory Coast, Sabre lping out. staff, and local In terms of a persona l legacy I am lucky to have been able to contr capacity to build future ibute my engineering schools without the ne skills and knowledge ed for an on-site intern training programme wit in developing Sabre’s ational engineer. This h Lawrence who is no is predominantly a res w not only the full time Sa the UK a more experie ult of a successful bre engineer, but also nced engineer and a one of my best friend more rounded and fle s. I have returned to xible person with many fond memories and ne w friends.
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2.2. Training Untrained Teachers The need for teacher training at the KG level is significant. Nationwide there are 19,335 serving teachers in government schools who have never had any formal teacher training, plus a further 9,229 untrained teachers in the private sector. This combined figure equates to 69% of the KG teacher workforce, who are responsible for the education of over 1,029,000 children. Currently there are seven colleges of education and two universities offering pre-service training in KG teaching, and collectively they train approximately 800 new teachers a year – barely enough to keep up with retirements from the current teacher population. In response to such challenging figures, Sabre has taken a diverse and innovative approach towards teacher training, principally working on a small scale to support teachers in local kindergarten schools, with mentoring and guidance from our international volunteers. This year we decided it was time to develop a more systematic and structured response to the needs of these teachers, and in July 2011 we delivered an intensive two week training course for teachers from six kindergarten schools, as well as representatives of the Municipal
Education Office. The training course was funded by Tomorrow’s Stars, a US based not-for-profit organisation working closely with Sabre in Elmina. The training combined experiential classroom learning with practical observations and feedback, covering seven key topics: o The Healthy Child - what do children need for healthy development, what diet of learning do they need? o The Healthy classroom – what makes a healthy classroom, both in terms of the physical environment and approaches to teaching?
through play, with opportunities for teachers to put these into practice. o Assessment of student learning – how to identify when children are/aren’t learning, and assessing different ability levels. o Lesson planning – practical ideas for lessons, based on the learning goals of the curriculum.
The Cha llen The ge: 28,5 re are 0 o
0 u ver tea n t r ch ai kin der ers in ned gar the in G ten se cto han r a
o Time management – consideration of the timetable and how to structure and divide up the day to ensure the best learning outcomes. o Behaviour management and positive reinforcement – strategies to cope with large classes, counter negative behaviours in class and encourage and reward good behaviour. o Learning through creative play – ideas for lesson planning and delivery of learning
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One of the greatest achievements of the programme was that it created an environment in which teachers and trainers were able to openly discuss all manner of issues. These ranged from understanding the obstacles facing teachers in their jobs, to experimenting with different methods of classroom management and discipline. The workshop was not designed to be in the form of a lesson – Sabre’s teacher training
staff consciously took the decision to make every module as interactive as possible in order to ensure maximum comfort and participation. As such, the trainers gained a far deeper insight into the difficulties facing KG teachers and were able to map out a variety of alternative approaches. Crucially, the teachers played a very active role in this process and this undoubtedly contributed to the programme’s overall success.
edback slips: Extracts from fe e sharing interesting with th o “This workshop of ideas.”
e is becoming mor
ree ore ideas e.g. th for me, I have m od go ry s.” ve is on ss o “The workshop lp me with my le e idea. This will he on h ac te to ys wa . I think ld be encouraged ou sh d an od go ss our me is will help us asse o “The program It s. m ai r ou e ev achi ll also help it will help us to lp us teach. It wi he so al d an em e th children, observ ildren’s talents.” ch e th p lo us deve
Extracts from tr ainer reviews:
o “You choose st udents to answer even if their hand is not raised and this is a wonder fu l strategy to let students know th ey always have to be ready.” o “You could fin d ways of childre n responding in rather than individ groups ually to the whol e class.” o “You have built a very positive re lationship with th children in your e classroom. You lik e them and you tell that they like can you very much. W ell done !”
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Building on this experience, we have assembled a fantastic advisory panel of early years specialists, who are helping us develop a longer term training programme to launch in August 2012. This one year intensive course will equip both existing teachers and student teachers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to adopt a childled and activity-based approach. The training will be delivered in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast (UCC), which accredits all teacher training nationwide, and the OLA College of Education, one of the seven colleges currently offering the diploma in Early Childhood Education, with the close involvement of the Municipal Office of the Ghana Education Service. The training programme will build on the Kumasi model developed by the Israeli Development Agency MASHAV, and will also be informed by the draft Teacher Education Modules being developed by GES and UNICEF.
Volunteer Viewpoint: Li sa Melassaccio My trip to Ghana really started a year before my departure date. Having been accepted on Sabre’s volunteer programme I got the whole of my school to raise money for the Ay ensudo Sustainable Kindergarten Complex . The teachers, children and parents really too the initiative to heart an k d it created a really po sitive attitude to what I was doing and in a wa y made me put any wo rries about doing the voluntary work to the back of my mind. I arrived into Elmina on a Sunday morning aft er a massive storm an people every where! It d there seemed to be was such a change fro water and m Munich where I live standards of living. Elm , with all its efficiency, rul ina was bustling, loud es and Western and chaotic in compari different from anything son. I knew this trip wa I had done before! s going to be very On Monday we began our two week Teacher Training course with 10 representatives of the Kindergarten teachers local educational depa plus rtment. The teachers experience and such bro ught with them such a different working cond wide range of itions to anything that changes that Sabre are I had ever experienced trying to facilitate are in Europe. The so far reaching that it end every improveme sometimes felt insurm nt has to start somewh ountable but in the ere and I was pleased first step towards bette an d humbled to be able r trained Kindergarten to be part of the staff in Elmina. The ind ready to listen, learn an ividual teachers were d share. I have never wonderful people, danced, sung, drumm realized that I have, rel ed or clapped so much atively speaking, abso in my life. I also lutely no rhy thm! In the second week I went to 3 different scho ols to do observations some of the teaching to see if the teachers styles and classroom had taken on board management. It was gre out what we had works at to see that the teachers hopped the previous were trying week. Even better was the children. Their sm the opportunity to be iles were so bright an in schools with d eyes so full of curio hands were never your sity and life that they are own as one child after with me still. Your the other held on in su ch a friendly and welco ming way! I returned to my ‘norm al’ job in September wit h songs to share, photo Ghanaian drum to pla s to show, stories to tel y and a sense of being l, an enormous very privileged to have that will bring a brighter be en a tiny part of an am future not only to the azing project children but also the kin dergarten teachers of Ghana.
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e: g n e hall
C The e is just onveery
2.3. Creating Learning Resources
As mentioned in last year’s report, Sabre was kindly donated the entire contents of the Church Crookham Montessori Nursery when it closed in 2010. This wonderful complement of resources, which are specifically related to early years education, was shipped to Ghana and stored at Sabre’s office pending the completion of the Sustainable KG Complex at Ayensudo. In keeping with the wishes of the nursery owners, as far as possible the resources were kept together as a single set, and Sabre’s team worked with the teachers at Ayensudo to furnish the three classrooms with these fantastic resources ready for the school’s inauguration. As a result this is one of the best equipped
e Ther ok for n in bo e k r r d o l w the chi three garten – imum n er kind ment mi per ee rn gove et is thr targ child.
KG schools in the municipality, and the children have access to lots of engaging learning materials and stimulating play equipment. One of the most often cited reasons that teachers do not feel able to support activity based learning is a lack of basic classroom resources. In part, our new teacher training programme will address this by demonstrating how many useful and engaging resources can be developed from everyday and readily available items. However there is a basic kit of materials that can help teachers to introduce arts and crafts activities in the classroom. Sabre has been supporting schools with resource packs for many years, but this year, the team began to take a more focussed approach to the kinds of materials that would make the kindergarten teachers’ lives easier and their classes more stimulating. From the start of the new school year in September, 10 classes received KG resource packs, which have since been replenished at the start of each new term. Having distributed all of the resources we received as donations in 2011/12 we are now turning our attention to the challenge of making learning
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resources locally from sustainable and recycled materials. This has long been an ambition for Sabre, and the forthcoming teacher training programme gives us a fantastic opportunity to test our designs for a resource box made entirely from local materials by carpenters and seamstresses. The development of our training site on community donated lands at Bronyibima is central to this strategy. The site currently supports the preparation of bamboo for our Building Better Schools programme, but the workshops have the potential to double up as carpentry workshops for the Creating Learning Resources programme. In addition to supplying the bamboo to the Ayensudo KG Complex, Sabre also used the training site to deliver a contract for the supply and fitting of 1,800 pieces of bamboo to the FIFA-funded Football for Hope Centre in Cape Coast. This high profile project covered the set up and initial operating costs of the bamboo production workshops, and also helped to support the operating costs of Sabre in Ghana.
Volunteer Viewpoint: C harlie & Simon King As a structural enginee r and a practically mind ed scientist, we decid our skills outside of wo ed it was time to volun rk and take a break fro teer m our hectic life in Lo placement with Sabre ndon, setting up a five in Elmina, Ghana. I ha -m onth d just finished my PhD in had been working for Chemistry and my wif five years as a structur e, Charlie, al engineer, so the move lifestyle change. Howe to Ghana was a pretty ver, we had a great tea hu ge m of people around us showed us the ropes. who helped us settle in and Charlie and I spent the majority of our time in Ghana working at the Bronyibima, producing Sabre Training Site ne treated and finished ba ar mboo for both the kin and the FIFA sponsored dergarten school at Ay Football for Hope Centr ensudo e in Cape Coast. Bamb which grows quickly an oo is an excellent res d is readily available in ource Gh ana, but needs to be it will last longer witho treated and varnished ut being attacked by be to ensure etles or fungi. Working in Ghana wa s an incredible and en lightening experience; and we had an insigh the Ghanaian people t into the culture which are wonderful you wouldn’t get as a which was employed tourist on a short visit. by Sabre, and were ve We spent every day wo ry sad to leave them be the defining memory rking with the local tea hind when we returned of our time there. It wa m to England. Our new frie s a privilege to share they taught us. nds from Ghana are their hopes and aspir ations, lives and histor ies, as well as the Fante That’s not to say it wa s all easy! The weather in Ghana is hot and hu when it rains, it really mid whether the sun is rains. The electricity su shining or not, and pply is inconsistent, as bumpy. However, this is the water, and the roa was all part of the expe ds can be pretty rie nce and the support fro reduced any difficulties m Sabre and the other to minor inconvenienc volunteers es. Experiencing the local culture was great fun and we got involved in chickens and housing the Ghanaian lifestyle them in a bamboo hu by buying some tch that we constructed. Ou chance to explore the r time in Elmina also ga rest of Ghana, from the ve us a Akosombo dam and mo market in Kumasi and untains in the east, to beautiful palm-lined be the crazy aches fading into the distance in the west. Overall it was an amaz ing experience. We lea rnt a huge amount ab also managed to fit in out bamboo, made life some time just to relax long friends and and enjoy being in Gh ana.
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3. PARTNER GHANA SCHOOL LINKING PROGRAMME
We be tha lieve t, in stro pre n p o a r to b re y der gly ou e to glo come ng pe r o b .............................................................................................................................................................................................. vita al cit espon ple i s l z ib e cha t nce o give ns, it le, lear to in them is More than ever, the importance of global learning is being recognised in the UK and this enabling environment has contributed to the number of schools joining the Partner Ghana Programme. Ghana the n tog teract a ir p e too is increasingly connected and educators there are realising the importance of exposing their eer ther w and o s it h v f er t students to other cultures as well as invoking a deeper sense of pride in their own. he rom a wor l ld l The passion, enthusiasm and understanding that schools in both the UK and Ghana display through their partnerships is outstanding. This has been a year of growth and change, and in the coming year we look forward to building on these strong foundations to help more young people learn, communicate and cooperate for a better world.
3.1. Overview of Partner Ghana By linking up schools in Ghana with partner schools in the UK, the Partner Ghana programme aims to facilitate educational exchanges between students and teachers in both countries for the mutual benefit of both schools. We believe strongly that, in order to prepare young people to become responsible, global citizens, it is vital to give them a chance to interact and learn together with their peers from all over the world. These experiences encourage tolerance, openness and a spirit of cooperation for a better world.
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In 2011/2012, the Partner Ghana programme has continued to flourish. James Love has joined the UK team as our Partner Ghana Co-ordinator and has brought his strong development education ethos to bear on strengthening our programme. Thanks to our partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and our work with the KEEA Municipal Education Office, more schools have become aware of the opportunity to
partner and eighteen new schools have joined the programme. We were able to take advantage of the British Council’s final round of reciprocal visit funding as well as ASCL’s ‘Starter Grant’ fund, securing grants for 8 schools to send teachers on a week’s visit to their partner school. These visits have proven invaluable in giving schools the opportunity to understand their partner’s context, build relationships and plan for the future. As part of the teacher visits to Ghana, two schools organised field trips to nearby cocoa farms, giving the Ghanaian students the chance to carry out practical field work and exposing the UK teachers to how Ghana’s biggest export begins its life. This year we have worked closely with our partner schools to develop and implement curriculum projects on an exciting range of global themes and facilitated a number of pen-pal exchanges.
These exchanges have helped to bring education to life in both countries, giving students the chance to make connections with another culture. Working closely with one of our most experienced link teachers, Moyra Zaman, we have also produced six shared learning activity guides on different themes. These guides are packed with ideas and links to useful resources and were included as part of our new partnership guide, which was distributed to all schools in February. As part of Sabre’s commitment to being a sharing, learning organisation, we have been busy building relationships with other organisations in the school linking arena. Attendance at three BUILD networking meetings and participation in working group meetings with Tzedek, Link Community Development and Link Ethiopia has given us the opportunity to both learn and share knowledge with other organisations, strengthening the sector as a whole.
The passion, enthusiasm and understanding that schools in both the UK and Ghana display through their partnerships is outstanding
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point: Teacher View fort Otchere m o C & y e it y Paula A
iocesan tt Memorial D ne en B d an l r High Schoo 11. The Ankaful Junio e February 20 nc si d Otchere ke lin n bee her, Comfort ac te k lin School have d an h Paula Ayitey art of a Britis headmistress, rly 2012, as p ea hana, in G tt to ne rn en tu B their re n o d an made a visit to t, si vi ed reciprocal the visit: Council fund e oughts about th r ei th many ways. W ed ar they sh ur students in o types and lp eo he er d st ul e o overcom e felt it w to w se em th au lp ec b he so partnership minds and al “We wanted a roaden their b , em th e at tiv wanted to mo people. feels like we about British ns tio ep l of things – it nc ea d t misco ea gr a arnt ally different teaching is re ul. We have le tf to ui h fr ac so ro n p ee ap the students The ennett has b focus was on st a few days! e ju er th , an The visit to B ed th rv er se th b eo ked to consid r months, ra ation class w dents were as uc d tu E S l s. ca us were there fo iti io ap cr ig -m el g d in in ple in the R tivities like m ant for nurtur here, for exam e of group ac h is so import us ac e ro p ad e. m ap uc f n d o o io tr ct ions. This kind we want to in and the instru give their opin it is something to ut d b an na n io ha st G a que ctised in of teachers not widely pra e day, instead th g in ur thinking. It is ed. The d s as e and motivat class to cl tiv m ac o fr ts ve en o ud m udents ials at Ankaful to keep the st ed how the st similar mater ol. This helps up ho sc ut p We also notic ur o to t in an o s as they d ed. lays too. We w changing clas oved or damag wing and disp m ra d re s, ng er ei st b o p f o them ed walls are full ifficult to stop e have collect ely it is very d at un rt fo all the staff. W e un ith th l w but al n t io ap ss ad training se ifficult to a d e e b is an ay rg m o It . g to t and we k, we are goin share with them n system is quite differen ill ac b w e e w ar e at w th atio Now change. SB stick ol – the educ what we can ho d urces on a U sc an so ur re o le b y to xi an in fle m so Bennett re we can be have seen at e will see whe w s, es practices we el th er s and policy. Nev l of our photo al g in have to follow y ways ar sh to rward in man k forward fo o ip lo sh d er an tn K ar U p in the ed to take our yed our time visit has help summer.“ e e Th We really enjo . th ts in en tt ud ne from Ben with our st ts es en nc ud ie st er g p ex min rward to welco and we look fo
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At a glance: Number of school partnerships:
14 = 180% increase over 2010/11 Number of schools receiving British Council Reciprocal Visit Funding
6 = Success rate: 85%
Number of teachers visiting:
UK to Ghana:
8
Ghana to UK:
6
3.2. Case Studies of Partnership Projects Development Education The Partner Ghana programme aims to embed development education practice in schools through joint projects. Development education, often referred to as ‘global education’, seeks to teach young people about global issues and interdependence, celebrate diversity, build critical thinking skills and encourage informed action for a better world. This year, we have supported schools with training days and produced shared learning activity guides on different themes including sustainability, creative writing, fair trade and slavery.
isit u dent v t s a g durin g trees n i t n a l P
Artwork exchange between Kimbolton School and Essaman United Essaman United MA School was linked with Kimbolton School in September 2011 and the partnership got off to an energetic start. Having secured funding for a reciprocal visit in March and with a student visit already planned for 2013, the schools explored ways of sharing the burden of resourcing for shared projects. Through Partner Ghana, Kimbolton supplied the start-up costs for art materials which Essaman students then used to produce a range of pieces, including paintings of adinkra symbols, wooden ornaments and jewellery. The Essaman students loved being able to explore their creative side and the quality of work attests to the long tradition of craftwork in Ghana. Artwork was taken back to Kimbolton after the UK teacher visit, where it will be auctioned off to fund shared projects looking at the slave trade, cocoa and religious practice.
We w par anted bec tner ship a aus it w e we felt our ould he st ma u dent lp ny s way in s
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3.3. Student and teacher visits Shared curriculum projects between Sir William Perkins School and Bantuma Junior High School Sir William Perkins School (SWPS), Chertsey and Bantuma MA Junior High School, Elmina have been linked since 2010. Teachers from each school have visited their partners twice, allowing for in-depth planning of joint curricular projects. This year the schools have carried out exciting projects in a range of subject areas.
A shared project on cocoa and fair trade has helped students at both schools understand the important role this commodity plays in both economies, as well as some of the issues surrounding international trade chains and fair trade. Students at SWPS began by investigating fair trade and produced booklets for their counterparts at Bantuma. During a visit to Ghana in September, a student visit to a nearby cocoa farm was organised. Bantuma students carried out field work on how cocoa is grown and packaged for sale and this information was then fed back to SWPS. For many Bantuma students, this rare opportunity to go on a field trip was a motivating and memorable experience.
An investigation into diets at both schools has also proved illuminating. Pupils at both schools kept food diaries for a week, noting down the amounts and types of food they ate. This information was fed into software producing some surprising insights into whose diet was healthier. The schools have also found out about experiences of tropical diseases like malaria through the use of video diaries and sound recordings. The partnership has had a real impact on both schools by bringing subjects to life and engaging students in stimulating, relevant projects. This work will continue to be expanded and the schools are looking forward to trying new ideas this coming year.
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Teacher visits A total of fourteen teachers from eight schools made visits to their partner school this year, the largest number yet. These trips were made possible thanks to support from the British Council and ASCL, as well as funds raised by individual schools. Reciprocal visits have given teachers a valuable chance to get to know their partner schools and plan together.
Hosting schools have gone to great lengths to welcome their guests, often accommodating them at the home of one of the staff members. Taking part in school trips to cocoa farms and slave forts in Ghana and visits to local primary schools and sites of interest in the UK have broadened teachers’ awareness about their partner’s country. Most importantly, having a teacher from another country present in school for a week has given students the opportunity to ask questions, over-come preconceptions and deepen their appreciation of diversity.
Results from our pilot evaluation studies have been encouraging: they have demonstrated the positive impact these visits can have on the ability of teachers to use their partnership to bring a global dimension into the classroom, whilst increasing awareness of the way in which the students’ actions impact around the world, and also can overcome issues of inequality to achieve a true partnership. We will continue our evaluations next year and publish the results.
Student visits This year saw our busiest expedition season yet, with 10 schools sending 13 teams made up of 228 students and teachers to Ghana during July and August. Seven of these schools were on trips where Sabre acts as the ground agent for expedition providers World Challenge Expeditions and Wilderness Expertise, whilst Partner Ghana schools Weydon School, Lord Wandsworth College and Batavia High School sent teams to visit their partner school. These teams worked on a variety of projects in eight different communities, and the student groups from our Partner Ghana schools were buddied up with students from their partner school to jointly deliver the school improvement projects. Through the student visits to Ghana, a number of small scale improvement projects were completed. These consisted of three playground construction projects, four classroom improvement projects, fourteen classroom decoration projects, one library development project, two ICT laboratories, one rainwater harvesting project and two malaria awareness campaigns. When a group of students from Batavia High School visited their partner school at Ayensudo, we asked the students to complete a short survey about how their perceptions of Ghana and development issues had changed as a result of their trip.
Teacher Viewpoint: Cla ire Kennedy I am a Geography tea cher at Kimbolton Scho ol in Cambridgeshire, and since I began teaching here five years ago I have wanted to set up a school partn ership between Kimbolton and a scho ol in Africa. I was keen to give my students the opportunit y to experience a cultu re very different from their own whilst also benefiting a scho ol in a less privileged part of the world. I ha d previously spent seve ral enjoyable months in Ghana so the country was an obvious place to look for a partner school. Pa rtner Ghana has done a great job in helping partner school, Essama us to liaise with our ne n United School and I’m w very happy with the wa developing. y the partnership is As part of this process I recently paid a visit to Essaman United. On arr the school by Kwame ival, I was welcomed to Essuman, the lead lin k teacher, together wit dignitaries as part of an h the Headmistress and loc amazing ceremony. On al the second day of my the twenty-four pupils vis it I was introduced to who have been chosen to “buddy” with our pu the letters and photos pils. Seeing them readin our students had sent g was a great moment, memories of my time and one of my fondest in Elmina. I also received a range of artwork created by Essaman pupils, includ symbols, wooden tortoi ing painted Adinkra ses, bangles, necklaces and earrings. These wil money for buying mater l be sold in order to rai ials to carry out joint pro se jects. One of our first to be carried out by pu joint academic projec pils in year 8, will focus ts, on fair trade cocoa. We projects going across hope to get other multiple subjects so tha t as many pupils as po partnership. I took ou ssible can benefit from t a laptop and digital ca the mera for Essaman Un better communication ited, which we hope wil and facilitate such pro l all ow jects. I also paid a visit to ne arby Elmina Castle, an historic slave fort. It wa the terrible conditions s a sobering reminder in which slaves were ke of pt. Our students will be their Ghanaian buddies taking a similar trip wit when they visit - I think h it will be a very importa to share. More broadly nt experience for them I think our pupils will ha ve a wonderful time ex Ghanaian welcome an periencing the warm d the amazing variety of arts and culture in Elmina.
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t: Erin Janca in o p w ie V r e Volunte
“Blood tre after seeing ea th e vi o m e d out of th rop of civil war In 2007 I walke nst the backd ai ag t ining of se e vi o d the illegal m an ne Diamond”, a m o Le a oughts 1990’s Sierr ages or the th im e th and chaos in t ge t ing my d I could no ind. It was dur m y m f diamonds, an o ut o ggle to live, d, “I have to go of such a stru to my husban id ugh sa I at th r ow how… thro kn I ay walk to the ca w y nl o ed for help in the gle and search o o G to Africa and n y, is history. o t go t home, st, as they sa re en w e I th ” d n. io an at ” educ izations lunteer organ “short-term vo of interest with my area . tly re ac ab ex S d d ne un ig decade, I I fo n al her for over a s on educatio ac cu te fo n d io an at n, uc o ergarten ial ed mission, visi d training kind g been a spec an in g av in H The charity’s rt o e. p tis p er su ssional exp sources into t and teacher and my profe efforts, and re t achievemen e, en tim ud elop teaching st ur o as g r tin lts as fa x years to dev si su t re as st p n knew that put te e th ea r gr re ove th. I have bee d yield the tively with Sab student grow ra n o o b ith teachers woul a lla w at co d er th ed ed ge have work g standardiz e’ve come to satisfaction. I ss for obtainin r the world. W ce undation ve ro o p fo l a e al d th m an o en fr strength to er methodologies to work with professionals rd o in n io ugh garten educat fortunate eno porting kinder p su f o al go the common ill learn. has been the ian children w as my family, na w o ha G kn to ch e hi w m I was called on ve co er before that n people I ha ev ia an na th ha w G e no th ain Sabre and am more cert future. My work with e of my life. I nc na was in my ie ha er p G ex se g au in . d ec ar b w o re ag most years ver to Ghana here I work o education 17 f w o l o ld o fie ch S e re h th tu Hig into ience to the fu from Batavia rdinary exper udent groups ; the ao st tr na g ex in ha e, G ng ri tiv e b ra an experienc , collabo al b em o th gl In 2011 I beg ve is th ha ents to then ed to extend ht over 35 stud choosing way to do that r ug te ro b et b I knew I need t ve ha ha I w s ate world and of 17-year-old st-hand. To d leaders of our ff in the form vironment, fir o en ies, ay e p ud th w st , t le no ic p s eo and confl my reward ce d ea an culture, the p p , ls o ns ho tio hanaian sc rnational rela volunteer in G sity to be inte er iv un at y ud st their focus of abre, and f education, S o education. d se an au e, ec in b ic at med able to say th this life to be in w fe y ck lu e I am one of th over. truly runneth p cu y m Ghana
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4. PARTNERS .............................................................................................................................................................................................. A number of organisations have been absolutely vital in supporting our work over the last twelve months, and without their kind and generous assistance we could never have the results recorded in this report. We would like to use this space to recognise six of our partners who have had a significant impact on our work Ghana Education Service – Sabre has always enjoyed a warm and collaborative relationship with the Ghana Education Service at the district level, where our programmes respond to the needs and priorities identified by the Municipal Director of Education and his team. With Sabre’s involvement in the programme to scale up quality KG education nationally, we have had the opportunity to work more closely with the national unit for Early Childhood Development led by Margaret Okai. This has been a wonderful experience which has furthered our understanding of the issues and challenges confronting the sector, and we look forward to a continued positive relationship with all sectors of the service. Ove Arup & Partners – The team of willing Arup volunteers who have given up their evenings and weekends to work on our school designs now numbers over 50, headed up by the unstinting support and enthusiasm of Jo DaSilva and Hayley Gryc. In addition to the team’s sterling technical inputs, Arup staff have also helped us to gain print recognition for our work in industry magazines and publications, as well as hosting our project celebration event, and raising over two thousand pounds in support of our Big Give Christmas Challenge.
Tullow Oil plc – Through its subsidiary Tullow Ghana Ltd, the firm played a key role in funding the Ayensudo Sustainable Kindergarten Complex, a project which allowed us to expand our Building Better Schools Programme. We are very excited by the potential of this partnership, and look forward to developing a joint programme for the coming year.
“ This p of Tu roject is ev l to de low’s com idence m l and e ivering in itment t solut ffective e egrated io d gover ns that su ucation p nmen t’s po port the educ licie ation refor s on m.” David L a wr Busin ess M ie, Region anag al e Oil pl r, Tullow c
AECOM – Davis Langdon has been a core partner since selecting Sabre as its staff charity in 2008, and following the firm’s recent merger with AECOM, we are delighted to announce that Sabre is now one of the group’s strategic charity partners. In the coming months our UK roadshow will take us around the country meeting employees in the main offices and giving us an opportunity to introduce Sabre and reinvigorate this important relationship.
Stars provided the start-up funding needed to deliver the teacher training pilot and Kathy’s first hand knowledge of many of the schools involved has been vitally important in designing the programme.
Tomorrow’s Stars – Tomorrow’s Stars has been active in the education sector in Elmina since 2003, and over the last two years, have become increasingly involved in supporting Sabre’s work and collaborating on shared projects. Valuable initiatives such as the scholarships programme, literacy libraries and kindergarten resource packs would not be possible without the support and commitment of founders Kathy and George Weir. In particular, Tomorrow’s
ASCL – The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is the UK’s largest head teacher membership body, and the association’s endorsement of the Partner Ghana school linking programme has been vitally important. Additionally, ASCL has already provided £10,000 in charitable funding to support the development of school partnerships, with a further £20,000 committed over the next four years of the programme.
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5. FUNDING OUR WORK ..............................................................................................................................................................................................
tivities have fundraising ac complete ccessful This year our the funding to for another su e ng g ri d cu ri b se n am o C rten h their focussed o Reach ising )’ throug able Kinderga ra in ta (d n us S Fu g f o in o ud nd er ‘Summ the Ayens ant based fu rogramme generating gr it y outreach p . 3 un /1 m 12 m 20 co Complex and in me Finance ous program ional Project for our ambiti at rn te In e h ve ha o T cting us as a d Foundations for again sele an n ts io at us ci Tr o g ss in A rporate quiz ur The follow ns towards o eir fantastic co tio th na r o fo d er us tn ro ar p e made gene rogramme. W ially Jeremy er Schools p ts, and espec e and n m ve E co t ill ke w ar Building Bett ey th e beneficiary o Haym e that one day Sabre to be th g : tin vi ed in rt r o p fo sincerely hop , p su ward King cts they have nts Industr y A visit the proje it y at the Eve ar ch 11 oundation Ceremony 20 mes Place F tainable o The St. Ja us S o by the ud ns e Aye overwhelmed lly ua tin supporting th n co iverse array We are Complex from such a d e iv g in ce rt re o Kindergarten e p p w – su each equally support h Foundation d individuals, is an rn o ns C io n en at va rt is E erga iver y of our o The of organ tainable Kind pport the del us S su e to as g in in m lp o the D are ex tended vital in he ncere thanks si ur O . x es le m p C om program ciety one of you ! n Schools So ig re o F & to ever y single sh ti le ri ab B in e ta h T us S o the Dominase – supporting x le p C om Kindergarten Day Fund phian Meal A el ad st ri h C e ustainable o Th e Dominase S th g in rt o p p - su Complex Kindergarten rr y of ac tivit y ths were a flu n o to m er m m we would like The su y events and it un m m co for our anks to: ex tend our th
Sabre receiving BFSS grant
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5.1. Fundraising This year has been a really significant one in the development of Sabre’s fundraising function. Our small team has grown from one to three and we have put in place a really solid framework of fundraising activity. Being awarded the Vodafone World of Difference grant allowed Nadine Adamski to take a two month placement with Sabre to focus on writing a much needed fundraising strategy. Such was the impact of those two months, that she was offered a permanent position as Fundraising Manager. In her own words this has become the best roller-coaster ride of her life. Working in such a small team brings plenty of challenges, but with the support of the rest of the Sabre team, Nadine has injected a new momentum and approach to our fundraising which has seen our annual fundraising income increase by 25%, allowing us to extend our programme activity. The year began with the launch of our fundraising strategy that was heavily scrutinised by our trustees and other fundraising experts before it was released. Already just one year in, we can look back and see that some of our projections were ambitious but the process was just as important in creating a new energy for Sabre and a very clear direction for fundraising.
celebration event and research prospective corporate partners in Ghana. Abi Jago joined Sabre as a volunteer in May, to support our Trusts & Foundations submissions. She is an excellent writer and very committed to Sabre’s goals. She has since spent two months in Ghana at the end of last year and has recently been awarded the Vodafone World of Difference grant which is enabling her to work with us for longer. Our most recent addition to the team is Nana Nortey, who is working in a voluntary capacity to support our events and most importantly launch our outreach work within the UK Ghanaian diaspora. So far there doesn’t seem to be anyone she doesn’t know! We identified five core funding avenues to focus our efforts on: o Corporate Partnerships o Trusts & Foundations o Community Fundraising o Social Enterprise Activity o A Group of Champions The funding streams have progressed at different rates but of particular note is the momentum we have gained on our Trust and Foundation submissions. Previously this was a very underexplored area of fundraising for Sabre, and we have now made a total of 22 applications and with a 30% success rate which we believe is good going in the current funding environment. Not bad for our first year! The fundraising team is expanding and this year we have recruited some valuable internship assistance. Alex Pollitt joined Sabre for the summer, to help organise our November project
The fundraising highlight of the year was our participation in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. This was the first time Sabre had applied to take part and we could never have anticipated such a strong response. Building the campaign, preparing the marketing and collating our donor database were all areas of unfamiliar territory but we were proud to deliver a very professional campaign. During the week itself, there was an immense amount of adrenaline and energy buzzing around the Sabre office and we were able to raise an outstanding £47,910. Not all of this was “new money” to Sabre, as the pledge pot was made up of confirmed grants, and some further grant monies were pledged during the challenge, but in the final analysis, the campaign generated almost £25,000 in new funding which
Sabre would otherwise have been unable to access. In terms of campaigning, this was an unprecedented fundraising success for us and one which we hope to build on next Christmas. Fundraising isn’t as straightforward as it may seem and there are a lot of hints and tips which make a fundraiser’s task that little bit easier. We have been very fortunate to benefit from the knowledge of a number of charities who have shared their wealth of experience with us and in particular experienced fundraiser Helen Varma, who has now joined our trustee board, has been an excellent mentor and inspiration to the team. It is hard to imagine how next year could be even more exciting, but with the goals and targets we have set ourselves it is definitely going to be challenging and hopefully very fruitful.
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5.2. Draft Statement of Financial Activity for the Year Ended 31 March 2012
Unrestricted Restricted Total 2012 Total 2011 Funds £ Funds £ £ £
_______________________________________________________ Resources Incoming _______________________________________________________ Incoming Resources from Generated Funds 77,130 58,235 135,365 107,134 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities
17,467
206,052
223,519
178,480
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Incoming Resources 133 0 133 397 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total Incoming Resources 94,730 264,287 359,017 286,011 _______________________________________________________ Resources Expended _______________________________________________________ Costs of Generating Voluntary Income 39,487 11,059 50,546 45,710 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Costs of Charitable Activities 39,055 173,498 212,553 222,663 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Governance Costs 15,160 0 15,160 14,617 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Total Resources Expended
93,702
184,557
278,259
282,990
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Net Income for the Year
1,028
79,729
80,757
3,020
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fund Balances at 01 Apr 2011 39,647 Fund Balances at 31 Mar 2012 120,404
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*Note that these figures for the year ended 31 March 2012 are not the statutory accounts of the charity, but a pre examination approximation. Full and final statutory accounts will be presented to Companies House and the Charities Commission by 31 December 2012 for the year ended 31 March 2012. This information will then be updated and presented in a final form.
School Expeditions income up by 25%
£223,519 ÷ £178,480 = 125% £400,000 £350,000 £300,000
Total Income up by 25.5%
£250,000
£359,017 ÷ £286,011 = 125.5%
£200,000 £150,000
Charitable Activities (School Expeditions)
£100,000
Generated Funds (Fundraising)
£50,000 £0
2011
2012
Fundraising income up by 26%
£135,365 ÷ £107,134 = 126%
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Volunteer Viewpoint: A bi Jago I have been volunteerin g for Sabre since May 2011 and have spent my time researching differ ent funding bodies an d working with the tea to draft applications an m d proposals. Having stu died Geography and Development at unive rsity I have always had an interest in develop projects and dreamed ment of working abroad for a charity, but I never felt brave enough to ma ke the change. With my full time employment ending I found myself with some free time an d decided I wanted to first-hand the projects see Sabre was delivering in Ghana. I had a ten week trip to Ghana and continued the role I had in the UK research to find poten , but shifted the focus tial Ghanaian based fun of my ders and corporate pa there for the opening rtn ers. I was lucky enou of the Ayensudo Susta gh to be inable Kindergarten Co responsible for coord mplex and was part of inating the inauguratio the team n ceremony. I found the whole experience a rea l eye opener! I also had the chance to visit a number of sc hools while I was in Gh project in Dominase. ana including the site I had been writing abou for the next t the ‘need’ in Ghana for myself: a steel roo for months and now I wa f on pillars, no walls, no s seeing it t enough chairs, child what I’d been writing ren cramped in and no about first hand was bri toilets! Seeing lliant and I hope it has passion of my funding greatly improved the co applications. ntent and Whilst in Ghana I worke d with colleagues in the office to compile a de corporate partner. It wa tailed bid to a Ghana s a lovely working envir based onment and was great group of people, I lea to share ideas with such rnt so much from them a diverse all. Achievements are grant writing sense as sometimes slow to ma it may take months be terialise in a fore you find out if yo that since I have been u have been successfu volunteering for Sabre l – I do know I have helped secure I have seen firsthand £29,000 in project fun what this could pay for ding - now that I feel really very proud ! My fondest memory of my time in Ghana was the children from Ayen clothes for the inaugura sudo dressed in their tion ceremony – they traditional were so excited abou emotional watching the t their new school and ir performance! Seein I felt very g them made the many editing so worthwhile hours of research, writin and just refuelled my g and fire and passion for Sa bre!!
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6. PLANS FOR 2012 / 2013 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... r 2012/13 amme Targets fo gr ro P t en m ve lution for pro lop a national so Whole School Im with Arup to deve
studies ries of scaling-up o Undertake a se District e anano in Shama Am KG infrastructur of ity un m m plex in the co stainable KG Com KG Complex o Construct a Su of a Sustainable rd da an st e th to inase Education, ter school at Dom at the Colleges of g in o Upgrade shel in tra r he ac suppor t te el KG complex to o Develop a mod in Cape Coast ge le at OLA Col t ec oj rs from 10 pr t lo pi a with , involving teache ity al ip ic un M EA e in KE r training schem o Pilot a teache from OLA College rs he ac ent te early years schools and stud visit a variety of to f af st ES G y visit for ke ternational study oach in ac tion o Suppor t an in ild centred appr ch a e se d teachers to an UK which suppor ts settings in the ity al ip ic un M ntre in KEEA el pedagogical ce o Develop a mod s learning resource d recycled make their own m sustainable an fro e ad m x, bo urce ation of a KG reso o Pilot the fabric ement to low-cost enhanc materials a e id ov pr h ic play areas wh oor learning and o Develop outd s and resource measure the existing facilities n programme to tio ua al ev d an g itorin velopment prehensive mon s learning and de o Develop a com n’ re ild ch on ts projec impact of these
Partner Ghana Targets for 2012 /13
o Set up 8 new
partnerships by April 2013 o Build commun ications capacity in Ghanaian scho working with partn ols by ers to get a laptop and dongle into ever y school o Secure fundin g for 6 Ghanaian head teachers to their UK partner visit s for professional development o Research and pilot a ‘Global te acher’ programm volunteer UK teac e for hers to suppor t teacher training Ghana in o Adapt and de velop Ghana focu ssed global learni resources ng o Undertake a pa rticipative review with key stakehol and implement ro ders bust evaluation of the programme o Strengthen th e sector by cont inuing to share kn as part of a dialog owledge ue with other orga nisations in the school partnersh ip sector
Fundraising plans for 2012/13 o Launch a successful Regular Giving campaign o Develop a Major Donors income stream o Recruit new corporate partners o Build a team of Sabre Champions to promote and support our work
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Supporting Africa By Rural Endeavours Sabre Charitable Trust (UK), The Old Dairy, Unit 5, South Lodge Court, Ironsbottom, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8QG, UK Sabre Charitable Trust (Ghana), P.O. Box Elmina 329, Central Region, Ghana Telephone: +44 (0) 203 239 9476 +233 (0) 247 919 469 Email: trust@sabretrust.org Web: www.sabretrust.org Registered in England. Sabre Charitable Trust. No.1105489. Registered Office: 1 Bagley Cottages, Ironsbottom, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8PT, UK
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