Page 47 - Aidlink Annual Report 2020

Directors’ Report
For the Financial Year Ended 31 December 2020 Continued
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
2021 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Aidlink’s 2021 Development Programme will maintain a focus on working with the poorest communities in Kenya
and Uganda (the Masai, Turkana and Karamojong), with a particular emphasis on women and girls who have borne the brunt of lockdown poverty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our priority is to build back better post pandemic. Aidlink will work to improve gender equality, education, and livelihoods outcomes among targeted communities.
The Kenya Inclusive Quality Education Project comes to an end in June 2021. The positive impacts and learnings from this programme have contributed
to the development of a new education programme ‘Every Girl in School’, in partnership with the Girl Child Network in Kenya. Irish Aid has approved funding for this new three year project due to commence July 2021.
In Uganda we continue to focus on an integrated development project in Karamoja, in partnership with Voluntary Action for Development.
We will support the work of Caritas Lodwar and Caritas MADDO, as well as our Ghanaian partners, on a project-by-project basis as funds allow.
Immersion programmes from March 2020 onwards were cancelled as a result of Covid-19 and while our Irish partners and
African host communities had hoped to reschedule for 2021, it
is unlikely that the global health environment will allow this. Aidlink will continue to work with Irish school partners and appreciate their fundraising support despite not traveling.
2021 FUNDRAISING
Fundraising is a key priority for
the Board of Directors. Traditional methods of fundraising have
been severely compromised as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Strategies and plans developed in the context of Covid-19 have shown some positive returns and remain under constant review. A revised ‘Fundraising in the Covid crisis’ strategy is being implemented and includes the following objectives:
• Securing Irish Aid Civil Society Scheme funds for Every Girl in School 2021-2024.
• Securing existing FTCs
support and explore potential philanthropic opportunities. Aidlink will intensify efforts
to strengthen existing relationships and to identify and target new trusts, foundations, and philanthropic organisations.
• Strengthen community fundraising using online and digital platforms.
• Strengthen communications to raise awareness of Aidlink’s mission and values, to help cultivate and grow a pool of committed stakeholders and donors.
• Strengthen relationships with our immersion partner schools, all of which have continued
to generously support Aidlink throughout the Covid-19 crisis despite immersion programme cancellations.
45 | Aidlink Annual Report 2020