Growing up, moving up... 2010 -11 has been a rollercoaster of a year with great highs and lows for Latin American Foundation for the Future. Our biggest highs have come thanks to support from Vodafone Foundation's World of Difference Programme which enabled two trustees and one volunteer to work full-time for LAFF in 2010-11, resulting in big steps forward for LAFF in overseas project support, charity management and fundraising. April 2010 saw the start of my own two month placement focused on fundraising and ensuring effective management systems as LAFF grows. We’ve always been very proud of our low overheads and efficient spending which ensures the maximum amount of our unrestricted donations can go to support our projects overseas. But working as an online organisation with Trustees and volunteers based all over the world isn’t without its challenges, so time spent improving online communication and data management systems was incredibly worthwhile and has helped us grow effectively as a charity. In September 2010 fellow Trustee Fran Talavera was able to start a one year placement as our International Projects Manager, working from a base in Peru to support our current projects and develop new ones. This has proved to be incredibly valuable to LAFF, both in terms of our ability to develop, manage and monitor our projects, but also in terms of the type of support we are able to provide to homes. As well as spending time sourcing new projects, building relationships and understanding how we can address their unique needs as an organisation, Fran has been supporting children’s homes through capacitybuilding in the areas of accounting, transparency, fundraising, working with international donors, business plans and long-term planning which all contribute to our partners becoming more sustainable.
A message from our founder
Finally, March 2011 saw our third Vodafone Foundation supported volunteer Dilini de Silva providing full-time assistance to LAFF for two months to kick-start our Schools Programme, bringing development education and fundraising to the classroom. However, as much as LAFF has continued to grow as an organisation and increase its support to children’s homes in Peru, this year has also been tainted with great sadness for the LAFF team. Tragically, in July 2010 we lost a much-loved and valued member of our team, Hannah Barrett. Hannah, who had been involved in LAFF since the start, tragically lost her brave battle with cancer. Throughout her fight, Hannah continued to work in International Development and fundraise for LAFF, even taking part in a relay team to swim the English Channel in summer 2009. Hannah’s death has been a truly devastating blow to the team both on a personal and professional level, and we are grateful for the support we have received over the last months in what has been a really difficult time. Despite all this sadness, Hannah has, in true form, managed to draw out positivity from an unimaginably sad situation. Since July, Hannah has inspired friends and family to host a ceilidh-themed fundraiser, set up a special Hannah’s Fund and even run the London Marathon in her memory. I know that Hannah would be incredibly proud of all of these efforts, and that she would be touched to see so many continuing their support of LAFF’s valuable work in her honour. Hannah will be sorely missed by many but her spirit lives on through our work and she continues to be a valued member of the LAFF team, albeit from afar. We have seen lots of development in terms of projects and fundraising this year, so I’m sure you’ll find this year’s report an interesting read. Finally, thanks to each and every one of you for your ongoing interest and support of LAFF, on behalf of all the LAFF team and all those we work hard to make life a little better for.
Sarah Oakes Founding Trustee
Vodafone foundation Volunteer picks up Schools Project From 2011, thanks to two months hard work by Dilini De Silva and a host of guinea pig teachers and schools, we will be kick-starting a Schools Project to bring the issue of street children to the classroom. With materials supporting Geography and Spanish teachers to highlight a crucial issue, we hope this will both increase children’s knowledge of the world they live in and also inspire a whole new generation of LAFF supporters.
Shimmying to Success This year has seen the usual array of fundraiser events take place, bringing supporters together from near and far – this time for a salsa night and ceilidhthemed fundraiser raising a grand total of £900 and £2,839 respectively. Thanks to all who donated time, effort and raffle prizes to support these events and in particular our hardworking volunteer event organisers – without whom these events simply would not have happened.
Running for Hannah, Raising money for a LAFF Henry Channer, inspired by his late girlfriend’s channel swim whilst on chemotherapy, has just finished his epic challenge of running the London Marathon for LAFF this April raising over £3,300 and counting. A fantastic effort – well done Henry, we are very proud!
News from the UK
sustainable sources As a team now based in no less than three continents, we have been looking to fundraise in more creative, less hands-on (and less exhausting!) ways than swimming the channel. As well as encouraging schools and individuals to fundraise on our behalf, we have also looked to expand our fundraising methods this year to gain funds from Corporations, Trusts and Foundations, and have been lucky enough to receive significant donations from Vodafone Foundation, Zurich Active Community Fund and Genesis Investment Management, as well as The Sydney E Franklin Deceased’s New Second Charity and the Gloag Foundation, enabling us to expand our support further afield as well as support projects in different ways. Many of these grants have been restricted to certain things – for example Vodafone Foundation has paid for staff costs (and costs associated with those positions) to allow LAFF to expand our projects in the UK and overseas. These restricted grants mean that despite growing this year, we have continued to keep overheads and administration costs to a minimum and maximise our overseas impact. We have also worked hard to ensure that all your unrestricted donations (from regular donors, fundraising events, sponsored challenges and one-off donations) continue to go directly towards our overseas projects.
News from the UK
News from Overseas
Capacity Development Having an International Projects Manager based overseas has meant that LAFF is finally able to achieve one of its long-term goals – personalised organisational capacity building. Gaining valuable skills means that homes for vulnerable children and young people are able to better manage their projects, communicate their cause to a wider audience and increase their access to funding, all increasing their long-term sustainability. As such, the ability to manage their organisation effectively is often valued even more highly by the homes than a one-off donation of money. Our capacity building support has encompassed a wide range of skills as LAFF respond to the needs of the projects we support, including: transparency and accountability; increasing access to wider funding pools both locally and internationally; budgeting and long-term financial and resource planning; business planning; websites; networking; and sustainability and vocational training project management.
Vocational Training and sustainability Our vocational training programme has been a big focal point this year at Azul Wasi ensuring efficient use of resources such as the greenhouse and bread oven. Thanks to funding from the Zurich Active Community Fund, LAFF has been coordinating vocational training and enhanced sustainability at Azul Wasi by organising workshops on greenhouse management and renovation and bread baking. This has helped to build skills for the boys at Azul Wasi and has also enabled the home to reduce its monthly costs on vegetables and bread while giving them the potential to generate income later on through these avenues. When it comes to technical support in specialised areas such as greenhouse management, construction, artisanal skills, guinea pig breeding etc, LAFF has brought in the best experts in these areas to support projects in the implementation of such initiatives and ensure maximum impact.
Education LAFF have also been able to expand Azul Wasi and Sacred Valley Project's libraries and educational resources again through the help of the Zurich Active Community Fund, this is in addition to continuing our ongoing support of the boys’ education through providing funding to cover their uniforms and school fees, transport and homework-related costs. Over the last four years we’ve worked closely with Azul Wasi, a home for boys deemed to be ‘at high risk’, living on the streets of Cuzco or from vulnerable backgrounds plagued by abuse and poverty. LAFF initially helped Azul Wasi with infrastructure needs, before moving to support education, vocational training and sustainability initiatives. As well as funding educational costs, transportation, contributing towards running costs and covering the full time salary of the home’s guardian, LAFF’s initiatives have included investment in a guinea pig farm, greenhouse and bread oven at the home, providing essential training to ensure proper use of these resources. Other donors are covering the ongoing costs associated with running the home and we now feel that with LAFF’s projects running to our satisfaction, they are now able to run independently of our support. It definitely won’t be the end of our relationship with a home that is very dear to our hearts, and our International Projects Manager will continue her capacitybuilding support at the home as well as continuing to monitor initiatives such as the greenhouse and investigate future requests for assistance. But in 2011, we will be looking to extend our learning and support to some of the many other worthy projects who deserve a little helping hand.
News from Overseas
News from Overseas
New projects As this year LAFF has been able to expand its support to help other homes we have been investigating a number of suitable project partners who share the same ideals and might benefit from our education, vocational training, sustainability and capacity-building support. With so many potential projects interested in support, it was essential to develop a stringent project selection process to allow us to select the most suitable project partners and address their individual needs in terms of funding and capacity building. After many months of detailed investigation and relationship-building we have decided to take on two new projects to work with in the future.
Casa Mantay Casa Mantay is a home for adolescent mothers from the age of 12 years old, who have been victims of abuse and child labour. The home gives the opportunity to teenage mothers to assume responsibility and enjoy motherhood in a safe environment in which they are able to access support, both material and emotional, necessary so that both they and their children lead a full life. Over 100 mothers have passed through the home and Casa Mantay currently looks after 14 girls that live there along with providing support for around 30 other mothers who have moved on from the home with regards to childcare and psychological support. Without this home these girls may well have ended up on the streets and the support that Casa Mantay gives them is of a very high standard. Along with supporting the girls into motherhood, the home supports them to continue their education and vocational training. In addition Casa Mantay has a workshop onsite making artisanal goods which are sold around Cuzco, the girls have the opportunity to train there and the home employs mothers who have graduated from the home. LAFF’s International Projects Manager has been spending time over the last few months deepening our understanding of the funding and capacity needs of the home and how we can help meet them. Already LAFF has been able to support with computer equipment and business plan development, with future plans to
help Casa Mantay achieve its long term goal of self-sufficiency through starting a new product line which will be of a higher quality and will be aimed at the local market to ensure funds coming in are sustained year-round rather than predominantly through tourist sales which only have a three month peak period. As well as providing business development support, LAFF is looking into potential markets for their products including boutique shops around Peru and ethical products shops in the UK. LAFF has also ensured that Casa Mantay has the opportunity to attend a large trade fair in Lima in order to open up new links and markets around the country and internationally.
Sacred Valley Project Another project recently selected by LAFF is the Sacred Valley Project - an educational project which gives girls from the rural highlands around Ollantaytambo the opportunity to attend good quality schools and to take advantage of extra-curricular activities. Without Sacred Valley Project, these girls would most likely be working to support their families rather than attending school in their villages. As one of the major contributing factors to children ending up on the streets is migration to big cities, due to extreme poverty and poor education in the rural highlands, this was a preventative project LAFF were keen to invest in. LAFF has been supporting the Sacred Valley Project to kick-start and develop its study room and library by donating educational resources and equipment. Additionally, after months of detailed project analysis, LAFF and the Sacred Valley Project agreed that support was needed for income-generation initiatives which also enabled the girls to gain skills in areas that might lead to their employment once they leave the home. Currently LAFF is looking to help them implement at small guinea pig farm, the guinea pigs of which can then be sold to local restaurants in order to generate income. We are also investigating possibilities of sustainable funding opportunities through looking at artisanal products which could then be sold in shops in Lima and Cuzco to generate funds We look forward to reporting more on our progress with these projects and others in future. Watch this space!
News from Overseas
Accounts
Gathering Funds
Giving Funds
LAFF are, as always, grateful to so many ongoing and new supporters. Without your help, we would not be able to assist even more vulnerable people and homes to strive for a brighter and more sustainable future. However, as well as the anonymous support of so many, there are always a few individuals and organisations without whom we would not have been able to make the progress we have done this year. We would like to give special thanks in particular to: Hannah Barrett, who has tirelessly worked with LAFF since its beginnings and who continues to inspire and motivate many more to support LAFF’s work Merilyn and Paul Barrett, who have set up Hannah’s Fund in her memory, and started fundraising through their schools Julie Brown and Solihull School for their fundraising and awarenessraising efforts for LAFF Vodafone Foundation’s World of Difference Programme, which has sponsored two LAFF Trustees and one volunteer to expand LAFF’s work in the UK and overseas St Andrew’s Church, and in particular Mary Pountain, whose efforts have once again have raised funds to support food costs at Azul Wasi Emily Mathewson and Charlie Cripps for organising a fundraiser in memory of Hannah Barrett for LAFF projects Zurich Active Community Fund, who kindly sponsored educational and vocational training activities at Azul Wasi and Sacred Valley Project Genesis Investment Management Ltd who supported LAFF’s work through a generous donation to our overseas projects The Sydney E Franklin Deceased’s New Second Charity and the Gloag Foundation for their donations Matt Oldfield, Pete Howson, Ricardo Talavera and Christopher Wright for their design, photographic and cinematic skills, which have attracted more interest, supporters and funding to LAFF through improving our communication and fundraising materials Cox and Kings for featuring us in their magazine
special Thanks
Web: www.laffcharity.org.uk email: info@laffcharity.org.uk LAFF is a UK registered Charity #1125872
Photos kindly donated by Matt Oldfield Photography
Latin American Foundation for the Future