Minutes:
TRUSTS FOR AFRICAN
SCHOOLS
MINUTES OF MEETING OF
TRUSTEES ON MONDAY 9 OCTOBER 2017 AT 6 KINGLEY STREET
Present: Guy Cowley,
Norma Empringham, Ben Howland, Luke
Morris, Tom Marshall-Andrews, Gill
Marshall-Andrews, Johnnie Morris.
Apologies: Lissa Campbell, Steve James,Will Jones, Douglas Pinto, Ben Taylor.
1. Minutes
of meeting on 12 June 2017 were agreed.
2. Schools update: Report from Stephen Kameti (previously circulated)
was discussed.
3. Karui Trust and company
The new company Karui Limited is now set up with a bank
account at CBA. Sub accounts have also
been set up for Kaseluni, Mitamysi, El Rar, Jarajara and Boka. The secretaries of these trusts have registered
with the bank and we are now in the process of activating internet banking. For
each sub account the secretary and either Douglas or GMA will sign. Funds for other schools – particularly Asako,
Madogo – will be distributed direct from the main account to the relevant contractors/
suppliers with Douglas and Gill as signatories.
The registration of Karui Trust is still not completed
because the 6 signatures need to be notarised. This process is cumbersome,
involving a notary public, the FCO and the Kenyan High Commission!
We hope to have the 5 UK signatories notarised in time
for the document to be taken out to Nbo within the next few weeks. Douglas will get his signature notarised in
Nbo and then the process can – we hope- be completed.
4. Re-imbursement of KWS funds
For some time KWS have not been paying Stephen Kameti his
field expenses, despite the fact that funds from TAS have been sent
specifically for this. Stephen is therefore considerable out of pocket. The money is in the TAS account at KWS – it
has not been used for other purposes – but they are in such a parlous financial
state that all payments except salaries have been frozen.
GMA has met with Wanyoni, the Resource Procurement
officer in KWS to discuss this and has been advised to write to request that
the unused funds should be returned to TAS.
This has been done and a request made to refund 730,000 Kes ie
£5400. No response has so far been
received but GMA will pursue the matter when she arrives in Nbo.
5.
Just a drop – African Sand Dams Foundation (ASDF)
Lissa reported
that JAD is ready to submit seek funds for the tank at Mitamysi. The community has assembled small stones and
sand and are raising money to transport the larger stones required. TAS has
been asked to share the cost of this. (Post meeting note: This application for 50% of the transport
costs was agreed).
6. . Finance
£29.5k is in the bank account of which £11.5k is ring
fenced for Loldia.
Luke has offered to put TAS forward to the Property Race
in the hope that some specific projects may be funded.
7. Proposals for funding
Proposals to the value of £10,200 were discussed and
agreed for provisional or definite funding.
Some projects require further detail before funds can be sent.
8. Debate Mate
This is an NGO that runs debating training and
competitions in disadvantaged schools in UK and more recently abroard. They use university students as trainers and
facilitators. Last year they ran a two
week programme at a group of schools on the coast in Kenya. They have agreed in principle to run a one
week programme based in Mwingi in August 2018.
The deal would be that TAS would fund the school children’s costs,
possibly with KWS assistance with accommodation. Debate Mate would fund all the university
students’ costs – flights, accommodation, transport, conference facilities etc. Further details will be discussed next year.
9. Conservation posters
GMA is working on a conservation poster to be printed and
put in every classroom in schools we support.
There is a big push to save Kora National Park from further degradation
and more conservation education is seen as an important contribution to this
effort.
The draft text of
a poster was circulated. Input by
trustees will be welcomed. An Australian
graphic designer has offered to design the poster when the text has been finalised.
10. Next meeting
Many thanks to Ben H for the wonderful meeting room and refreshments
at London Wealth Management.
The next meeting
will be 6pm Monday 15 January 2018 at Luke’s office, Fladgate, 16 Great Queen
Street.
