Cecily's Fund Christmas Newsletter 2015

Christmas Newsletter

2015

Challenge Accepted Read all about our Christmas Challenge and how you can help Brave pass on his knowledge

2 | Cecily’s Fund

Welcome!

Social | To keep up to date with all our news, be sure to follow Cecily’s Fund on social media - we are on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube at /cecilysfund and on Instagram at cecilys.fund

Welcome to the Cecily’s Fund Christmas Newsletter 2015! In another packed issue, we are proud to announce our Christmas Challenge 2015: Send a Child

THANK YOU

to School and taking a look back at what has been another momentous year for Cecily’s Fund.

Also in this issue you’ll find the latest in our series of interviews with supporters.

To our supporters in the

This time, the subject is Mike Farren, who undertook the challenge of the 2015

UK and elsewhere who

Great North Run earlier this year. We also continue our series of interviews with staff from our partner organisations by speaking to Bambala Kataso. Kataso is

have helped make our

the head teacher at BISO community school and will be familiar to many of our

work in Zambia possible

long-term supporters.

2015 has seen not only a strong continuation of our core work, but also special

in 2015.

new landmarks in our history. Our impact was featured in materials for schools made for Red Nose Day 2015, and we launched a few programme funded by Comic Relief.

As ever, we are hugely grateful for your generous support - we hope you have a great Christmas and that you will continue to follow exciting developments in our work in 2016.

In this issue

About and Contact | Cecily’s Fund is registered charity 1071660.

Our

work

makes

education possible for orphaned 2015 - The Year So Far Cecily’s Fund Christmas Challenge 2015

3 4-5

Supporter Focus #4: Mike Farren

6

Partner Interview: Kataso

7

Christmas Cards Now Available

8

and vulnerable children in Zambia.

Email admin@cecilysfund.org Phone 01993 358 089 / 186 Post Ground Floor, 6 Church Green, Witney, Oxon, OX28 4AW

Christmas Newsletter 2015 | 3

2015 - The Year So Far 2015 has once again been an exciting and busy year for Cecily’s Fund. All our core programmes, from our long-term Access to Education work to our more recent projects with DfID and Comic Relief, have continued this year. We are still providing the material, financial and psycho-social support that children and young people in Zambia need to access and benefit from education. Key milestones have included monitoring trips to Zambia in April and September, the latter involved the start-up workshop for Connecting Communities, our new programme with Comic Relief (announced in our summer newsletter).

As ever, the work that Cecily’s Fund is able to do in Zambia is made possible by our local partner organisations, institutional funders and our generous supporters. Highlights of challenge fundraising in the UK this year have included Chris Childs’ participation in the 2015 London Marathon in April and the efforts of 17 runners in the 2015 British 10K London Run in July.

Cecily’s Fund has again run events in the UK, including ‘A Sunday in Summer’ at Wotton House in Buckinghamshire in May (co-organised by our co-founder Alison with The Compassionate Friends) and a tour of university fresher’s fairs to promote our challenge events in September and October. Once again an exciting Christmas challenge campaign will end the year.

Events and Fundraising in 2015

Cecily’s Day

Great North Run

British 10K London Run

London Marathon

A Sunday in Summer

Programme Milestones in 2015

Fresh Start

In 2015, 300 young people received entrepreneurship training and 31 trainers were trained

Access to

Hands on

Peer Health

Connecting

Education

Learning

Education

Communities

This year Cecily’s Fund has paid school fees for 2,000 children across over 50 schools

The final Hands on Learning report praised its “much-need practical support” for children

45 Peer Educators were trained, and 192 sessions delivered to 21 schools during 2015

This September, the start-up workshop for our new Comic Relief programme was held in Zambia

4 | Cecily’s Fund

Christmas Challenge 2015

How to Donate | There are a number of ways you can

donate

to

the

Christmas

Challenge, help us reach our target of £20,000, and support Zambian children in 2016: 1) Donate Online Visit

cecilysfund.org/donate

to

make a single or monthly donation using our secure online facility.

2) By Cheque The arrival of our final newsletter of the year means that the time has come to announce the Cecily’s Fund Christmas Challenge 2015. At this time each year, our supporters donate and raise money to help us reach a specific

Cheques should be made payable to Cecily’s Fund and posted to us using the address on page 2.

target. All money raised will make a huge difference to our work in Zambia

3) Through JustGiving

during the year to come. In 2015, our theme is ’Send a Child to School’ and

We’re running a special sub-appeal

once again our target is £20,000.

through JustGiving with a target of

Last year we raised an incredible total of over £34,000 and we hope that in 2015

£4,500 - just visit j.mp/CFJG15

you can help us reach or even exceed our target once again. The Challenge will

4) By Phone

run from December 1st to December 14th. Leading up to and during the Challenge, we will be sharing stories from Zambia about the challenges children and young people face, and the huge positive impact of education on individuals, families and communities.

To communities in Zambia, the value of education is clear. Completing primary

Just give us a call using one of the numbers on page 2 and we can talk you through a card donation.

5) Use Our Donation Form

and secondary school is a key step on the path to health, security and self-

You’ll find our donation form on

sufficiency for the country’s millions of young people. Long-term supporters of

the back page which you can use

Cecily’s Fund will know that many children face major challenges when it comes

to make a one-off or regular gift.

to attending and completing school: not least the cost of uniforms, equipment and fees.

For the better part of two decades, Cecily’s Fund has run an evolving and effective Access to Education programme. In 2015 alone, we’ve supported over 2,000 children in Zambia with the costs of attending school. We have excellent

6) Visit Our Online Shop Purchases of Christmas cards (see back page) or of our Gifts of Hope count towards our target.

links with our partners in the country and have won the support of major funders in the UK like the Department for International Development (DfID) and Comic Relief.

This year, please join with us once more in raising the funds we need to continue

Please keep our campaign in mind on December 1st

having a tremendous impact in Zambia during 2016. In these pages you’ll find a variety of ways to make donation or for working on fundraising of your own plus, we have two inspiring stories about the difference our work has already made.

www.givingtuesday.org.uk

Christmas Newsletter 2015 | 5

Brave’s Story How to Raise Funds | As well as donating, you can also help us reach our target by raising funds. We’ll be sharing some fundraising ideas on social media over the coming weeks.

At Chimwemwe Secondary School there is a teacher who knows very well what impact the support of Cecily’s Fund can have. Brave Lukwesa

is

a

recently-qualified

chemistry

teacher who was himself supported by Cecily’s

1) Run an Event

Fund.

A Christmas party or a special

Cecily’s Fund began to support Brave when he

festive quiz can be a great way to

was in grade 5, and he was helped with 100%

raise money in December.

of his school fees. Upon completion of

2) Organise a Collection

secondary school he was able to obtain a place

Our Challenge could be just the thing for a church or community group looking for a worthy cause.

at Mukuba University, and then earned a diploma in science.

Now, Brave is able to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of Zambian children -

Your support

in our

Christmas Challenge can help Cecily’s Fund to give young people like Brave a better chance at a better life

many of them from circumstances as difficult as his own.

Maggie’s Story The story of Maggie’s challenging life is repeated across the communities in Zambia in which Cecily’s Fund works. Maggie is 16 years old and lives in Kamfinsa Ward, located around 40 minutes away from Kitwe, the hub of the Copperbelt province.

Together with her siblings, Maggie lives with her grandmother and has done from an early Nativity - Zambian Style |

age. Conditions are difficult for the family and

This beautiful nativity set was bought this year at a market in Zambia. This delicate and inventive piece of work is quite typical of Zambian

handicrafts,

which

they live a hand-to-mouth existence. Cecily’s Fund is the main NGO supported orphaned and vulnerable children in the area, and has helped Maggie and her siblings to go to school.

frequently use very basic materials

Education gives Maggie’s family a much better

to make very impressive items

chance of acquiring a healthier and more stable

which are sold at markets around

livelihood fro themselves.

the country.

Without the support of Cecily’s Fund, Maggie and her siblings would still be out of school. Our Christmas Challenge will enable us to support more

children

Maggie in 2016.

like

6 | Cecily’s Fund

Supporter Focus #4: Mike Farren In the fourth in our regular series of interviews with supporters, we speak to Mike Farren. Mike recently completed the Great North Run, his first

Spreading the Word About Challenge Fundraising |

fundraising event for Cecily’s Fund. Mike

This Autumn, Cecily’s Fund staff

explains his deep family connections with

have

Zambia, as well as his hopes for the country’s

fresher’s

future.

students to take on sponsored

been

visiting

fairs

university

to

encourage

challenges. We spoke to incoming CF: How did you first come into contact with Cecily’s Fund?

students

at

Oxford

University,

Oxford Brookes University, Reading

MF: My wife, Tricia, was the youngest of three sisters born in Zambia. The

University and Warwick University

mother, Win, brought the family back to the UK after the death of the girls'

about the amazing challenges they

father, Desmond, when Tricia was just 15 months old. None of the family had

can take on through our new

returned to Zambia until the eldest sister, Mary, went on holiday with her

partner,

husband 5 or 6 years ago. During their stay in Kitwe, they met Basil and Alison,

(www.discoveradventure.com).

Discover

Adventure

who put them in touch with patron Sixtus Mulenga. He has been a friend ever since.

In 2014, I visited Zambia, along with Tricia, Mary, middle sister Roisin and Mary's daughter Anna. While in Kitwe, we went to dinner with Sixtus and heard more about the work Cecily's Fund is doing in the country.

CF: How would you describe your fundraising experience?

MF: Earlier this year, I speculatively entered the ballot for the Great North Run, and was surprised (and a little terrified) to be accepted. It had been at the back of my mind to run for Cecily's Fund, because I knew that the funds raised would make a real, tangible difference, whereas they might be lost in a mass of

Cecily’s Fund staff spoke to students at Reading University

donations to a mega-charity. When my mother-in-law, Win, sadly died earlier

Whether you are a student or not

in the Summer, this definitely made up my mind to run for Cecily's Fund, to

and whether your interest is in

honour her memory.

walking,

I was awed to be in the same race as legends like Mo Farah (though when I

adventure challenges provide a

heard he was entering, I gave up all hope of winning!). The atmosphere was utterly uplifting - something I will remember all my life.

CF: How can investment and education in Zambia help there?

great

trekking,

way

to

or

have

cycling, amazing

experiences and to raise money for Cecily’s Fund at the same time.

There is now even a challenge in

MF: All through our travels in Zambia, including the working, utterly non-

Zambia - an epic 10-day cycle ride

touristy towns and cities of the Copperbelt, we saw a lot of poverty, but I don't

from

think we ever saw despair. So many people seemed to want to make the best

Livingstone, which includes a visit

of their situation, and if you combine that with opportunity - for education and

to the incredible Victoria Falls.

for aspiration to a better life - I felt that that offered enormous hope for Zambians. Zambia is a country where, it seems to me, investment and education have the power to transform lives for the better.

the

capital

Lusaka

to

To find out more about taking on your own fundraising challenge, visit the Cecily’s Fund website.

Christmas Newsletter 2015 | 7

Partner interview: Kataso In each issue of our newsletter, we interview a

About BISO |

member of staff from one of our partner organisations in Zambia. This Q&A is with Bambala Kataso, who is the head teacher of BISO community school, based within the Chazanga suburb of Lusaka.

CF: Can you describe what BISO does?

Bwafwano

Integrated

Services

BK: Bwafwano aims to create an environment in which total care is provided to

a

orphaned and vulnerable children, while building the capacities in families and

community centre comprising a

communities to take care of the growing HIV/AIDS orphan population. We offer

school, health clinic, social work

educational support, medical care, psycho-social support, nutrition (through our

department,

income

school feeding programme), shelter renovation, child protection services,

programme

and

Organisation

centre.

BISO

(BISO)

is

is

generation

legal based

advice in

a

compound in Chazanga, a suburb of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.

Cecily’s Fund has long supported the BISO community school, which not only provides education to some of Lusaka’s most vulnerable children but also offers them a nutritious meal each day.

recreation and life skills training.

CF: What does your job involve?

BK: I have been working for Bwafwano since April 2004. The Bwafwano Education program has two parts: the community school and government school support program. I work as the head teacher for the community school which runs from pre-school to grade four, providing a supervisory and leadership role for the teachers, pupils and the community. I work with the community members in the entire planning process including formulation of strategy for improving affairs and practices of the school, as well as working with the community in setting targets and implementing the school’s work plans.

For the government school side, I coordinate the integration of pupils into government schools, monitor the attendance and performance of pupils in the program and offer career guidance. I work with contact teachers at every school to help solve any problems that are affecting our pupils. I visit each school every fortnight and hold a meeting with contact teacher once per term to discuss successes and challenges in our implementation of the programme.

CF: Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

BK: I am always encouraged when I see that children’s literacy levels, self-esteem

BISO has been a key partner of

and sense of self-worth are improving. I also enjoy encouraging the children to

Cecily’s Fund since 2003. Over the

believe in themselves and to make something out of themselves.

years he has held his post, Kataso has visited the UK a number of times thanks to the Connecting Classrooms scheme.

CF: How would you describe the relationship between BISO and Cecily’s Fund?

Cecily’s Fund has helped BISO to generate ideas, and has shared skills and knowledge to ensure our activities are successful.

8 | Cecily’s Fund

Christmas Cards Now Available The sale of our own Christmas cards has long been a part of festive celebrations for Cecily’s Fund. Following on from last year’s traditional wreath design by artist Mella Shaw, this year’s cards have a new Zambian design. Sold in person on Cecily’s Day in early September, the cards are now available for purchase via the Cecily’s Fund online shop. A quantity of 2014 cards are also available.

Every purchase of Christmas cards counts towards this year’s Christmas Challenge target, as does each purchase of our Gifts of Hope. These alternative, ethical gifts enable you to make a donation in the name of a loved one and come with a card explaining the impact of your gift.

All sales of Christmas

Both 2014 and 2015 design Christmas cards are available for just £3 per pack.

cards contribute to our

Gifts of Hope range in price from £15 (the cost of a school uniform) to £250 (the

£ 2 0 ,0 0 0

cost of teacher training for one year). Visit our shop today at cecilysfund.org!

Challenge target

C hri st ma s

Donation and Gift Aid form Help Us Educate More Children in Zambia Bank Mandate (please also fill in the left-hand side)

Yes, I want to give Cecily’s Fund £ This time

o annually o or monthly o (please tick one)

o I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other

This is an instruction to your bank. Please fill in the form, return it to us, and we will process it for you.

Please pay Cecily’s Fund CAF Gold, Sort Code 40-52-40 A/C no. 00089893 The sum of: £

taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand that the charity

o quarter o year o until further notice

will reclaim 25p of tax every £1 that I give.

Each month

Title:

Date of first payment

First name or initial(s):

Surname:

Bank name

Full home address:

Bank address

Name of account holder (s) Post code:

Account number

Date:

Sort code

Signature:

Please contact Cecily’s Fund if you need to amend these details or cancel your Gift Aid declaration

Signature Date

Please return the form to Cecily’s Fund, Ground Floor, 6 Church Green, Witney OX28 4AW Cecily’s Fund is a UK Registered Charity number 1071660 and a member of the Fundraising Standards Board Scheme: FSO137