Annual Report 2009

a. summarizes activities and developments in 2009

It indicates that we can be pleased and proud of our current work, but we must must at least maintain, and preferably extend fund raising if we are to be able to extend our work in future years.

2009 was a year of continued achievement and development for Sosua Kids.

For the Academic Year 2009/10 we have been able to provide uniforms and supplies for almost 300 local children and so enable them to attend school. We continued to support four university students throughout 2009 and one of these has recently completed her studies successfully. We have maintained our support for the pre-school in Los Castillos by providing money for scholarships.

That we have been able to maintain and consolidate this level of activity is due entirely to the generosity and enthusiasm of our supporters both here in Sosua and in other parts of the world. They include individuals, businesses and voluntary groups and organisations. Their support is in many forms including individual donations, the organisation of and participation in fund-raising activities and practical help, for example with the distribution of supplies and uniform vouchers to children. It would be invidious to specify particular individuals or organisations in this annual report but wherever appropriate we do try to provide recognition of generosity on our web site.

There were two main developments in 2009 which are intended to provide a firmer basis and support for our activities in the future. Firstly, after a process taking over a year, on 25 November 2009 we finally received our Certificate of Incorporation as a non-profit organisation in The Dominican Republic. This means that we now organise our affairs in accordance with rules and procedures defined by the authorities and to this end we have established a Board of Directors (Junta Directiva) of 7 members, A General Assembly of all members will meet annually and approve the Annual Report and Financial Statements which must be signed by a qualified accountant and filed with the Dominican Republic authorities. Our establishment as a formally-recognised not for profit organisation (or charity) should give added confidence that the business of Sosua Kids is conducted in a responsible and effective manner.

Secondly, our web site, sosuakids.com, has been extensively developed during 2009. This web site enables us to explain to anyone who is interested what we do and how we do it. It also enables us, whenever appropriate, to give recognition to generous donors and supporters. In more general terms, it enables us to be more accountable for activities to both current and potential supporters/donors. The feedback we have received suggests that our existing supporters are grateful for the additional information provided and that some potential new donors have become aware of Sosua Kids through the web site.

These developments were made possible by specific financial and practical help from certain individuals and so did not involve any charge against the funds donated to us to support the education of local children.

Our immediate aims for 2010 are

1. To raise sufficient funds to enable us to maintain, and preferably increase, in the school year 2010/2011 the level of support we currently provide for the education of poor children . The current indications are that we are on target to achieve this.
2. To continue to update our own procedures in order to ensure that funds are used most effectively for the purposes for which they were donated. The Board is already considering this (for example by introducing more clearly-defined criteria for the selection of children who receive our support).
3. To continue providing the fullest practicably possible information on what we do and how we do it in order to increase the awareness and confidence of current and potential donors. This will probably be achieved by further development of the web site.

The greatest challenge we face is the increasingly difficult climate for fund-raising. The world-wide economic situation means that both individuals and businesses have, or think they have, fewer funds to optionally donate to good causes. More locally, the number of visitors to Sosua during the 2009/10 high season appear to have been lower than before; traditional fund-raising methods seem to have produced less income than previously. Other local charities are introducing new ways of improving their share of the charitable income available; and understandably many people have given priority to supporting the victims of the Haitian earthquake.

All these factors mean that we must constantly consider new ways of raising funds if we are to continue being able to continue supporting the education of poor local children at our current levels in the years ahead.