The

Childreach
Story
Annual Report
2014-2015

A word from the Chairman

children were safe and supervised during the
critical emergency relief phase. We should all
be proud of our response sta0 and supporters
alike.

by Ross Kemp
The last 12 months have seen two
signi cant events within Childreach history.
Firstly was the Nepal earthquake on 25th
April 2015, when large parts of the country
were devastated, including past and
current projects; then on 8th May 2015
Action for Brazils Children Trust (known as
ABC Trust) merged with Childreach
International, combining our work in Africa
and Asia with projects in Brazil.
The Nepal earthquake had an adverse
impact on our event based fundraising
model, with multiple trips cancelled due to
the earthquake, as well as a huge impact
on years of work with local communities
and schools in the Sindhupalchowk district,
one of the worst a0ected areas. However,
in the days and weeks after the earthquake
Childreach International and Childreach
Nepal reacted swiftly by getting medicine,
food and shelter to remote areas of
Sindhupalchowk where we were often rst
on the ground. After the rst few weeks
our focus shifted towards creating and
running Temporary Learning Centres for
children, as a result of which 134
classrooms within 24 Temporary Learning
Centres were constructed allowing over
4,000 children to return to a school
environment, receive counselling for the
e0ects of trauma and ensuring that

The second signi cant event, a major strategic

decision, was the rapid and e0ective merger of
Action for Brazils Children (ABC Trust) with
Childreach International. We believe that it is
essential for Childreach to continue to seek
ways to improve the services for our children
worldwide, and we are doing this by increasing
e0ectiveness
and
e7ciency
through
partnerships and collaborations. We are looking
forward to developing our work in Brazil with
some fantastic partners, and making the most
of the Rio 2016 Olympics to raise awareness of
child rights issues in the country.
Our a7liates Childreach India and Childreach
Tanzania continue to make signi cant progress
towards strategic aims and objectives, ful lling
the potential of local communities, families and
children to realise and claim their basic human
rights from society. Childreach Tanzania are
continuing to develop partnerships with the
World Food Programme and Gesellschaft fr
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on
innovative new school farming and hygiene
projects. Childreach India continues to
empower children through child parliaments
and child clubs, enabling children to speak for
their peers and ensure that every child has
access to quality education, irrespective of their
gender, ethnicity and family income. The global
team has really shone this year, with honours
from the World Economic Forum, UN O7ce for
Sport and Development and Young African
Leaders Initiative.
Our international leaders were honoured for
their selCess contributions towards sustainable
social change. Dr Tshering Lama, Country
Director of Childreach Nepal, was selected as
one of the World Economic Forums Young
Global Leaders for 2015 and Sheila Makindara,
Country Director of Childreach Tanzania, took
part in the 2015 Nelson Mandela Fellowship for
Young African Leaders in the USA.
2.

A full review of the fnancial position is

included later (see page 37). However after
a challenging year, total income was broadly
in line with the previous year at 1.9m
(2014: 2.1m) and total reserves carried
forward of 253k.
Finally, we would not be here today if it
were not for the many hundreds of
participants, our regular donors and
generous
Trusts,
Foundations
and
corporates in the UK. We are very grateful
for your continued support and tremendous

fundraising e0orts, especially for responding

so swiftly following the disaster in Nepal.
As we enter the nal year of our three year
strategy, it is a good opportunity to reCect
back on our successes as well as putting in
place plans to increase our impact in the
future. We look forward to continuing our
goal to put children at the heart of
everything that we do in our new global
strategy.

A word from the CEO

I visited Nepal in December 2015 and met
with Lakshmi, a 12-year-old girl who was
orphaned by the April 2015 earthquake. Her
and her carer shared their stories and
experiences of the earthquake, of being
scared, feeling lonely and vulnerable and a
deep sense of uncertainty. They also shared
their hopes and dreams for their lives
returning to normal and Lakshmi was eager
to return to school. Their dignity and hope in
the face of such hopelessness was inspiring.

by Firoz Patel
2014-15 has seen us move from strength to
strength as weve responded well to
challenges and led positive change, both in
the UK and overseas.
The reach and impact of our work is an
enormous testament to the commitment
and ambition of our fundraisers, sta0,
volunteers and trustees, both in the UK and
overseas.
3.

Education is essential in the aftermath of an

emergency to ensure that children are safe.
The earthquake damaged over 36,000
clasrooms and millions of children are still
out of school setting the countrys education
system back decades. The consequences of
not educating children can be catastrophic,
not only for the child but for whole
communities and the nations future.
To address this Childreach Nepal is working
closely with the Department of Education in
Nepal to establish 100 classrooms in the
Sindhupalchowk district, and at the time of
writing this have opened 32 classrooms in

Banskharka, allowing over 1,280 children to

return to school.
I also visited the site of Banskharka and
spoke with some of the 350 children who
have moved from the Temporary Learning
Centres made of bamboo and tarpaulin into
the permanent classrooms. They were
thrilled and thankful for being able to nish
their studies and sit their exams. It was one
of my most memorable days as I got to see
real tangible transformations and the e0ect
it has on young lives.
One appalling story to have emerged postearthquake is the rise in child tra7cking in
Nepal. Increased poverty and deprivation at
a household level has led to an increase in
vulnerabilities which is being exploited by
tra7cking gangs. To shine a light on child
tra7cking globally, Childreach International
and Childreach Nepal have partnered with
the Hollywood movie Sold to create a
global media campaign, Taught Not
Tra cked to spread the message that no child
should be tricked into a life of abuse and
have their childhood and future destroyed so
violently.
As a result of the merger with ABC Trust,
Childreach is now reaching out to children in
Brazil where, on average, a child or teenager
is murdered every hour, and where cities are
in the middle of a crack epidemic. In Brazil,
we work with project partners spread across
Rio, Sao Paulo, Salvador and Recife. Our
partners work on a number of programmes
including a social circus project that builds
life and employability skills, football for
development programmes which prevents
gang involvement and drug abuse, leaving
care programmes to reintegrate young
people back into communities and a
pioneering family fostering programme. Our
merger with ABC Trust brings together two
organisations that share the same values and
work to protect and empower at risk
children throughout the world, teaching
them about their rights, giving them a voice
and encouraging them to be active agents of
4.

change. I believe this merger will have a

transformative e0ect, changing the scale,
reach and prospects of our organisation and
will create a better deal for the people that
rely on our services.
Elsewhere, Childreach Tanzania has been
continuing their excellent grassroots work.
Some highlights this year include: working on a
Deaf Education and Development Programme
with partners Deaf Child Worldwide to
improve the socio-economic wellbeing of 398
deaf youth and advocating with government
o7cials to invest more resources for the deaf;
a partnership with the United Nations World
Food Programme to deliver a community
farming project worth $1.5 million bene ting
over 20,000 people over
ve years. In
recognition of their excellent work, last year
Childreach Tanzania won the Stars Foundation
Award for Education presented by former US
President Bill Clinton.
In India, discriminatory attitudes towards
women and girls have existed for generations.
To combat this, India has been working in the
state of Haryana, to empower women and
increase their access to vital reproductive and
maternal health services through our
Endangered Gender project.
Over 1,000
families have received crucial information and
educational materials on topics ranging from
contraception, and good nutrition for children
to gender equality. In Delhi, My School, My
Voice ran an annual child parliament event
giving children the opportunity to develop
their own understanding of issues and to put
forward solutions that they believe will
resolve these issues to parliamentarians.
Finally, I would like to thank our supporters
who give selCessly from their time, treasure
and talent. Without them, our work would not
be possible. We rely on their generosity,
endeavour and passion. This last year has
been another incredible journey and I hope
that you will join us for the next chapter as we
all do our bit to ensure that children can ful l
their potential.

Our Reach
With your support, we were able to work with
60,869 children, teachers, parents and community
members in seven countries during 2014/15.

United Kingdom

Nepal

Morocco

Tanzania
Brazil

India
5.

Bangladesh

Childreach believe in practical,

community-led solutions.

We develop programmes over time to break down barriers

in a childs path to ful lling their potential.
We dont like short-term xes. Thats why children, schools
and communities are at the heart of our Build, Learn,
Change model, which magni es the impact of our
actions.
Our projects aspire to put all three parts of this theory of
change into practice. When this happens, childrens needs
are met, children understand their rights, and children have
the con dence to campaign for their rights to be realised.
6.

We provide practical solutions to make childrens rights a

reality. Along the way, we build relationships with local
partners, build credibility with local people, and create a
chance to improve childrens lives even further.

BUILD

CHANGE
We advocate for childrens
rights, nationally and
internationally, to prove to
governments, teachers and
parents that there are positive
alternatives and that real
change can be made.

LEARN
We equip children with the
knowledge, skills and
con0dence to raise their
voices and claim their rights.
Through education, we create
real, long-lasting change in
childrens lives.

When children understand their rights, they can demand them.

When duty bearers listen and act, we can provide a brighter future for
thousands of children - more than we ever could on our own.
7.

Bangladesh
With our local partner Phulki, we provide spaces for children aged 3-6 years
old to access safe and stimulating child care centres whilst their mothers
work.
These centres are a space where children can learn and develop through
play. They also support mothers by teaching them about their childs
development.
The growth of garment factories in Bangladesh o0ers more opportunities
for women to nd work. Our child-care centres allow them to become active
earners in their household whilst ensuring that their children are safe.
In 2014-2015, Childreach International and Phulki provided day care for 98
children and support for over 100 working mothers.

Hi, my name is Asad!

A regular user of Phulkis centres is six year old Asad. Asad has a severe
hearing impairment. His siblings are 12 years old and 1 year old.
His mother works very hard as a karchupi worker. When she is at work, there
is no one to look after Asad and his
siblings. However, since joining
Phulkis day care centre, Asad is
happy and well cared for.
As a result of attending Phulkis day
care centres, Asad plays better with
the other children. He has even
learnt how to express himself
through sign language. The centres
have also taught him maths, literacy
and how to dance.

8.

Brazil
In an exciting move, Action for Brazils Children
(ABC Trust) has become a part of the Childreach family!
In May 2015, we announced our merger. Both Childreach International and
ABC Trust work to protect and empower at-risk children throughout the
world, teaching them about their rights, giving them a voice and
encouraging them to be active agents of change. Both charities believe in
strengthening local organisations, helping communities to lead and own the
solutions to the challenges which children face. Together, we believe we are
better placed to advocate for the rights of children globally, and build the
capacity of our project partners.

9.

Brazil

Recife:

It is vital to ensure that children are motivated and interested in learning.

With local partner ISMEP, we provided academic support as well as arts,
dance, sports and IT workshops to 260 children. These children are now
performing better in school and are more actively engaged in class.
Rio de Janeiro:
We utilised lm and visual imagery to help 69 children to understand the
challenges in their lives. This project, with Cinema Nosso, aims to increase
childrens cultural and aesthetic scope, develop their creative competencies,
increase their critical thinking and boost their knowledge of human rights
and citizenship.
Our Social Circus project with Crescer e Viver enabled 105 children to
address personal issues in their lives, form closer ties with their families and
raise their self esteem through circus skills and workshops.
Through frequent classes in art, IT, sport and martial arts, 172 children
bene ted from daily care and support from our partner INATOS. This
boosted their education and development in a safe environment.
Salvador:
With local partner Viva a Vida, we developed the skills of 239 teenagers to
encourage them to make healthy choices in their lives.
More than 150 children received support catered to their individual needs
for improving their literacy, maths and interpersonal skills from SIS. These
children also came to understand improved nutrition and their rights.
Sao Paulo:
Over 40 children were placed with extended family members, as opposed to
institutional care, as part of our Family Guardian project with ACER. The
families also received regular social support.
Our Football and Citizenship project with ACER has engaged 945 youth with
their rights through football and sports workshops.
The projects Creating My Own Story and Our Group by Fazendo Historia
supported 236 children and teenagers living in institutional care, helping
them overcome trauma, understand their own stories and create life plans.
10.

Hi! My name is Marcelo

Marcelo is the kind of young man every community needs; he is smart,
motivated and wants to change the world. But his con dence was reduced
growing up by the taunts of bullies.
I was bullied because of my voice. People who didnt know me thought that I
wasnt normal. It hurt that people did not understand me.
With our local partner Viva a Vida, we run a group in Salvador, one of Brazils
most violent neighbourhoods, to support young people and encourage
them to become positive inCuencers in their community. As one of the
groups leaders, Marcelo began to empower the group through that which
had always been the butt of jokes and discriminationhis voice! He has
introduced debates on sexually transmitted diseases, bullying, teenage
pregnancy and drugs.
Through this project I recognised that I was worthwhile and that I had a voice.
It is di cult as a young person to feel you can make a di"erence and that your
opinions matter. But now I do.
Marcelo has overcome his fears of being ignored and misunderstood and
now feels comfortable speaking and expressing his opinions about healthy
lifestyle choices in public. He feels con dent in his ability to contribute to
the lives of the young people in his community.
11.

India
Listening to the voices of children
Our work in India promotes childrens right to participate in the decisions
that a0ect their lives and encourages them to express their own
understanding of issues facing children in India.
The Child Parliament is an interactive process that provides children with
the space to voice their opinions and ask for action to be taken by their
teachers and local o7cials. Through this platform, we work to empower
children and prevent them from leaving school before they complete their
education. 100 children took part in the event in 2014, representing the
voices of 5,100 children who participated in discussions across 35 schools.

My School, My Voice focuses on hygiene, sanitation, holistic education,

participation, safety and equality, and has achieved the following this year:

6,444 children were engaged with science through workshops in

constructing their own model cars and phones.

700 girls and their parents were taught how to recognise and protect
themselves from physical and emotional abuse.

100 children campaigned in the community to have special education

training for teachers to better include children with disabilities in
classes.

12.

Hi! My name is Poonam

When I was seven years old, I couldnt read my textbooks or the blackboard.
There were over 100 children in my classroom, and my teacher was never able
to reach out to me. So I sat in the back and never raised my hand to say that I
didnt understand. I ended up losing interest, and very rarely attended school.
Then my teacher asked me to attend My School, My Voice and their I Learn To
Read, I Learn To Write workshops. There were only 30 of us in the room, and
the walls of the classroom had lots of bright diagrams to learn from.
All of a sudden, learning became interesting and fun! We were taught with lots
of visuals, had personal time with the teachers, 0lms, songs, stories and games.
Before I knew it, I was able to read on my own. I wasnt shy anymore and I
could stand up or raise my hand in class to answer. My parents and teachers
were so happy when I passed my 0nal exams with full marks!
13.

India
Keeping children healthy
Ensuring that children understand the importance of hygiene is key for their
healthy development. 8,000 children in New Delhi can now access basic
hygiene and sanitation facilities in their schools through improved
understanding. A further 3,500 children attended workshops on the
importance of correct hand washing techniques, using toilets and keeping
their environments clean in interactive audio-visual workshops. As a result,
2,500 children have begun to regularly use toilets instead of openly
defecating.

Addressing gender imbalance

Our social activists in Hisar are groups of women who work in their local
communities to support young and new mothers, and to discuss attitudes
towards girls. Their long-term goal is to resolve the skewed gender
imbalance in India. This year theyve encouraged 216 pregnant women to
choose safe deliveries of their babies in medical facilities, and ensured that
784 children were immunised at their local health centre. Our Girls Action
Group, consisting of 222 girls has sought to educate the community about
gender discrimination through demonstrations on girls empowerment. In
addition, 72 women were trained on basic computer literacy to improve
their own economic independence for the future.

14.

Preventing early marriage and child labour

Our partner Shaishav in Gujuarat, supported by Comic Relief, works to
reduce child labour and child marriage and ensure that children stay in
school.
We do this through child clubs called Balsena (child collective). These clubs
are not associated with reading or writing tasks, but discussion and play
instead. The children work together to ensure that they themselves secure
their right to education, not to work, and not to get married. They also work
hard to advocate on behalf of other children.

1,951 children now regularly attend the Balsena child clubs

1,500 more children are now enrolled in school

The number of child labourers is continuing to decline. This year this

total decreased from 396 to 175 child labourers.

Four children from these collectives attended three national policy events.
Here they advocated for girls to pursue education instead of getting
married or starting work. They also voiced their opinions on positive
discipline, the right to play, and the right of children to express their
opinions.
15.

Morocco

Each summer, our volunteers assist our local partner, ASSAFOU Assocation,
with the construction of new education centres. Having only learnt their
local dialect within their Berber community, the children will be able to
learn the national languages of Arabic and French at these centres.
Understanding these languages, whilst furthering their education, will
signi cantly boost the opportunities available to the children after they
nish school. There is also the opportunity for extracurricular and
vocational training for the local women at the centres.
Two new centres opened in 2014; Margiha in November and Tizi Ouadou in
December. Student fundraisers helped to construct these sites in the
summer of 2014 on one of our Big Build events. With the addition of these
two centres, a total of over 150 children are now enrolled at ve centres
built by the ASSAFOU Association.
16.

Nepal

On 25th April 2015, a

massive 7.8 magnitude
earthquake struck Nepal,
devastating 14 districts.
Over 8,800 people were
killed, and 36,000
classrooms destroyed.
We responded immediately, sourcing materials locally and mobilising
resources internationally to get lifesaving supplies to rural communities in
the Sindhupalchowk district. In the rst two months after the earthquake,
we were able to provide relief materials to over 10,000 people.

Temporary learning spaces

Education in the aftermath of an emergency is essential because it provides
a safe space for children and is a key vehicle for communicating messages
about the risks of tra7cking, preventable diseases, hygiene and more.
We assembled 134 classrooms within 24 temporary learning centres in the
rst two months after the earthquake. This allowed over 4,000 children to
return to a school environment, receive trauma counselling, and be safe and
supervised during the critical emergency relief phase. Due to the careful
design, the centres have ensured that children have been protected during
aftershocks.

The future: New classrooms and child safety

Childreach Nepal has been commissioned by the Department of Education
to build 100 new classrooms in Sindhupalchowk in 2015-2016. Made of
pre-fabricated material and easy to construct, the classrooms will form a
sustainable solution to the destruction of the schools. Rebuilding
classrooms is just one element in our campaign to stop child tra>cking.
17.

18.

Hi! My name is Ashish

I was watching a badminton game at my school when the earthquake hit.
People started running and screaming. I fell from the stairs when I started
running and scratched myself. It felt like the world was going to end.
All the schools were closed after, and I spent most of my days roaming around
the destroyed village with my friends. But one day we heard about the new
Temporary Learning Centre that was set up by Childreach Nepal. I really
enjoyed going to these centres. They kept us distracted and motivated. It was
like a healing method for us after the earthquakes.

19.

Nepal
In March 2015, Dr Tshering Lama (Country Director) was selected as one of
the World Economic Forums Young Global Leaders. Dr Lama is one of 187
entrepreneurial leaders who were chosen because of their innovative and
committed approach to making a positive impact on society. Being a Young
Global Leader will provide Dr Lama and Childreach International with an
even wider platform to do what we do best - being ambassadors for the
rights of children.

The Idea Studio

The brand new Idea Studio Incubation Centre was launched in September
2014 with Kathmandu University and UNICEF Nepal. By bringing together
business leaders, academics and investors with the brightest and most
innovative of Nepals youth, the Idea Studio creates businesses and social
enterprises that bene t the local community and Nepal as a whole.
Dr. Tshering Lama
introducing the Idea Studio

Taught, Not Tra>cked

Our Taught, Not Tra7cked campaign was launched in November 2014. As
well as a special screening of the movie Sold and a Q&A with the cast and
crew, the event was marked by a special conference on preventing child
tra7cking Nepal. Sold will be launching in the US in spring 2016 and the UK
shortly after.
20.

Education for early years

46%* of children in Nepal have no access to early years education. With local
experts, we built the Meera Centre as a response to the need for early
childhood development facilities in the rural communities.
Less than a week before the rst earthquake struck, the Meera Centre in
Sankhu had its grand opening. Thankfully , it survived the earthquakes with
no damage and was used as a shelter by the community in the immediate
aftermath of the disaster.

Pre-school children in Sankhu now have the ability to learn in a stimulating

and age-appropriate environment, boosting their development and
ensuring their wellbeing.
The Meera Centre now acts as a model example for the government of how
early childhood development centres have the potential to be run across
Nepal.
21.

*UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report (2013/14)

Tanzania
In December 2014, the Childreach Tanzania team were presented with the
Stars Impact Award for Education in Africa-Middle East.
At the same time, Sheila Makindara (Country Director) was selected for the
Nelson Mandela Fellowship, a Cagship programme of President Obamas
Young African Leaders Initiative. Sheila was invited to spend six weeks
at Arizona State University in the US to learn more about civic leadership.
The fellowship is designed to encourage and foster the ingenuity,
con dence, passion and commitment of the next generation of African
leaders.

Sheila Makindara (middle) collecting

the Stars Impact Award from former
US president Bill Clinton (left).

Working with deaf youth

In its rst full year, the Deaf Education and Development Programme (with
Deaf Child Worldwide) has helped to ensure that 245 deaf children and
youth were able to enrol in a local school that was equipped for their needs.
Alongside this, two district councils have also agreed to increase the
budgets for four deaf schools. With more support and allocated funds,
these schools can increase their capacity and provide a higher quality of
education.
As well as improving access to education for deaf youth, we are increasing
the competency of sign language in Moshi. Currently, 58 parents and 98
teachers are now attending regular sign language classes.
22.

Hi! My name is Maria

I am from North Tanzania and I gained a place at the Ghona Vocational
Training Centre for the Deaf in 2012.
When I arrived, most of the schools infrastructure was not complete and we
lived and studied with no electricity, no workshop and insu cient working
tools in our tailoring and carpentry classes. There was one small room for
tailoring and boys had to work under a tree with 0xed wooden benches for
their carpentry. It was very hard for us to learn and work for long periods at a
time, the place was very hot and sunny, and during the rainy season we
couldnt attend our practical sessions.
We thank Childreach for helping us construct the new workshops and
supplying tools. Now we have a place to work and practice. Not only has the
workshop helped us improve our skills in tailoring, but it has improved our
academic performance in Swahili, English and maths too. Now we can make
things like uniforms for primary school children and furniture. The centre is
comfortable, and we now know we can make a living in the future because we
have been able to develop and hone our skills.
We began working with the Ghona Centre in 2010. This year alone we
have ensured that the centre has 12 water tanks, which provides up to
60,000 litres of water to all of the students and staC. A brand new
dining hall was built for the students, allowing them to eat inside in the
shade. The hall can also be hired by the community, providing the centre
with a source of income alongside the Poultry Project. The Poultry
Project saw over 150,000 eggs laid by the chickens. Once the students
have their share, these eggs are sold to the community.
23.

Tanzania

Giving children a voice

My School, My Voice led 138 child rights workshops in 24 schools with 450
children. This programme ensures children are aware of their rights and
supports them to run child-led campaigns in their schools and communities.

Encouraging healthy habits

Following the formation of a new partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft
fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), we are leading the way in Tanzania
by introducing a new Fit For School programme in 10 schools across Moshi.
This project will encourage group handwashing, highlight the importance of
hygiene, and repair toilet facilities to bene t 5,600 children.
24.

Food for thought

Our School Farming programme reduces hunger and malnutrition at six
schools in the Moshi district. This year, 4,438 children received hot lunches
every day during school hours. The nutrition of the children also improved
with the introduction of vegetables into the school gardens. After the
children have been fed, the remaining vegetables are sold to the local
community to generate a sustainable income for the school. 1,120 members
of the community were also trained on how to manage their own vegetable
and grain gardens and generate future income through it.
The success of our School Farming programme has led to
a new collaboration with the World Food Programme and
Belgian Fund for Food Security. We are working in 15
villages in Simanjiro and Longido to ensure that over
11,000 households (and in particular more pregnant and
lactating women and young children) will consume more
diversi ed food, use cleaner water and can prevent and
treat diarrhoea e0ectively.

School improvement

Hi, my name is Happy

My class always had to sit outside and we
tried to keep in the shade by the trees. There
were never enough desks, so we sat on the
dusty
oor. I always got
u and chest
problems. For the !rst time, we have clean,
well-built classrooms with painted walls. I
feel motivated to aim high. My teachers are
even more motivated to teach us as well now.
The school is now aiming to become the best
performing school in the whole community!
25.

UK

Child Parliament 2015

My School, My Voice UK creates a platform for children to learn and talk
about their rights and trains children on the skills needed to research social
issues and advocate for change in their schools and communities.
The children investigated the social issues that their peers face in the UK.
They identi ed these as: not feeling safe online, being discriminated
against, feeling like their family has less money than other peoples families,
and not feeling safe at home.
In June 2015, we held our rst UK Child Parliament with the goal to
empower children to participate in decision making in their schools. This
year, 167 children from 8 schools voted on issues that they felt most
a0ected them. The Child Parliament allowed children to suggest solutions
and inCuence their head teacher and local mayor.
26.

Whats next?
All of the questions and responses raised during the parliament were
shared with the school, as were the research that the children at the school
took part in.
Children who have participated in the My School, My Voice child clubs will go
on to train and develop other children's knowledge of their rights and
become peer mentors.
In the future, the My School, My Voice programme aims to facilitate child
led research across some of the most deprived areas of London. This will
enable children themselves to inform policy and practice through
campaigns and training, collaborating with school management, Members
of Parliament and the Childrens Commissioners O7ce, ensuring childrens
voices are heard and listened to at the highest levels.
27.

Agents of Change
Jennie Vavik
Since 2011, I have climbed Mount
Kilimanjaro and to Everest Base Camp for
Childreach International. This year, I even
did a skydive! My trust and respect for this
amazing charity continues to grow
stronger. The team works so hard to
create a strong foundation for children to
ful0l their potential around the world. I
am very proud to play a part in their
work, and engaging with their antitra cking campaign is still one of the
most rewarding experiences of my life.

Elena Mayer-Besting
Childreach evolved my university experience. I am now studying a Masters
degree in Development Studies in Geneva. I would not be here had I not taken
part in challenge events, and, to be honest, I dont think I would have been
selected for the course, had Childreach not given me so many great
opportunities. I have been a participant, team leader, and president of the
society in Aberdeen, which has given me so much to talk about in cover letters
and on my CV. I can de0nitely say that my Childreach experience has been lifechanging.

Over 900 students have completed challenge events and international

volunteering opportunities with us this year. We developed the workbased learning skills of 31 students through internships, and invited
over 25 students to learn about child rights and international
development at conferences run by our fundraising team.
28.

Supporters
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the following:

The 900+ individuals who fundraised for us as part of international and

UK challenge events, as well as Big Builds and Futurebuilds

31 o7ce volunteers who assisted our sta0 throughout the year

Our community fundraisers, most notably Jennie Vavik, Hugh

Stephenson, Rowan Chuck, Brian Burns, Chris Cappell, Elena MayerBesting and Marian Shivji

Walton on Thames Rotary Club

Our funding partnersAberdeen Asset Management, Allan and Nesta

Ferguson Trust, British and Foreign School Society, BT Supporters Club,
Comic Relief, Deaf Child Worldwide, Future For Kids, GIZ,
Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission, Little Way Association, Peter
Stebbings Memorial Charity, Phillip Herman Trust, Sarah Groves
Foundation, Signal, Souters Charitable Trust, St James Place
Foundation, The Evan Cornish Foundation, Tula Trust and World Food
Programme.

Supporters

29.

The Future
Our plans for 2015/2016

Prevent child tra>cking through our Taught, Not Tra7cked

campaign

Utilise the 2016 Olympics to shine a light on, and advocate for, child
rights in Brazil

Develop and implement our global strategy

Build the capacities of our a7liates and partners through shared

learning

Bring together impact investors who want to engage with our Build,
Learn, Change model

Global plans for the next 5 years

In 2016 we come to the end of our three year global strategy, which has
seen the successful expansion of our programmes in India, Nepal, Tanzania
and the UK as well as support of partners in Bangladesh, Brazil (through
ABC Trust) and Morocco. It has been a time of developing child rights
centred methodologies at a grassroots level, engaging with local children,
schools, communities and governments.
We are already looking ahead to the next 5 years of our Childreach journey.
The next strategic period will see us strengthening our global, collaborative
approach. Focusing on what we do best, and recognising the strength of
our programmes and people, we will look to share learnings and create
more e7cient and e0ective processes to ful ll our potential as a global
team. We will focus on the programmes making the most impact and also
build the sustainability both of Childreach and partner programmes through
robust governance and diverse funding streams.
Our goal is to become a stronger force for global social change through
internal and cross sector partnerships, that have the voice of children at
their core.

30.

Financial Review
Overview
Although a challenging year, due to the unforeseen and tragic circumstance of the Nepal earthquake
resulting in a cancellation of challenge events and a re-focus of team resource, Childreach International
still achieved a total income of 1.9m, broadly in line with 2.1m last year, as well as a successful merger
on 8 May with Action for Brazils Children Trust (ABC Trust). With a more diverse income base projected
and a strong team, the Trustees continue to be confident in Childreachs future.
From the funds available to the charity net of challenge event costs, activities in this financial period
was as follows:

Income
59% from international
challenge events
21% from UK community
fundraising and donations
13% from merging with
ABC Trust
7% from international
volunteering

Expenditure
For every 1 raised at
Childreach International
72p ensures that children around the
world are able to ful l their potential
25p is reinvested to increase income
for the next year
3p is spent on governance, and
ensuring best practice
31.