Minutes:
MEETING OF TRUSTEES ON 8 JULY 2010.
Present:
Norma Empringham, Heather Flint, Ben Howland, Gill Marshall-Andrews, Tom Marshall-Andrews,
Apologies:
Lissa Campbell, Tim Flower, Will Jones, Johnnie Morris, Luke Morris,
1. Minutes of meeting on 26 April 2010 were agreed.
2.Update on schools and exam results
All school trusts are meeting regularly. Stephen Kameti is supporting them and has begun to complete the ‘Note of Visit’ form when he visits. Samples were discussed. It was felt that this will become a useful tool once SK and others have got used to completing it. He aims to visit each of the 7 schools he supports at least once a month.
We are still trying to get the exam results in a form that can be put onto the website. Tom will work on this. There needs to be space to put in a commentary eg the results went down because during the drought there was a great deal of forced absence and students therefore did not properly cover the syllabus.
3. Possible Partnerships
No news from DfID about the Equity Bank partnership. DfID are still considering the matter although messages from them are generally positive. Safaricom – still waiting for GPS co-ordinates of the schools. KWS – no news of the possible replication of Stephen Kameti’s work around other National Parks.
Discussions are ongoing with ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) about their new work in Africa and their Future Leaders Programme.
4. Boka Primary School Trust
This has now been inaugurated but there is still no secretary. One is being sought in Garissa, Mwingi and Nairobi. The first meeting was a great success with general enthusiasm from the community leaders, parents and the excellent headteacher. Their first priority for funding will be for desks.
5. Science equipment donation
This equipment has finally arrived at Mivukoni School after a huge effort by Hellen Ndeti and others to get it released from Nbo airport. Hellen finally managed to persuade the North Mwingi Constituency Development Fund to pay the customs and clearance charges. Transport to Nbo from UK was arranged by the charity Aviation without Borders who have also subsidised the cost and charged us only £500. The equipment will be shared between Usueni and Mivukoni and a handover event has been planned for 17 July with the VP’s wife Pauline Kalonzo.
6. Lawrence Sail’s poetry book Songs of Darkness
Royalties from this book are generously being donated by Lawrence to TAS and the book has been endorsed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. There will be a launch in Nairobi at an event hosted by the British Council probably on 1 October. It is hoped that this will generate some good publicity for TAS and for the book. A poetry workshop is being discussed with students from TAS supported schools.
There will also be a launch in London hosted and sponsored by Mishcon de Reya – thanks very much to Luke. The date for this is likely to be 21 October. There was discussion about how to maximise the fund raising potential from this event and it was agreed that Gill will contact Andrea Hartley – a fund raiser for advice.
7. Funding
Our Treasurer Tim Flower is to move to Hong Kong in September. If he feels he can continue to do the accounts remotely this would be very welcome. If not, another treasurer will need to be found. Gill will discuss this with him.
It was agreed that we need to discuss fund raising on a more professional basis after the summer. Gill will speak to Andrea Hartley in October.
8. Policy on bursaries
The sustainability of our current funding of bursaries was discussed at length. Part of Eburru’s success seems likely to be related to the large number of bursaries the school has been able to offer to able students. There is a need to discuss this further but it was agreed that the 5 students from Asako who started secondary school in Jan 2010 will be funded for 4 years at the rate of £130 per student per year. The funds for 4 students (£2080) will be sent direct to Madogo Secondary School Trust and for one student (£520) to Asako Trust for onward transfer to Mbalambala Secondary School.
Funding will be transferred to the schools on an annual basis subject to satisfactory attainment by the students.
It was agreed that no undertaking to continue funding bursaries would be given until a sustainable policy is agreed.
9. Proposals for funding
It was agreed that we need to assemble evidence of what works and what doesn’t. Given the large number of variables this will be difficult but for instance we could test out the effectiveness of bursaries v incentives for teachers. This might be something DfID and other funders were interested in – with the idea of TAS being a test-bed for different ideas.
The proposals for funding were agreed as per the schedule with the amendment relating to bursaries for Asako students. Funds to be sent total £29,980.
10 Date of next meeting - 6.15 pm Thursday 26 August 2010 at Ben’s office 6 Kingley Street.
