Summer newsletter 2013 final

Summer Newsletter 2013 Charity No 1071660

Courage, commitment and style To mark the 15th anniversary of Cecily’s Fund Basil Eastwood talks about how he and his wife Alison started Cecily’s Fund after their daughter Cecily’s tragic death in a car crash in Zambia and about one of their first and most memorable fundraising events.

“Cecily

died on 2 June 1997 just at the end of her gap year.

At Bedales where she had been at school she had been a Cecily golden girl.

Always late, horribly disorganised but brilliant, an instigator of creative chaos, never part of a clique and loved by all.

Zambia and sent it out to CINDI Kitwe, the little local organisation she had been working with in Kitwe, the hub of Zambia’s Copperbelt. CINDI was based in a small run down community centre. There Cecily had run The Sunshine Club, an after-school club so that children who had lost their parents could go to play and she could help them with their homework.

She was very bright and could have gone on to do almost anything but she chose to go Cambridge because she wanted to launch a career as a theatrical director with the Cambridge Footlights. When she died the school created a garden in her memory and to this day holds its annual St Cecilia’s Day concert in aid of her Fund.

The origins of Cecily’s Fund At Cecily’s funeral we collected £6,500 for AIDS Orphans in

out to see what CINDI had done with the money we had sent.

They had used it all to enable the orphans on their books to go to school by paying fees and buying them school books, etc. That seemed to us absolutely right since Cecily herself had gained so much from her education, but when we naturally asked “What’s going to happen next year?” we received the answer “We don’t know yet.” That was the moment when the idea of Cecily’s Fund was born.

Much of 1998 was spent in setting up Cecily’s Fund. In those days this was easier said than done as we were in Damascus [where Basil was the British Ambassador] and email didn’t really exist there.

Our original trustees were our and Cecily’s friends.

Basil & Alison in 2012

In January 1998 Alison and I went

Early Fundraising We also had to start raising money immediately. We had the great advantage that I was the Ambassador and our Syrian and

Cecily’s Day 2013 To mark the 15th anniversary of Cecily’s Fund, we are planning a very special Cecily’s Day. Please come along to the picnic on Saturday 7th September at 12:30pm. The occasion is informal and is held in the grounds of Stonesfield Manor, near Witney (OX29 8QB) or in the St James’ Centre, Stonesfield, if wet. Please bring a picnic together with rugs and chairs.

You can contact us on tel: 01993 358089 email: admin@cecilysfund.org website: www.cecilysfund.org 1

Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Courage, commitment and style (cont) expatriate friends were all very sympathetic. An event at the Ambassador’s residence could always draw people in, but we really hit the big time when Alison chatted up the Minister of Culture and persuaded her to allow us to use the vast Roman theatre in Bosra for a charity ball featuring jazz by Syria’s only big band. This had been set up by one of my colleagues who was a keen trumpeter.

The Roman theatre at Bosra

We

persuaded

the

hotel in Damascus to do the catering and Syria’s main hotel chain to allow us to take over the whole of their hotel in Bosra for the night. We took charge of the bookings, but unfortunately we miscalculated and ended up a room short. So Alison and I spent what was left of the night under the stars on the roof of the Roman theatre!

The second century theatre itself is virtually intact since a medieval fortress was built round the outside of it. The Sheraton brought in all the chairs and large round folding tables in lorries.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t get over the drawbridge so there were chaps running down through the arches built for medieval horses rolling the tables.

Quite a sight!

Sheraton

Lighting was also a challenge since there was no electricity. We filled hundreds of brown paper bags with sand and a candle and arranged them around all the rows of Roman seating. The flickering candlelight created a spectacular atmosphere in the open space below where we dined and danced to jazz which Glen Miller would have been proud of!

People came from both Damascus and Amman. Some stayed in the hotel but many more went wearily but happily home in the small hours after a truly unforgettable evening.

Ever since, we have tried to make our fundraising fun but also with a certain style – but I don’t think we have ever quite managed to equal our Bosra Ball.”

BISO gets equipped

1. Mrs Chola praises God for the new Fresh Start car 2. Mr Kataso and friends with the car 3. Patricia Besa, BISO’s accountant in the new computer room 4. Children in the pre-school with Brill Kids blocks 5. Construction of the new pre-school outdoor playground

It has been an exciting few months for BISO, the community school on the outskirts of Lusaka which we fund in its entirety; from teachers’ salaries right through to a daily lunch for the children. One of the things that we supply is the equipment that the school needs to run on a day-to-day basis, and the last few months have seen some exceptional purchases. In March Diana Webster, our Programme Manager, witnessed the delivery of a car for BISO as part of our Fresh Start BISO Achievements in 2012 project (see the Easter Newsletter for more information on this project). Storage battery packs were installed in the new computer  106 pre-school children room, which will mean that the computers can carry on working during  650 children in grades 1-4 the many power cuts. Finally, and much more fun, there was lots of  1,585 children supported by BISO in government schools in excitement in the pre-school over the delivery of building bricks and grades 1-12 the installation of an outside play area.

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Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Mr Kataso comes to the UK Bambala Kataso, Head of Education at BISO ,will be coming over to the UK at the beginning of July as part of the British Council ‘Connecting Classrooms’ scheme.

Gillian Fraser, who works part-time as a teacher at Stoke Row C of E School near Henley, will be Displays at BISO (top) and Stoke Row school showing Mr Kataso around her

school for 10 days before going on a return visit to BISO. Gillian works two days a week at Cecily’s Fund as part of the Vodafone ’World of Difference’ project. This exchange is part of the ‘Send my friend to school’ scheme which encourages children in the UK to speak up for the right to education for all.

Elsie and Edina: Another year on Although Elsie and Edina started their school careers at BISO, they have both now moved on to local government schools. They receive help with school fees, books and uniforms. They are also carefully tracked by BISO’s social work team who can refer the girls to healthcare, nutritionist and legal services when needed, for free.

Elsie (right) and Edina with their cousins

Elsie (aged 14) and Edina (aged 12) have been receiving support from Cecily’s Fund and BISO for many years. These sisters are double orphans and in 2011 their sole carer, their grandmother, passed away. They now live with their aunt and uncle, who have taken over the family’s small pot making business.

We report on the girls every year.

Since the last newsletter Cecily’s Fund have met Elsie and Edina twice to discuss how they are getting on and the challenges they face in going to school while helping out at home and taking responsibility for their four younger cousins.

Edina attends school in the morning, and has an hour’s walk each way. When she comes back, she has to wash the plates, sweep the house and look after her cousins. She does her school work at night between 8.00pm and 9.00pm when it is dark (and there is no electric light). Sometimes she does not go to bed until 10.00pm – which is very late considering she must leave at 6.00am to walk to school.

Edina’s other problem is that she is suffering from drowsiness; she has been to the clinic and been tested for malaria which was negative but the drowsiness persists – it comes and goes. This affects her concentration at school.

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Both girls love school. Despite their busy days they both find time to attend extra-curricular clubs. Edina attends the sports, debating and football clubs, whilst Elsie goes to football, netball and drama. Both really enjoy English and Elsie is very keen on maths too. She would like to be an accountant when she leaves school. Edina, on the other hand, says her role model is President Sata and whilst she still wants to be a manager at ZESCO, ultimately she aspires to be President herself!

Elsie and Edina pictured outside the community school at BISO

Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Hands on Learning Hands on Learning is working with three local communities to increase the voice of orphans and vulnerable children in policy which affects their lives.

During its first year, the project is already making significant impact on the lives of 2,000 orphans and vulnerable children.

The Comic Relief grant has already paid for their core educational needs through Hodi by providing books, uniforms and shoes, and a 50% contribution to their school fees. Hodi has reported how these children’s self-confidence has risen and this in turn affects overall school

performance in a positive way.

In addition, local committees based around the ward structure, which is the smallest political unit in Zambia, have been set up. Three ward committees each hosted events with local government and these were well attended by stakeholders and members of the community. At one of the ward events, they were delighted to learn that the Government have allocated K1 million (just over £120,000) to their Chimwemwe Constituency for development projects including education support.

CHEP update

CHEP (Copperbelt Health Education Project) delivers peer health education to over 10,000 children each year. In January and February 2013, 52 school leavers (pictured), who had previously been supported by Cecily’s Fund, trained as Peer Health Educators (PHEs). This training covered themes relating to basic facts about HIV and reproductive health as well as other cross-cutting issues, life skills development and management of after-school clubs. The PHEs were also given a talk on pre and post HIV test counselling by a local NGO which helped cement what they had learnt during their initial training.

CHEP Achievements in 2012   

1,445 PHE sessions run by 50 peer health educators 274 Anti– AIDS clubs reaching 7,167 children 1,280 students referred to health clinics for advice

Restless Development also partnered with CHEP to train 6 ‘Advocates for Change’ for the Hands on Learning Project. This will enable them to monitor, track and assess national and local government’s provision of services for orphans.

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Focus on Restless Development Restless Development is one of our Zambian partners for the Hands on Learning project. They work with young people in many countries to bring about progress. As part of our project, they provide training for CHEP in monitoring the provision of services for orphans within the community.

Since their inception, Restless Development Zambia (RDZ) have delivered 45,000 sessions on sexual health and life skills, trained 297 teachers to deliver clear and accurate sexual health messages and reached 10,500 young Zambians with financial literacy training.

They train, educate, support and inspire young people to lead development in Zambia and their communities. They also help young people make responsible choices about their health and their livelihoods and give them the skills they need to contribute positively to society.

Despite constituting a huge proportion of the population, young people are rarely included in decision -making processes in Zambia. RDZ work to train them and get them into influential positions where they can advocate for their peers.

They also work to help young people build sustainable livelihoods which are critical to Zambia’s longterm growth.

Desmond (middle) and Hellen (right), the assistant programme coordinators at RDZ

Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Determined to educate the nation Mary Chanda is 21 years old and was a Peer Health Educator in 2012 with CHEP. She was supported by Cecily’s Fund at school in Kitwe.

Paul Kasoka, Programme Officer at CHEP, interviewed her about her life and why she wanted to become a Peer Health Educator.

regardless of life circumstances, because I believe education is a key to a successful life for an orphaned child.

How have you gained from being a Peer Educator?

Other than teaching other youths, I have learnt about how to handle my problems, and make proper How are you Mary? health decisions. I have Would you like to tell found comfort among me about yourself, people who are also including what your orphaned but have a desire guardian does. to change their own destinies.

I am fine sir. I am the first I have made some savings Mary Chanda pictured in 2012 in her PHE uniform born in a family of seven. from the little money I am I stay in Luangwa compound with know was actually coming from paid at CHEP and this has really my mom, three brothers and three Cecily’s Fund. helped me to buy some groceries. sisters. My mum is a sole trader in I like the idea of CHEP introducing our neighbourhood. She sells What help did you receive from free IT lessons which have helped kerosene in small quantities on Cecily’s Fund through Hodi? me too. the streets. She started this business after my dad died, when I I was given school uniforms, What is your career plan? was young, and since then she has shoes, books and they paid been using proceeds from her schools fees to help me stay in I want to become a teacher and business to support us in our day school (Mary looked teary in her help educate the nation. I have to day lives . eyes as she explained this to me). grown up in a family where no I should have completed school one has gone up to tertiary How did you find yourself being two years earlier had it not being education level. I want to fight supported by Cecily Fund? for the demise of my father. Right illiteracy and become an example now I am somehow relieved, I in my own family and in my When my dad died my uncle took managed to complete my grade community.

I will attend me in to support my education as 12 with good passes. interviews for teacher training in at the time there was no free the next three months at COSTCO education. A few years later my Why did you become a peer and Kitwe College of Education. uncle also died. I stayed two years educator? without going to school. I started Text ZAMB14 £10 to doing some piece works to raise I have an interest in helping 70070 to donate £10 money to pay school fees but this vulnerable children. I really was difficult for me. I was then wanted to become a peer to help children and identified by my class teacher who educator at CHEP and help lived in the same neighbourhood educate others. I have a passion young people in with me and she recommended for helping other youths to me for a scholarship, which I now become productive in life Zambia 5

Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

A new partner for Cecily’s Fund Since 2007 our primary, secondary and tertiary programme has been run by Hodi. Here Sally-Anne Saull, our Donor Relations Manager, explains why Cecily’s Fund chose a new partner.

Despite making significant progress, meeting targets and overcoming many of the challenges it had faced in 2011, Hodi announced at the end of 2012 that it was going to close.

Hodi had been in discussion with the Zambia Revenue Authority about some historical debts incurred many years ago by not fully paying taxes for head office staff. This was due to being incorrectly registered with the Authority when they were first established. In late 2012, the Authority changed the repayment requirements and, since Hodi did not have the reserves to meet these demands, its Board decided it must regrettably close.

Kitwe, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Afya Mzuri (www.afyamzuri.org) to the role. They are a wellrespected national charity, with a long-standing presence in Kitwe.

Afya have an excellent track record in programme delivery, robust systems in place to ensure effectiveness and represent low overall risk for Cecily’s Fund. This is reflected in their existing partnerships with donors such as USAID. We conducted a thorough due diligence process in order to find this new partner. We completed extensive research, drawing up a long-list of possible candidates. Molly, our Director, visited Zambia in January to meet with each of these potential partners, which resulted in four being shortlisted. A thorough financial and governance review on each shortlisted organisation was conducted by an independent consultant, using templates from the World Bank and Mango (a UK based financial charity). Completed in March, this was followed by further incountry discussions, including at Board level, before the decision was reached to appoint Afya Mzuri.

Whilst Afya Mzuri has a traditional strength in health (the name means ‘Good Health!’ in Swahili), it is keen to diversify into education, building on its peer health interventions in schools.

Lizzy Chanda (Director of Programmes) at Their vision already focuses on Afya Mzuri vulnerable children, and we feel that their expertise adds Following an intensive process to considerable value to Cecily’s select a new partner to deliver Fund’s programme. our education programmes in 6

Hodi Achievements in 2012 

6,000 enrolled in 58 schools in and around Kitwe. 3,000 in primary grades (1-7) and 3,000 in secondary grades (8-12)



67% of pupils passed their Grade 7 exam, 59% passed their grade 9 and 58% passed Grade 12 and gained their school certificate.

1,915 uniforms, 829 pairs of shoes, 5,819 books and 4,253 pens distributed  34 students funded in teacher training of whom 7 graduated in 2012 

David Lungowe Programme Manager

Hodi drafted comprehensive handover documentation before it closed, and there was a three week handover and training period with Hodi’s Programme Manager. It is fortunate that the changeover occurred during the Easter break, reducing the possible disruption to the orphans themselves and the schools they attend.

We are really excited by the new possibilities this partnership offers, and ensuring continuity of support to the orphans we work with who have precious few constants in their lives.

Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Monifa and Vincent - Hodi

Supporter News

Monifa and Vincent (her uncle) are both supported by Cecily’s Fund in A huge thank you to all our supporters who have organised and at school in Kitwe. They live with taken part in our 2013 events so far!

Josephine, their grandmother and mother respectively, who is 57 years old. She has 11 children and Alice Biddle, Miriam Downs and Dylan Roberts hosted a fantastic old19 grandchildren; all of whom live in Bedalian mini-reunion on Saturday 11th May at the Doodle Bar in Battersea, London. the same compound!

Old Bedalians get together

The evening ran to the soundtrack of a great 8-piece reggae band called One Love Orchestra. A wonderful bunch of Bedales people turned up on the night together with members of the public who were keen to see the band. There were some delicious cupcakes made by Miriam with the Bedales and Cecily's Fund logos on top.

The evening went very well, the band and venue were fantastic, Josephine generates a bit of money and £140 was raised for Cecily’s for her family from selling Fund. The group hope to hold a vegetables at a stall on the road in similar event again next year. front of her property. Generally there is only one meal a day in the household – in the evening.

Molly Brech, our Director is not beyond doing a bit of fundraising Monifa is 13 and is in the top four of herself and held a book and accessory swap event at Easter. There her Grade 6 class (of 70 pupils). She was a wide array of gorgeous trinkets as well as a raffle with some is determined to go to school and fantastic prizes donated by friends, family and local businesses. The attends every day in the afternoon. event raised just over £300 for Cecily’s Fund Before school she does her homework and after school she attends church for lessons in preparation for her baptism.

A big welcome to Dr Noga Zivan, our Interim Director, who will be

Molly hosts an accessory swap

Greetings to Noga

Vincent is now 17 and in Grade 8. covering Molly’s maternity leave until January 2013. Noga came to us He was provided with books and a having worked as the Executive Director for British uniform from Hodi. Although he said ORT, the UK arm of World ORT the world’s largest that he attends school every day he Jewish education and training charity. Before this looked worried and very weary - the she worked for Save a Child's Heart and lack of household income and the YoungMinds. She was born in Israel where she lived fact that he appears to be the only until she was for 10 years old. Noga is currently grown male in the compound - could dividing her time between Littlemore and London, mean that he is under pressure to and in her spare time works as a freelance seek work. He raises some money fundraising and organisational consultant. In from selling sawdust for chicken addition to her professional work, she is a trustee bedding at K5,000 (about 60p) a of the London Wildlife Trust and a Member of the wheelbarrow load.

Board of Deputies of British Jews.

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Cecily’s Fund Summer Newsletter 2013

Annual Carol Service

Get active, raise money!

We have lots of exciting sports events lined up Put a note in your diary to start the festive season in style. this year from runs through to obstacle races , This year’s carol service will be held in St Peter’s Church, walks to bike rides. See the website or contact Notting Hill on Wednesday 11th December. Once again us for more information: we are lucky enough to have amazing sounds of the ‘Vox 14-15 September Thames Path Challenge Cordis’ choir. For more information on this event please contact us at admin@cecilysfund.org, on 6 October Royal Parks Half Marathon 25 October Halloween night bike ride

(01993) 358089

Sign me up as a regular giver Regular donations help to provide stable and continuous support for vulnerable Zambian children right up to the end of their schooling. Continuity is especially important for these children as they have already faced so much trauma and disruption in their short lives.

shoes, a uniform and all the equipment they need.

Yes, I would like to become a regular supporter. I enclose the completed standing order instruction.

Please send me more information on becoming a regular giver.

Just £5 a month will send a child to school with

Donation and Gift Aid Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Standing Order instruction

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(please also fill in the left-hand side)

Name:

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

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Please pay Cecily’s Fund

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The sum of: £

I intend to set up a regular payment of £………….….. each month through payroll giving.

Each month

quarter

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Please contact your employer directly to set this up. This can save you £2 for every £10 you give at basic PAYE rate (£4 for higher rate).

Employer’s name and address:

Date of first payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bank address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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NB Some employers will match your donations. or I would like to set up a standing order and have filled in the form opposite. or I would like to make a single donation of £ . . . . . . . . . . . . ………. . . .

Please make cheques payable to Cecily’s Fund.

I am a UK tax payer and would like Cecily’s Fund to reclaim the tax on all my donations to them.

Bank name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Name of account holder(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Account number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sort code no . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Fundraising Standards Board Scheme Membership No: FS0137

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