Annual Stories 2020 - CA

Arise & Shine

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

-Isaiah 60:1-2

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S THE

IMPACT YOU’RE MAKING........................................... 4 MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDERS.................................... 5 WATOTO CHURCH.............................................................. 6 WHO WE ARE..................................................................... 7 WATOTO CHILDREN’S CHOIR . . ......................................... 8 BABY SHALOM. . .................................................................. 9 BABY WATOTO................................................................. 10 REAL-LIFE HEROES.......................................................... 12 WATOTO VILLAGES.......................................................... 14 SUSTAINABILITY. . ............................................................. 18 MEDICAL........................................................................... 19 WATOTO NEIGHBOURHOOD. . ......................................... 20 KEEP A GIRL IN SCHOOL................................................. 22 WHERE WE ARE............................................................... 23 WATOTO CANADA........................................................... 24

T H E I M PAC T YO U ’ R E M A K I N G We are grateful for every single one of you who has sponsored, donated, volunteered, hosted, prayed or supported us in any way. It’s a big job taking care of thousands of women, children and babies—especially during a pandemic—and we honestly could not do it without you!

The 2020 highlights captured throughout this report are just a snapshot of the countless lives transformed by your generosity. We can’t thank you enough!

162

BABY WATOTO Throughout last year, we cared for 162 of Uganda’s most vulnerable babies, providing the nutrition, medical care, love and protection they each needed to thrive.

WATOTO VILLAGES Across our three villages we provided 3,277 children with a home, food, an education and a loving family, as we taught them their value in Christ.

1,178 4

Watoto

3,277

WATOTO NEIGHBOURHOOD We embraced 1,178 women with the love of Jesus, and equipped them with adult literacy, vocational training, business skills and job opportunities.

MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDERS We want you to know that your friendship over the years has meant everything to us.

You are an incredible part of our Watoto family, and we’re so grateful for each and every one of you.

2020 was a year like no other. We pray that you received the messages of encouragement and prayer from our mothers, children and global team throughout this challenging season. Even though our Watoto Children’s Choir tours were cut short, your visits with us in Uganda postponed and our face-to-face interactions disrupted, we’ve been praying for you daily and can’t wait to see your beautiful smiles again soon.

As you know, we had six Watoto Children’s Choirs traveling when the pandemic hit in March 2020. As life rapidly changed before our eyes—whole nations came to a standstill, churches had to find new ways to reach people, airports and schools shut down—we all wondered what life would be like. But friends, we must never underestimate the favor of God on our lives. A year later, as we reflect on what has happened, all we can say is, “What a God we have, and how fortunate we are to have Him because He is famous for turning the unfortunate into the fortunate.”

In spite of the pandemic, we had a blessed year, and we give Jesus all the honor and glory. We’re happy to say that all the children and adults on our choirs are home safe, happy and healthy, as are the rest of our Watoto family in Uganda and South Sudan.

And while 2020 had its challenges, we were absolutely blown away by the generosity of churches, partners and friends like you around the world who helped us and continued to stand with us. Thank you for your sacrifice. We couldn’t do what we do without your love and support.

As you read some of the highlights and stories over the next few pages, we pray that you will see your partnership at work through the transforming power of Jesus’ love that changes lives.

In Christ, Gary and Marilyn Skinner Watoto Founders

Annual Stories

5

WATOTO C H U R C H We believe that God’s call for the global church is to care for the hurting and vulnerable. That’s why we celebrate Christ and care for community in everything we do at Watoto Church.

Before the pandemic, we worshipped together in person every weekend with over 35,000 people at 14 different locations across Uganda and South Sudan.

And throughout the week we would meet in small groups to connect with those in our communities. This is where we walked beside one another and truly grew as a family.

However, because of COVID-19, like many churches across the globe, we had to shift what “church” looked like. While it took some time for us to adjust, we were able to reach more than 63,000 people weekly through our online church services, and we celebrated as we saw nearly 2,000 people give their lives to Christ.

While we couldn’t physically meet up, in addition to our online services, we had over 1,000 small groups meet online weekly to pray and encourage one another.

And in a time when many were hurting, through this community we were able to provide food, basic necessities and other relief to those who were hit hard by the effects of the pandemic.

6

Watoto

WHO WE ARE Watoto is a family made up of people from all over the world who are working together to ensure the forgotten have a place to belong.

In a time of civil war, we planted a local church in Kampala, Uganda to speak hope and life to the nation. Since then, we’ve rescued orphaned and abandoned children, placing them in loving families. We’ve come alongside vulnerable women, equipping them with skills and empowering them to be the mothers and leaders God has called them to be. And to help our hurting neighbours, we’ve extended our reach into South Sudan.

In over 35 years, the challenges facing Africa have changed, but our goal remains the same. We come alongside the most vulnerable in our society, embracing them with the love of Jesus as we work to give each woman, child and baby a chance at a better future—a future full of promise.

And while this year brought new hurdles we had to overcome, your incredible generosity inspired us and helped us continue the work God has called us to do.

We’re grateful to each of you who partnered with us to transform the lives of those we are reaching together.

Annual Stories

7

WATOTO C H I L D R E N ’ S C H O I R Think back to January 2020—a new year with undoubtedly new hopes. For us, our beloved Watoto Children’s Choir was on the road traveling in six different countries. We were excited to be sharing the good news of Jesus with the world, while raising awareness of what God is doing through Watoto in Uganda and South Sudan. Who could have ever imagined what laid in store for all of us? The good news is Jesus knew. He remained faithful and provided for Watoto through your love and support. And for this we are beyond grateful.

Early in 2020, as it became clear a global pandemic was emerging, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel our tours and rush our choirs back home for their safety. In a few countries however, due to border closures and flight disruptions, we were unable to return to Africa. Yet God provided.

In the U.S. we were blessed by friends who opened up a beautiful guest ranch, giving our choir a home during the initial lockdown. Similarly, friends and partners in New Zealand, Malaysia and Brazil made our children feel at home, safe and loved during the height of such uncertain times.

These new temporary homes provided a place where they could continue their schoolwork and gave them room to play and be kids. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank every single donor, sponsor, church and host family who cared and prayed for our Watoto Children’s Choirs.

For the choirs back in Uganda, along with all our Watoto children and mothers, they found safety and security in our villages. And eventually all our choirs made it home and adjusted well to the “new normal” of COVID-19 protocols in place.

And in Uganda, we not only followed all government regulations, but we took every step imaginable to make sure our children were well taken care of and safe. Today, we’re happy to report our children are healthy and doing great. We are praying and believing we’ll be back on the road as soon as it is safe, and we cannot wait to see you.

As you read through this report, you’ll see stories of how God provided during these times, and how we not only continued with our mission of rescuing the vulnerable, raising future leaders and empowering the mothers in our neighbourhoods, but we found ways to thrive. This is all to the glory of Jesus and your incredible unwavering support.

8

Watoto

BABY SHALOM In the midst of the pandemic, as we leaned into God, we realized the other challenges we face haven’t gone away. The good news is God’s mercy, provision and peace haven’t gone away either. We hope this story will inspire you and remind you of God’s promise that He is with us during the storm.

Last year, as the world began to shut down and daily life as we knew it changed across the globe, Baby Shalom—which means “peace” in Hebrew—was rescued.

Miriam, our Baby Watoto Team Leader shared, “He will be called Shalom because he will be the reason for us to remember God’s peace through stormy times.”

Recently, in March 2021, Shalom celebrated his first birthday, and we know this is only possible because of your partnership. Over the past year, he has soaked up lots of cuddles from Nanny Jennifer. He has taken his first steps. And he has discovered his love of throwing balls, singing and reading picture books. With each activity he does, other little ones join him and naturally they begin to follow his lead.

As we watch Baby Shalom grow and thrive, he continues to be a beautiful reminder of God’s peace and faithfulness—and—that together we are rescuing Uganda’s future leaders.

Annual Stories

9

B A B Y WATOTO Although 2020 looked a little different as we had to navigate a national lockdown, our commitment to the vulnerable babies God has entrusted us with never wavered.

We were humbled by the dedication of our nannies when they decided to voluntarily live onsite because they wanted to ensure our precious little ones continued to receive the best care possible. They worked tirelessly, and their selfless acts of love inspired 87 of our teenaged children and young adults to serve at Baby Watoto.

These beautiful acts of love are the result of your prayers and your faithful partnership. From the bottom of our hearts—thank you!

34 94% 10

Watoto

BABIES RESCUED Our team worked with local authorities and sought creative solutions when COVID-19 restrictions were impacting our ability to rescue babies. Their actions meant 34 babies were given a chance at life.

BABIES REACHED THEIR MILESTONES 94% of our babies and toddlers reached their developmental milestones. This exemplifies the love and care all our staff put in to raising the next generation.

PA N D E M I C R E S C U E S Early in the pandemic, restrictions from the Ministry of Health and Gender in Uganda, as well as a lack of availability for COVID-19 testing, had an impact on our ability to rescue babies—but there were still little ones who needed us.

So, we continued to work with local authorities to provide support, and partnered with the Virus Research Institute to ensure babies could get the necessary tests for free. We are thrilled to share that because of these actions, 16 babies were rescued during the latter part of 2020, and 34 babies were rescued in total last year. While these babies had a tough start in life, we know God has great plans for each of these precious little ones.

Meet a few of the babies we were able to rescue together.

BABY ZANE As an infant Baby Zane was rescued from a pit latrine and rushed to the hospital for urgent medical care. Although he had a difficult start in life, today Zane is a very cuddly little one with a future full of hope.

LITTLE FIONA Fiona was found abandoned as a toddler—alone, dirty and crying. In September 2020, she was welcomed into the loving arms of her nanny here at Baby Watoto. She’s now a joyful little one who loves her new little family.

BABY JORDAN In early October, Jordan was welcomed into Baby Watoto when he was only two weeks old because his mother sadly died shortly after childbirth.

Thanks for creating a safe place for Jordan where he is surrounded by lots of love and can discover God’s purpose for his life.

Annual Stories

11

REAL-LIFE HEROES For every life rescued, there’s a story of a life transformed.

Last year schools were closed for several months and movement on and off our villages was restricted. This meant some of our nannies could not get to work. To help cover the staffing gap and ensure our babies were well taken care of, some of our Watoto teenagers and young adults voluntarily stepped up to help. We are grateful to each and every one of these 87 heroes—heroes like Lawrence.

As a young child, Lawrence was rescued and welcomed into a family in our Suubi village. And because of faithful sponsors, over the years we’ve been able to provide him with food, medical care, an education, and a home, as we taught him about the love of Christ. He’s now in high school and we love that we’ve been able to watch him grow into the leader God has called him to be.

Lawrence, and each one of these amazing young adults, are living proof that sponsorship works. Because of sponsors like you, their lives were transformed and now they are giving back and feeding into the lives of their younger Watoto brothers and sisters. We couldn’t be prouder.

12

Watoto

REAL-LIFE HEROES Elina was welcomed into Watoto when she was a young girl. She came with her mom who serves as a Watoto mother in our Suubi village. In addition to Elina, her mom is caring for seven other vulnerable children, and together they are a family.

Before coming here, Elina’s life was hard. But she shared how excited she was when she arrived at Suubi village and learned that she and her mother would get to live in a home with running water, and that she’d get to go to school.

Today, thanks to the faithful support of her sponsors, Elina’s now an electrician and one of our real-life heroes. When the pandemic hit and she heard that Baby Watoto needed volunteers, she didn’t hesitate to step up and help.

Elina shared, “From the time I was little, I wanted to serve in Watoto. So, when God opened a door for me to volunteer at Baby Watoto last year, it was a dream come true. While there, I got the amazing opportunity to watch my little Watoto brothers and sisters take their first steps—the experience was priceless.”

She continued, “I am forever thankful to God for Watoto—and for my sponsors— because they all contributed to who I am today.”

Annual Stories

13

OUR VILLAGES Our Watoto villages provide a safe place where a child can truly experience the love of a family. Since we first began over 25 years ago, we’ve rescued and provided a home, an education, a family and a bright future to over 5,500 children—and each year our family here grows. In fact, last year we newly welcomed 164 children into our villages.

And despite the challenges that 2020 brought, we continued to see God’s love in action in new and inspiring ways—from our teachers and mothers coming up with creative ways to ensure our kids could continue their education, to our medical staff going above and beyond to keep our Watoto family healthy and safe, to our pastoral team, coaches and leaders providing spiritual guidance and mentorship, to each of you—our amazing sponsors and partners—whose prayers and support helped carry us through. We are forever grateful!

164 3,277 14

Watoto

CHILDREN WELCOMED INTO OUR VILLAGES Thanks to you—our faithful sponsors and partners—last year 164 children received a home, an education and a loving family.

CHLDREN CARED FOR ACROSS OUR 3 VILLAGES Every day, across our three villages—Suubi, Bbira and Laminadera— we cared for more than 3,200 children. While we physically cared for them, your support ensured that all their needs were met.

MEET PIUS Pius is a 12-year-old who is full of hope—and he is living proof that sponsorship works.

After the death of his parents, Pius was rescued and brought to Watoto. Because of you—and all our sponsors around the world—today he has a home, an education, a mother that loves him, and everything he needs to grow up healthy and whole.

Like many boys his age, Pius likes planes and dreams of becoming a pilot one day.

While it may be a few years before that happens, in 2019 Pius got the opportunity to take his very first plane ride when he traveled to Australia as part of the Watoto Children’s Choir. While on tour, he loved being able to share the Gospel and tell people about all the amazing things God has done in his life.

This is what sponsorship does. It creates hope and dreams, and ensures children like Pius get to grow up surrounded by the love of Christ. Thank you for giving Pius, and his more than 3,000 Watoto brothers and sisters, a bright future that every precious child deserves.

Annual Stories

15

E D U C AT I O N Like many of you experienced, last year due to the pandemic school looked a bit different. Because of a national lockdown and school closures, we had to adjust and find new ways to educate our kids.

To help our students continue their studies while schools were closed, our teachers brought the “classroom” to them. They would go to the students’ homes and village circles—teaching the kids in small groups. And our Watoto mothers worked closely with the teachers, ensuring their homes—and their children—were prepped and ready for class. They also helped make sure everyone was following protocols and staying safe.

We’re thankful for our teachers and mothers, and those around the world, for finding creative solutions in such a unique year.

2,839 356 16

Watoto

STUDENTS WERE TAUGHT ON OUR VILLAGES Across our three villages, 158 teachers worked closely with our Watoto mothers to ensure that each of our 2,839 students continued to learn and grow in new and creative ways.

STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY OR A VOCATIONAL SCHOOL We’re proud that 356 of our students are continuing their education at a university or vocational school. And we celebrated as 34 of our students graduated from university last year.

RAISING FUTURE LEADERS We continue to expand education beyond the purely academic, so that we can encourage and equip our children—wherever their talents lie.

From school clubs like Music, Dance and Drama to our Sports Academy and our Worship Academy, we provide opportunities for our children to explore their passions. And last year these programs were vital as we worked hard to keep our kids active and engaged during the lockdown.

We’re grateful to our leaders, coaches and mentors who are helping our children grow in skill and character, as they discover their identity in Christ. Together, we are raising Uganda’s future leaders.

591

ATHLETES IN OUR SPORTS ACADEMY Our coaches trained and mentored 591 children— helping them play at their best and build their character on and off the field (or court). Our students learned to work together, play together and pray together.

NEW STUDENTS IN WORSHIP ACADEMY Last year we welcomed 151 students—who had never played an instrument before—into our Worship Academy. We can’t wait to see these kids use their newly found talents to worship and glorify God.

1,232

151

STUDENTS IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES We’re thrilled that 1,232 students participated in at least one of our extracurricular activities. And grateful to all our coaches and teachers for helping us raise these future leaders.

Annual Stories

17

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y Our farms help provide the nutritious food our families need to grow up healthy— and last year this was needed more than ever.

In 2020, when many other suppliers could not get to our villages due to government-imposed lockdowns and restrictions, we were grateful that our farms were able to continue supplying fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs for our children and mothers, as well as goats milk for Baby Watoto.

On our poultry farm we had a phenomenal increase in the production of eggs, allowing us to provide each of our families with all the delicious eggs they needed.

This was largely thanks to the efforts of our new poultry farm manager, John Bosco—one of our amazing Watoto graduates you might remember from last year’s report. He changed the way operations were run, along with the care of our birds, resulting in a 90% increase in egg production.

We also bought new goats on our goat farm to ensure our babies had the milk necessary for them to thrive. And along with new goats, we proudly welcomed a new vet, Dr. George Muhanguzi—another one of our incredible Watoto graduates.

We praise God that we’re not only able to provide food for our families, but also able to provide technical training for some of our young adults and jobs for our graduates. Thank you for helping us create a bright, sustainable future for our children.

18

Watoto

MEDICAL Despite the challenges in 2020, our medical team went above and beyond to keep our Watoto family healthy and safe.

Our doctors and nurses collaborated with people in other departments to form a COVID-19 response taskforce. Together, they implemented and monitored preventative strategies against the virus, as set by the Ministry of Health in Uganda.

In addition to restricting movement on and off our villages, our team also educated all our mothers, children and staff on the importance of preventative measures such as social distancing, handwashing, and the use of face masks. And to assist with proper hygiene, handwashing stations were set up at all entry points of our villages, as well as in every “circle” (or cluster) of homes, and masks were given to everyone. We’re grateful to our medical team for keeping our families healthy.

1,752

IMMUNIZATIONS ADMINISTERED In addition to helping protect our children and mothers from COVID-19, our doctors and nurses administered 1,752 immunizations for diseases like measles, polio, and hepatitis B.

MOSQUITO NETS DISTRIBUTED While our team was protecting our Watoto families against a new virus, they still continued to protect them from diseases like malaria. To help with these efforts, they distributed 2,319 mosquito nets across our villages.

13%

2,319

REDUCTION IN PATIENT VISITS AT OUR CLINICS The tireless efforts of our doctors, nurses and medical team resulted not only in keeping our villages free of COVID-19 last year, but because of their focus on disease prevention, we also saw a 13% reduction in overall patient visits.

Annual Stories

19

WATOTO N E I G H B O U R H O O D In 2020, we continued to embrace vulnerable women in our neighbourhoods with the love of Jesus.

While last year brought uncertainty and loss for many of us across the globe, here in Uganda and South Sudan, due to restrictions and lockdowns, the livelihoods of many of our Watoto Neighbourhood mothers were greatly impacted. So, we worked to find ways to help make sure they had the means to pay their rent, feed their children and earn an income.

We provided much needed COVID-19 relief support, food baskets for 904 families during the holidays, startup capital and financial business boosts, along with masks and hand soap to help keep these amazing women and their families safe and healthy.

522 227 20

Watoto

MOTHERS RECEIVED COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGES As their small businesses were shut down, some of our mothers were desperate and unable to make ends meet. So, we helped fill in the gap, providing food, rent and medical relief to 522 of our mothers.

SMALL BUSINESSES GOT A FINANCIAL BOOST During the lockdown, the businesses of many of our Neighbourhood mothers suffered, so we gave 227 women a financial boost to help them keep their businesses afloat.

MEET SCOVIA Meet Scovia. Once a vulnerable woman, today she’s an empowered daughter of Christ who is making a difference in her community.

Because she was equipped with business skills through Watoto Neighbourhood, Scovia had the confidence and know-how to start a business that allowed her to reach out to her neighbours when they needed her.

During the pandemic, she realized people were required to wear masks, but many in her community didn’t have one to wear. Concerned and wanting to help, Scovia discovered a way to serve others—she made and sold masks.

This is a radical shift. When times of trouble hit, Scovia was no longer a victim, but instead she was thriving and helping others.

This is what empowerment looks like. Your support made this possible. Because of you, Scovia—and thousands of other women—are embraced with the love of Christ and empowered to be the mothers and leaders God called them to be. We can’t thank you enough!



WATCH a video of Scovia’s story vimeo.com/watoto/MeetScovia

Annual Stories

21

KEEP A GIRL IN SCHOOL Education is critical to a girl’s future, yet many girls drop out simply because they can’t afford feminine hygiene products or the fees to go to school.

So, at the beginning of 2020, we expanded the number of schools we partnered with for our Keep a Girl in School initiative to 56 schools—35 in northern Uganda and 21 in South Sudan. Yet, as we began to increase the number of girls we were reaching, the pandemic caused school closures that temporarily shifted our efforts.

While schools were closed, we kept our Neighbourhood Center in Juba open and distributed sanitary packs to the girls from there. We also provided ongoing discipleship and counseling to over 7,300 girls, helping ensure they continued to feel supported and surrounded by the love of Christ during such a challenging season.

As schools slowly opened in the later months of 2020, through our Keep a Girl in School initiative, 838 girls in Uganda and 1,416 girls in South Sudan completed their primary school national exams. This means these girls now have a better chance of staying in school and going on to graduate high school.

Your support is not only ensuring girls receive an education, but it’s changing their future—and we’re forever grateful.

22

Watoto

WHERE WE ARE Watoto began in the 1980s in Kampala, Uganda. As the ministry grew, so did the need to facilitate support. Today, we have 11 support offices throughout the world where our partners and sponsors live. Each office is regulated by a local Board of Directors, ensuring good practices are followed at all levels.

Take a look at the map below to see where our work is taking place throughout Uganda and South Sudan.

Juba

SOUTH SUDAN

S. SUDAN UGANDA

Gulu

UGANDA Kampala

WATOTO CHURCH

14 LOCATIONS throughout Uganda 1 LOCATION in Juba, South Sudan

WATOTO VILLAGE

3 VILLAGES Bbira, Suubi, Laminadera

BABY WATOTO

2 LOCATIONS Suubi, Gulu

MEDICAL

3 LOCATIONS Bbira, Suubi, Gulu

KEEP A GIRL IN SCHOOL

LOCATIONS throughout Gulu & Juba

NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTER

2 LOCATIONS Kampala & Gulu 1 LOCATION Juba

WATOTO FARM

4 LOCATIONS Buloba, Suubi, Lubbe, Bobi

Annual Stories

23

MESSAGE FROM WATOTO C A N A D A Dear Watoto Friends and Family, 2020 was a year unlike any other. Words and phrases like “unprecedented,” “social distancing” and “coronavirus” became commonplace. For many of us, our plans were completely disrupted by a new invisible enemy that we knew so little about.

At Watoto, we experienced this firsthand when our Watoto Children’s Choir tour was cut short due to the growing concern of the COVID-19 pandemic. After completing just seven weeks of a planned six-month tour, our choir had to travel back to Uganda.

But despite all that unfolded in 2020, we continued to see God’s faithfulness and provision. Even though many of our partners were faced with financial and health challenges, you continued to support the work of Watoto. Many Canadians were not able to travel to Uganda to volunteer as they had planned or see the choir in their hometown, but we saw the evidence that Watoto was still on the hearts and minds of many across this great country. It was so encouraging to see people continuing to extend love, prayers and financial support to our babies, children, and moms even while enduring difficult circumstances themselves. We are so thankful for your continued faithfulness and generosity!

In John 13:34-35 Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Time and again this past year we have witnessed our partners fulfilling these words as you have sacrificially given of your time and resources to minister to the most vulnerable and hurting women and children in Africa. Because of this, we have been able to care for people in their hour of greatest need, and as a result, many have come to know the love of Jesus for the very first time.

Although we face uncertain times, we know that as we continue to serve and share with those in need, no matter what circumstances we face, God will be with us and “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…” (Philippians 1:6).

Thank you once again and may God richly bless you for your kindness.

Warmest regards, Lorne Hamlyn Country Director, Watoto Canada

24

Watoto

WATOTO C A N A D A H I G H L I G H T S Last year—during a global pandemic—we witnessed God use your compassion and generosity to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. Thank you for your prayers and your unwavering support.

Below are just a few highlights showing the incredible impact you—and all our sponsors and partners throughout Canada—are making. Because of your partnership, children were rescued, women were empowered, and lives were restored.

$5,179,752

TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED BY WATOTO CANADA Because of your faithful and generous support, last year we raised $5,179,752 for the vital work of rescuing and caring for the most vulnerable babies, women and children in Uganda and South Sudan.

RAISED FOR WATOTO NEIGHBOURHOOD Thanks to our sponsors and partners, we raised $454,349 to help vulnerable women and their children be embraced with the love of Christ and given a future full of hope.

8,000

$454,349

CANADIAN SPONSORS AND PARTNERS We’re grateful to our 8,000 sponsors and partners across Canada who make what we do possible.

Your faithful support, love and prayers encourage and inspire us. From the bottom of our hearts— thank you!

Annual Stories

25

WAT O T O C A N A D A F I N A N C I A L S INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT To the Directors of Watoto Canada Qualified Opinion We have audited the financial statements of Watoto Canada, which comprise the statement of financial position as at December 31, 2020, the statement of designated funds, and the statements of operations and changes in net assets and cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

In our opinion, except for the effects of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion section of our report, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Ministry as at December 31, 2020, and its results of operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations (“ASNPO”).

Basis for Qualified Opinion In common with many not-for-profit organizations, the Ministry derives revenue from fundraising activities the completeness of which is not susceptible to satisfactory audit verification. Accordingly, verification of these revenues was limited to the amounts recorded in the records of the Ministry. Therefore, we were not able to determine whether any adjustments might be necessary to fundraising revenue, excess of revenues over expenses, and net assets for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our audit opinion on the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 was modified accordingly because of the possible effects of this limitation in scope.

We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report.

We are independent of the Ministry in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in Canada, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our qualified opinion.

Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with ASNPO, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the Ministry’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the Ministry or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Those charged with governance are responsible for overseeing the Ministry’s financial reporting process.

Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. As part of an audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also: •

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

•

Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Ministry’s internal control.

•

Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.

•

Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Ministry’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Ministry to cease to continue as a going concern.

•

Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Langley, British Columbia June 10, 2021

26

Chartered Professional Accountants

SUMMARY FROM WATOTO CANADA 2020 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS/INCOME STATEMENT REPORTED IN CAD $

REVENUES Sponsorship Houses/Schools and Sustainability Visit Watoto Funds

$

General Contributions Total Contributions

EXPENDITURES Sponsorship Houses/Schools and Sustainability

4 ,0 2 5 , 27 8 1 1 0, 470 45,731

Visit Watoto Funds Product Costs

913,584 $

5,095,063

OTHER REVENUES Interest Income $ Product Sales Government Subsidies Gain on sale of property and equipment

11,206 72,576 39,263 907

Total Other Revenues

$

123,952

Total Revenues

$

5,219,015

$

4,025,230 85,470 49,631 25,578 777,853

General Expenditures Total Program Services

$

4,963,762

SUPPORT SERVICES Management and Administration

$

234,962

Total Support Services

$

234,962

Total Expenses

$

5,198,724

Net Income Net Assets at Year End

$ $

20,291 771,092

*1

NOTES: *1 Government Subsidies - COVID-19 relief = $39,263

WATOTO CANADA EXPENSES 2020 4.5%

95.5%

Program Services

Management & General

To see the full 2020 Financial Audit Report for Watoto Canada, please go to watoto.com/Financials

27

WATOTO UGANDA (HEAD OFFICE) PHONE: +256 (0) 779 676 559 EMAIL: UGANDA@WATOTO.COM

GLOBAL SUPPORT OFFICES WATOTO ASIA PHONE: +852 2639 9797 EMAIL: ASIA@WATOTO.COM WATOTO AUSTRALIA PHONE: +61 (3) 9645 6547 EMAIL: AUSTRALIA@WATOTO.COM WATOTO BRASIL PHONE: +55 (41) 3039 7102 EMAIL: BRASIL@WATOTO.COM WATOTO CANADA PHONE: +1 888 9WATOTO EMAIL: CANADA@WATOTO.COM WATOTO GERMANY PHONE: +49 152 553 00 288 EMAIL: GERMANY@WATOTO.COM

WATOTO NETHERLANDS PHONE: +31 614 591 196 EMAIL: NEDERLAND@WATOTO.COM WATOTO NORWAY PHONE: +47 977 61 010 EMAIL: NORWAY@WATOTO.COM WATOTO SWEDEN PHONE: +46 10 221 61 73 EMAIL: SWEDEN@WATOTO.COM WATOTO UK PHONE: +44 203 225 1048 EMAIL: UK@WATOTO.COM WATOTO USA PHONE: +1 813 948 4343 EMAIL: USA@WATOTO.COM