Page 4 - Aidlink Annual Report 2020

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
As we look back on 2020 in this annual report, from the vantage point of mid-2021, we can do so with some pride at what’s been achieved and have confidence for the future. That was not the case this time last year, but our renewed hope is due to a number of critical factors outlined below.
Aidlink’s Partnership Model since we
started, nearly 40 years ago, our programmes have been led by local needs and delivered by locally based NGOs, our focus has been on building our partners’ capacity and building advocates in the community to advocate for the community. We focus our work on communities who are in great
need and on empowering communities, in particular women and girls, to lead their own development.
Our partnership model served us very well in helping Aidlink be agile and adaptive during the pandemic and lockdown in 2020. Just
as in Ireland, African schools closed down
in response to the pandemic meaning our programmes could no longer be delivered through schools. But thanks to our deep relationships with our partners on the ground, and the trust built up with Irish Aid and our other donors, Aidlink could assess the changing needs of communities and quickly agree new solutions. This included the roll-out of community education and Covid-19 awareness training, the installation of hand washing stations as well as distribution of household food for those who previously depended on school meals.
But of course, Aidlink impacts people’s lives here in Ireland too, primarily through
our development education programmes which bring students from Irish secondary schools to Africa for an ‘immersion’
cultural experience in local schools and communities. Some of those students tell us that this experience is a transformative one for them, broadening their horizons and positively impacting their world view. It was a tremendous disappointment that we were unable to deliver most of our planned programmes to the schools in 2020
and 2021.
This time last year, things were very challenging given the loss of many of our usual fundraising events. We asked the wider Aidlink community for help and were very humbled by the immensely generous response from our Irish partner schools,
our donors, our members and individual friends. While meeting our mission will always be challenging, your support gives the organisation the energy to keep making a difference and keep improving what
we do.
Aidlink has worked very hard to adopt high standards in its operations for many years, what’s known as ‘Good Governance’. Aidlink believes that this is simply the best and most efficient way to run our organisation, and
we aspire to have standards in the upper
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