watoto australia - annual report 2014

A n n u A l R e p o R t 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4

w a t o t o c h i l d c a r e m i n i s t r i e s a u s t r a l i a g r o u p

this year watoto child care ministries celebrated 20 years of god’s faithfulness in uganda. during this time we have seen over 4000 abandoned and forgotten children rescued and raised. Jesus did not forget them, and he is using the willing hearts of our partners around the world to change their story.

One of the this years’ highlights was seeing firsthand what Jesus is doing in the lives of almost 3,000 women that we have come along side in watoto’s living hope initiative. not only have they been embraced by those who have supported them to make sure that their medical and physical needs are met, but they have actually become empowered with life skills, enabling them to engage with their families and communities. the best part is that they have become successful businesswomen and pillars of influence in their communities and because of this, the nation of uganda is being rebuilt through these women.

we were also privileged to see 152 babies graduate from our Baby watoto facilities into their new homes in the watoto village. these once abandoned and now rescued babies are living testimonies of Jesus’ saving grace.

in the last year watoto child care ministries australia has played an instrumental part in the growth of watoto in uganda. none of this would be possible without the faithful support of people like you coming along side us to carry out this exciting mission that Jesus has given us.

we can’t wait to see what he is going to do in the future.

thank you and god bless you.

gary and marilyn skinnerFounders watoto ministries

Visiona message From our Foundersa message From our ceowatoto australia staFFsupport oFFicesa message From our chairmanwatoto australia Boardsponsorshipwatoto children’s choirpuBlic relationscorporate gala & partnershipa message From our amBassadorVisit watotoFinancialswatoto VillagesBaBy watotoliVing hopesustainaBility

4 6 8

10 12 14 15 16 22 28 303234 40 48 505254

4 watoto child care ministries australia annual report 2013/14








5watoto child care ministries australia annual report 2013/14

WAtoto is A holistic cARe pRogRAm thAt WAs initiAted As A Response to the oveRWhelming numbeR of oRphAned childRen And vulneRAble Women in ugAndA. it is positioned to Rescue An individuAl, RAise eAch one As A leAdeR in theiR chosen spheRe of life so thAt theY in tuRn Will Rebuild theiR nAtion.

the watoto model involves physical care, medical intervention including hiV/aids treatment, education – formal and technical, trauma counselling and spiritual discipleship.

we exist to raise the next generation of african leaders by pursuing excellence in academic and practical skills, integrity in conduct and moral values, so that each one becomes a responsible adult and a productive citizen.

we aim to care for 10,000 children in uganda by 2023, and to replicate the model in other countries across the continent so as to fast track the rescue of orphaned children and vulnerable women in africa.


this year watoto child care ministries celebrated 20 years of god’s faithfulness in uganda. during this time we have seen over 4,000 abandoned and forgotten children rescued and raised. Jesus did not forget them and he is using the willing hearts of our partners around the world to change their story.

One of this years’ highlights was seeing firsthand what Jesus is doing in the lives of almost 3,000 women that we have come alongside in watoto’s living hope initiative. not only have they been embraced by those who have supported them to make sure that their medical and physical needs are met, but they have actually become empowered with life skills, enabling them to engage with their families and communities. the best part is that they have become successful businesswomen and pillars of influence in their communities and because of this, the nation of uganda is being rebuilt through these women.

we were also privileged to see over 100 babies graduate from our Baby watoto facilities into their new homes in the watoto village. these once abandoned and now rescued babies are living testimonies of Jesus’ saving grace.

in the last year watoto child care ministries australia has played an instrumental part in the growth of watoto in uganda. none of this would be possible without the faithful support of people like you coming alongside us to carry out this exciting mission that Jesus has given us.



gary and marilyn skinnerFounders of watoto ministries


Thank you for taking the time to read our annual report for the 2013/14 financial year. I am sure it will give you some insight on the wonderful work watoto is doing not only in uganda but on our home soil here in australia.

“it’s all about relationship” – this is a saying that makes up part of the dna of watoto. when i lived with my wife, rachael, in uganda 10 years ago, i can recall marilyn skinner often saying that it is all about relationship. i may have been a bit naïve at the time because i thought it was all about the hard yards and getting your hands dirty, even the premise that if you want people to give to a cause you just need to ask. well, a decade later i realise that maybe relationship can play a part in asking people to join you on the journey that you are so passionate about.

towards the end of 2013 i announced to the watoto australia staff that 2014 will be “all about relationship” and over the last year we have done our best to come alongside people to hear their stories, ask how we can support them and maybe, just maybe give them an invitation to join the watoto family. the response has been amazing with pastors, donors, churches and organisations supporting watoto in various ways. we have seen key businesses in Australia and New Zealand pledging part of their profits to Watoto, individuals taking steps of faith in their lives to support us, and churches wanting to have watoto as part of their mission focus.

watoto australia is committed to supporting our supporters. i know and believe that charity organisations cannot continually be asking, but must also be compelled to understand and help meet the needs that donors have. our new “partnership” page on our website offers ways watoto can support churches, communities and individuals so that together we can all make a difference. i have personally devoted my year to catching up with many of the partners, donors and pastors we have a relationship with. this equals a lot of coffee!

if you are interested in having a relationship with watoto but don’t know how that could be possible, i would love to hear from you to start that journey – so feel free to call our office any time.

thank you again for the amazing support australia; we appreciate you!

Blessings,

luke willey


W A T O T O A U S T R A L I A S T A F F

luke WilleY ceo

isis clARosreceipting oFFicer

dennis bRoWnoFFice manager

Adele tuRnbullFinance manager

kesAiA nAsAlo payments administrator

AmAndA pARkeRsponsor relations

coordinator


W A T O T O A U S T R A L I A S T A F F

keRRi-Ann hAndYtour coordinator

AdRienne gReensponsorship coordinator

cAitlin lennonpuBlic relations &

media

ThAnk yOU TO ALL OUR WOndeRFUL vOLUnTeeRS WhO hAve geneROUSLy gIven TheIR TIme And TALenTS ThIS yeAR. a special thank you to ainsley winten and Josephine corben who have volunteered on a regular basis and are valued members of our team. we couldn’t do this without you!

T h A n k

y O U









TO FAcILITATe The SUppORT OF InTeRnATIOnAL pARTneRShIpS, WATOTO hAS eSTAbLIShed eIghT RepReSenTATIve cOUnTRy OFFIceS AROUnd The WORLd.

Each country office is regulated by a specific Board of Directors. The country specific Boards are the policy and regulatory oversight of watoto in each country and ensures good practices at all levels.

The country offices are directed by an advisory international Board of directors.

cAnAdA OFFIcecanada

AmeRIcAS OFFIceusa, mexico, haiti and south america









neTheRLAndS OFFIcenetherlands and Belgium

ASIA OFFIcehong Kong, india, pakistan, indonesia, singapore, malaysia, Japan, philippians, taiwan, thailand, south Korea and china

eUROpe OFFIceengland, scotland, wales, ireland, germany, spain, France, estonia, italy, switzerland, poland, ukraine, turkey, albania, and all other european countries apart from the scandinavia, the netherlands and Belgium

AUSTRALIA OFFIceaustralia, new Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji and papua new guinea

AFRIcA OFFIce(with headquarters in uganda) uganda, tanzania, Kenya, democratic republic of congo (drc), egypt, rwanda, senegal, ghana, south africa, nigeria, the united arab emirates (uae), south sudan, ethiopia, saudi arabia, Benin,

morocco and mozambique

ScAndInAvIA OFFIcenorway, sweden and denmark


c h A I R m A n

this year sees watoto child care ministries celebrate 20 years of god’s faithfulness. since its humble beginnings in 1994, with one small house in Kampala, uganda, the growth that has occurred has been nothing short of phenomenal and is set to continue into the future.

at the core of this growth is the heart concern, compassion and support of people around the world, including our wonderful supporters here in australia. the outcome is that vulnerable women and children are being rescued and raised up to fulfill their destiny and become happy, healthy, productive citizens and leaders in their communities and workplaces throughout uganda.

whether it be interacting with the watoto children’s choir, visiting uganda, or the most personal relationship of all, sponsoring a child, mother or teacher, watoto is truly a relational ministry. if you are already a “relation” please introduce watoto to more “relatives” in the year ahead as we seek to look after the orphans and widows in their distress.

on a personal note, i would like to say that i’ve had a wonderful association with watoto for 11 years (7 of those on the Board) and look forward to many more years of support and involvement into the future. however, my season on the Board is ending and i will be stepping down prior to the 2014 agm to make room for new directors who can bring new drive and vision to the task of growing watoto australia into the future. Bill thorburn, one of our longest serving directors, will also be resigning at that time.

i would like to thank Bill and all directors past and present for their support, generosity and dedication and wish the Board, staff, volunteers and supporters a vibrant, successful and blessed future.

peter harrisBoard chair


gARY skinneRWAtoto child cARe ministRies

foundeR gary founded watoto after moving to uganda in 1982 with his wife marilyn and young family to start a cell based church in Kampala. gary

speaks internationally about the watoto model and how it can be implemented through out

the world.

Rod cAReYrod carey is the director/secretary of watoto child care ministries australia.

peteR hARRis chAiRmAn of the boARd

Peter is a financial consultant and mortgage manager, with over 40 years

in finance, investment and merchant banking in senior management roles.

nAtAlie fieldingNatalie is an experienced Lawyer. she has served, and is serving as a director of a number of not for

profit organisations, and also on the committees of christian organisations.

bill thoRbuRnBill has over 45 years experience as

senior pastor and teacher throughout australia and internationally. he has

served on numerous boards and committees connected to community

and church organisations.

bRett cAmm Brett is an honours civil engineer and

company owner with 30 years business, HR and financial management experience.

Brett is a director on several national and multi-national Boards across diverse

industries, with broad advisory and strategic experience and capabilities.








AS OF 30 JUne 2014, TOTAL SpOnSORShIpS FOR WATOTO AUSTRALIA STOOd AT 5117, RepReSenTIng 4.7% gROWTh OveR The LAST 12 mOnThS. this year, we targeted growing the support base for our teens and older students, as well as Baby watoto, which represented our greatest needs. many of our children have become teenagers and the cost to feed, clothe and educate this demographic has increased, particularly for those transitioning into post-secondary studies. similarly, the cost of 24-hour and/or specialised care for uganda’s most vulnerable babies in one of our three Baby Watoto homes continues to be a significant expense. Through a number of initiatives, including the tours by choir 61 from July to september 2013, and choir 66 in may and June 2014, as well as support from build teams, returning volunteers and Visit watoto teams/individuals, we were able to grow each of these areas of sponsorship. child sponsorship grew 6.6% and Baby watoto sponsorship grew 5.7% over the last 12 months.

to ensure that we continue to provide quality holistic care for our babies, children and mothers, we asked each sponsor to share a portion of the increased cost of care. since 2008, the cost to provide a home, food, clothing, education, medical and spiritual care has increased significantly due to an average inflation rate of 12% in Uganda. Our young children are growing older and caring for babies is a significant expense. In February 2014, we announced an increased rate of sponsorship for children, mothers, teachers and babies from $40/month to $43/month (effective 1 march 2014). most sponsors stood alongside the vision of watoto and accepted the rate increase, contributing to the positive growth of sponsors and income in the 2013/4 financial year.

3338 chILd SpOnSORShIpS (includes post-secondary and special needs children)

722 LIvIng hOpe SpOnSORShIpS499 bAby WATOTO SpOnSORShIpS493 mOTheR SpOnSORShIpS53 TeAcheR SpOnSORShIpS12 Seed SpOnSORShIpS*

5 1 1 7I n d I v I d U A L

S p O n S O R S h I p S I nA U S T R A L I A


* the seed project provides quality education in a watoto school setting to vulnerable children who have family and do not live within a watoto village, yet may not have access to quality education in their local villages.


We SInceReLy ThAnk OUR geneROUS dOnORS AcROSS AUSTRALIA, neW ZeALAnd And SURROUndS WhO hAve pLAyed An InTegRAL pART In heLpIng US ReScUe mORe chILdRen And RAISe eAch One TO LeAd In TheIR chOSen SpheRe OF LIFe SO ThAT They WILL In TURn, RebUILd TheIR nATIOn.

In the upcoming 2014/15 financial year, we will continue to target growth in child and Baby watoto sponsorships as these areas continue to represent our greatest needs, particularly Baby watoto. watoto children’s choirs will again travel in australia at the beginning and end of the financial year, and we look forward to the continued implementation of strategies for better equipping our watoto visitors, volunteers and build teams with the resources needed to advocate for Watoto within their spheres of influence. We also look forward to building new and strengthening existing relationships with churches, schools and communities within watoto australia’s reach.

2830 chILdRen In WATOTO vILLAgeS (includes post-secondary and special needs children)

128 Seed pROJecT *807 LIvIng hOpe WOmen365 mOTheRS190 TeAcheRS167 bAbIeS

4 4 8 7beneFIcIARIeS

O F W A T O T O c h I L d c A R e m I n I S T R I e S

* the seed project provides quality education in a watoto school setting to vulnerable children who have family and do not live within a watoto village, yet may not have access to quality education in their local villages.


c h I L d c A R e I n d I v I d U A L S p O n S O R S h I p gLObAL


c h I L d c A R e I n d I v I d U A L S p O n S O R S O n R e c O R d AUSTRALIA


c h O I R 6 1The FInAL mOnThS OF TOUR WeRe veRy bUSy FOR chOIR 61. WITh The OppORTUnITy TO vISIT IncRedIbLe neW pLAceS ALSO cAme The OppORTUnITy FOR FUn And neW expeRIenceS. dURIng TheIR vISIT TO TASmAnIA The chILdRen SAW SnOW FOR The veRy FIRST TIme. They LOved eveRy mOmenT And SAId IT WAS The cOLdeST They hAd eveR been. after returning to melbourne the choir performed and shared their stories at planetshakers church and saw over 60 people give, or rededicate their life to christ. seeing people touched by the love and grace of god is always a highlight of tour!

choir 61 then headed to south australia where they continued to perform at churches, schools and even football clubs! the choir even participated in a football training session with port adelaide which was fun for everyone involved. as the team took the four day road trip across the nullarbor towards perth they witnessed the beauty of australia’s scenery. they had a fantastic time in western australia and were so thankful to everyone who came out to meet them and show their support.

in september the australian leg of tour wrapped up and the team jetted off to singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong for the final 3 months. The response from Asia was incredible with many people signing up as new sponsors and the team raising funds for watoto.

after 7 months on the road choir 61 returned to uganda in december. they were welcomed home and celebrated with a huge party at Watoto Church. Reflecting on tour it was easy to see how god moved and worked through the team everywhere they went. they saw lives transformed and hearts changed through the simple message of a new found hope in Jesus. uncle mark led the team well and was an amazing support to the other aunties and uncles, who were all incredible role models for the 22 children on tour. these children have experienced the opportunity of a lifetime, and their lives will never be the same.


c h O I R 6 6chOIR 66 begAn TheIR 5 mOnTh TOUR OF AUSTRALIA In mAy. We WeRe bLeSSed TO See UncLe bRyAn LeAdIng The TeAm FOR The veRy FIRST TIme ThIS yeAR. UncLe bRyAn hAS TOURed AUSTRALIA AS An AdULT FOR The pAST 3 yeARS And IS JOIned by 9 OTheR AUnTIeS And UncLeS ALOng WITh 22 FReSh FAced WATOTO chILdRen ReAdy TO expeRIence The neW And excITIng ThIngS OUR cOUnTRy hAS TO OFFeR.

choir 66 kicked off in Brisbane before travelling down the east coast of australia. they had the opportunity to be at two of our corporate gala events in sydney and melbourne where they performed wonderfully and shared their stories. this was a great chance for our new and returning corporate partners to see firsthand the amazing work of Watoto and to raise valuable funds.

the remaining three months of tour will be spent traveling around the north island of new Zealand, returning to Victoria for a mid tour break and then visiting south australia and northern territory, before concluding the 2014 tour in Queensland.

eAch yeAR The WATOTO chILdRen’S chOIR IS AbLe TO TRAveL AROUnd The cOUnTRy becAUSe OF The SeLFLeSS gIvIng OF TIme, eneRgy And SkILLS FROm OUR vOLUnTeeR bUS And TRUck dRIveRS. during the past 12 months our drivers have done a wonderful job keeping our team safe on the roads and we would like to honour them for their commitment and hard work. thank you to Bob & dawn howes, derek & Barbara Black, Bob & lyndall ives, chrissy laing, graham & Ferial Byard and nico van der Zwet slotenmaker.

T h A n k

y O U

c h O I R S T R A T e g ycOnTInUIng TO RAISe The chOIR’S AWAReneSS In AUSTRALIA IS ReLIAnT On The SUcceSS OF pRecedIng TOURS. In 2015, We WILL WeLcOme chOIR 72 WhO WILL be WITh US FOR 6 mOnThS And TRAveL ThROUghOUT QUeenSLAnd, neW SOUTh WALeS, vIcTORIA, AUSTRALIAn cApITAL TeRRITORy, SOUTh AUSTRALIA And WeSTeRn AUSTRALIA. WITh ThIS TOUR We endeAvOUR TO AchIeve The FOLLOWIng gOALS:

IncReASe AWAReneSS... amongst australians yet to hear of the work and ministry of watoto. bUILd And mAInTAIn STROng ReLATIOnShIpS... with church and community groups allowing us to better understand and support their needs as they reach their communities with the gospel message.STRATegIcALLy pLAn TOUR ROUTeS... allowing for cost savings measures.endeAvOUR TO hAve TWO FUTURe TOUR ROUTeS... OUTLIned to proactively promote future tours and coincide with strategic major events within local communities.IncReASe nUmbeR OF ATTendeeS... at watoto concerts each year through a strategic publicity and advertising plan.IncReASe medIA cOveRAge... each year by cultivating key partnerships and relationships with media outlets.



ThIS yeAR WATOTO AUSTRALIA hAS hAd gReAT SUcceSS In gAInIng medIA expOSURe AS We hAve cOnTInUed TO cReATe And bUILd ReLATIOnShIpS WITh medIA OUTLeTS AcROSS The cOUnTRy. The WORk And vISIOn OF WATOTO hAS been cLeARLy cOmmUnIcATed And hIghLIghTed ThROUgh RAdIO InTeRvIeWS And On AIR peRFORmAnceS WITh chOIR membeRS And STAFF, TeLevISIOn peRFORmAnceS On SOme OF The cOUnTRy’S hIgheST RATIng pROgRAmS, And neWSpApeR cOveRAge OF The chOIRS TRAveLS And peRFORmAnceS.

media coverage allows us to communicate our core message to existing and potential supporters. as community awareness increases we see growth in concert attendance and support of the ministry which consequently results in the rise of sponsorships and donations. we also experience growth in our social media presence which is an effective platform for ongoing communication.

watoto australia’s strategic publicity plan endeavours to generate media interest and recognition in every city or region that the choir travels to. our highlights this year include a performance on the nationally broadcast channel 7 breakfast program weekend sunrise, numerous interviews on aBc radio programs across the country, a full page article in the sunday times in western australia, whose readership is estimated to be over 1 million people, and continued support from our partners at christian radio such as hope Fm, light Fm and Vision Fm.

looking forward, our vision is to continue to see a steady increase and growth in the media coverage of watoto child care ministries. we have built strong relationships and made some great connections with the media this past year which is the key to our ongoing success.

chAnneL 7 - Weekend SUnRISeAbc RAdIO pROgRAmShOpe FmThe SUndAy TImeS WALIghT FmvISIOn Fm RAdIO

W A T O T O m e d I A h I g h L I g h T S

c O R p O R A T e g A L A & p A R T n e R S h I p corporate partnerships are invaluable to watoto australia. the generosity of organisations around the country plays an integral role in the transformation happening in uganda and enables us to provide support that is above and beyond what is covered through monthly sponsorship. we are committed to building strong relationships with our corporate partners and as such, this year we hosted our annual gala Fundraising events in sydney and melbourne. these events allow us to raise awareness of the work watoto is doing in uganda, strengthen relationships and create new connections within the corporate sector.

Both nights were an outstanding success and we had an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone who attended. our guests enjoyed a high class evening with spectacular entertainment by the watoto children’s choir. there were lots of laughs as our choir adults took to the stage to host the live auction and we were touched as watoto australia ambassador silvie paladino, presented a snapshot of the watoto projects and blessed us with her beautiful voice. with close to 400 people in attendance we were able to raise more than we have in previous years. we are thankful for everyone who attended, and for those who thoughtfully and generously gave. together we are helping make the vision of watoto a reality.



W A T O T O A U S T R A L I A A m b A S S A d O RS I L v I e p A L A d I n O We ARe veRy excITed TO WeLcOme OUR neW AmbASSAdOR SILvIe pALAdInO TO The WATOTO FAmILy. SILvIe IS One OF AUSTRALIA’S mOST veRSATILe And TALenTed enTeRTAIneRS And We ARe SO ThAnkFUL ThAT She IS geneROUSLy dOnATIng heR TIme And eFFORT TO heLp RAISe AWAReneSS FOR The WORk WATOTO IS dOIng TO heLp ORphAnS And WIdOWS In UgAndA.

it has been a great honour to be welcomed as ambassador for watoto australia this year.

I first saw the Watoto Children’s Choir perform in 2013 and was instantly touched by their overwhelming joy despite the tragedy they had experienced in their lives. my heart was grieved with the injustice that has taken place in africa and i was moved to lend my voice to raise awareness for the plight of the orphan and the widow who are so dear to god’s heart. as a mother, i instantly felt a connection to these precious children, so making the decision to join the watoto family was an easy one.

In February 2014 I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Uganda and see firsthand the wonderful work that watoto is doing. it is hard to describe the impact of being at Baby watoto and seeing severely premature babies, who had been abandoned, now being loved and nursed back to health. or meeting the beautiful women of living hope, who have experienced more heartache than anyone should ever have to, being given a hand up to rebuild their lives with dignity and renewed hope. i will never forget the very humbling feeling of visiting the watoto village at suubi and being so warmly welcomed by mama ruth and her 8 children. it is incredible to see the real tangible impact that sponsorship is having on so many lives.

my desire is to help share the ministry of watoto and encourage people to come on the journey of seeing people rescued and raised to rebuild the great nations of africa.

with love,

silvie paladino


ThIS yeAR WATOTO AUSTRALIA hAS hAd The pRIvILege OF SendIng 16 TeAmS TO UgAndA cOnSISTIng OF IndIvIdUALS And gROUpS FROm chURcheS, SchOOLS And The cORpORATe And cOmmUnITy SecTORS. In TOTAL 274 peOpLe TRAveLed FROm AUSTRALIA And neW ZeALAnd TO See FIRSThAnd The LIFe chAngIng WORk OF WATOTO.

individuals can visit uganda in the following ways: cOme And See TRIp learn about, and experience, the ministries and be immersed in african cultureTRIp OF A LIFeTIme SpOnSORShIp TeAm sponsors meet their sponsored individuals and spend time at watoto projectsmedIcAL TeAmS

bUILd TeAmS bAby WATOTO vOLUnTeeRS these teams assist with vital projects including building infrastructure such as houses, classrooms, apartments, student dormitories and teacher’s accommodation, as well as assisting with general maintenance requirements and sustainability projects.

a number of these visitors are planning their own missions in africa and other places of need throughout the world, and they come to view and learn from the watoto model, which they can then replicate in their own missions.

T e A m S & I n d I v I d U A L v O L U n T e e R S


one australian Foundation, who have sent a team every year since 2009, commented:

“I would like to extend our thanks to the Watoto Team for hosting us in Uganda and enabling us to contribute towards construction of the teacher’s dormitory in Laminadera Village. We had an enjoyable time out on the building site despite our (lack of) handiness with a trowel and bricks. The camaraderie between our team and the Watoto construction team made for lighter work. It was also interesting to visit the Living Hope project which was new for us and hear of your work in agriculture. It was a pleasure to meet the team in Uganda who provided some genuine insight into the future of Watoto and to get to know our Ugandan host who we have become friendly with over the years. Thanks to Watoto Australia for organising our trip and arranging logistics to run smoothly.”

this year 23 wonderful individuals travelled to uganda and volunteered for a minimum of one month with watoto, working and serving alongside the team in areas such as Baby watoto, living hope, children’s villages, medical clinics, watoto church and in the areas of office and administration.

one young woman from nsw, visited watoto nearly two years ago to volunteer in Baby Watoto and is still there doing a magnificent job. Her positive influence has led to improved procedures in the way the babies are cared for and she is using her skills, talents and leadership to provide a loving, caring environment for the children. the platform she has created has improved each child’s progression through the Baby watoto homes and is structured in such a way that it ensures a smooth and protective transition to our children’s villages when the time comes.

W A T O T O 3 6 0˚ watoto 360˚ is a christian discipleship course. the program runs annually for 6 months between January and July and combines in class instruction with hands on experience, giving students a balanced understanding of ministry. individuals from all across the globe are eligible to enrol, and this year we had one student from australia complete the program. our desire is for students to learn and grow as individuals, to acquire knowledge and to gain wisdom that comes from applying that knowledge, so that when ministry opportunities are presented the experiences they have had will enable them to serve with excellence. discipleship courses begin with basic fundamentals of christianity moving towards a deeper understanding of discipleship toward the end of the program.


g L O b A L b U I L d T e A m STheRe WeRe 16 peOpLe FROm AUSTRALIA & neW ZeALAnd WhO JOIned A gLObAL TeAm TO SeRve AT WATOTO UgAndA In The FInAncIAL yeAR 2013 / 2014.

these teams consist of up to 32 people from all over the world who meet in uganda for a common cause. they focus on 4 main areas of need being building/medical/babies homes/august school camps. the global teams last for two weeks each.

this is a great way for people from all over australia and new Zealand who do not have the opportunity to go to watoto uganda with their local church or community group, or cannot spare a minimum of one month volunteering, to experience Watoto first hand and provide much needed support and assistance to the ministries of watoto.


A I d & d e v e L O p m e n Twatoto child care ministries project funds of $a3,206,750 were received through the watoto australia trust account, with $a2,416,470 sent to global development group for transfer to uganda. these funds were designated to the projects listed on the following pages. it should be noted that some funds received through the australian trust account may not be forwarded to Uganda in the same financial year that it has been received, as the funds are only sent when required and can only be utilised for the reason designated.

due to legislative requirements, some major partners and donors give directly through global development group (gdg) for transfer to watoto uganda. we want to thank these partners and donors for their ongoing support.


watoto is strongly committed to placing children in a safe family environment rather than a large institutional orphanage. they become part of a family unit for life in the watoto community. a sponsored individual has multiple sponsors in order to provide the holistic care that is required to equip them for success in life.

$1,264,702 52.34%

the most marginalised and wounded people in africa are women. left abandoned or widowed, many of them are hiV positive and are destitute and desperate, fearing that their children will soon become more of africa’s orphans. living hope is restoring dignity to vulnerable women through spiritual discipleship, improved quality of life, medical intervention including hiV/aids care, empowerment and income

$272,334 11.27%

you can visit africa and experience the work of Watoto firsthand. Visitors to Uganda are welcome and appreciated. you can get involved by helping to build a village, serve as part of a medical team or participate in a ministry team. each person, church, group or organisation raises the funds for the project they choose to participate in. short and long term volunteer opportunities are also available.

$259,157 10.72%

p R O J e c T d O n A T I O n b R e A k d O W n

chILd SpOnSORShIp

bUILdIng FUndS

LIvIng hOpe SpOnSORShIp/

dOnATIOnS


Baby watoto is a home for abandoned and vulnerable babies. tiny preemies to toddlers found on rubbish heaps, in trash cans or abandoned in hospitals and police stations, are brought to their new home where they find acceptance and unconditional love. when these babies are old enough to enter a watoto children’s village, they continue their journey to become africa’s next generation of leaders. there are currently two babies’ homes in Kampala and one in gulu.

$246,024 10.18%

watoto children’s villages are a haven of security, peace, education, purpose and spiritual vitality. children between the ages of 2 and 12 are accepted into the villages, where they are cared for by a house mother and live with 7 other siblings. they attend school and receive a quality education. a community centre for school assemblies, community functions and church services is also a part of the village. each village has a clinic to provide health care for watoto families and the community.

$204,126 8.45%

general infrastructure works to support all projects, including self-sustainability, goat and chicken farms.

$62,342 3.00%

watoto’s partners contribute to infrastructure, future development, or invest into the lives of the individuals who are accepted into the watoto family. they donate in kind from the needs list on our website or make a one-off donation in cash. there’s also an opportunity to support fundraising events, fundraise on behalf of watoto or give a non-cash gift through watoto.

$52,155 2.00%UndeSIgnATed

bAby WATOTO SpOnSORShIp

mOTheR’S SpOnSORShIp

InFRASTRUcTURe


sponsorship of watoto teachers assists in funding the wages and living expenses of the teachers in our villages. the expenses associated with employing teachers is largely funded through child sponsorship as teacher sponsorships are being phased out. these funds represent the remaining teacher sponsorships on record.

$25,618 1.00%

specialised needs for the Baby watoto program including incubators, warming beds, cots, cribs, generators, motor vehicles and other equipment.

$22,303 1.00%

sponsors may give monetary gifts to the special gift Fund that are above and beyond regular sponsorship donations. these monetary gifts are pooled into a gift fund to enable the purchase of gifts for special occasions, e.g. birthdays and christmas, so that all sponsored individuals receive a gift, as funds allow.

$7,709 0.04%

TOTAL

$2,416,470

bAby hOme SpecIAL needS

TeAcheR SpOnSORShIp

gIFTS


A c c O U n T A b I L I T y watoto child care ministries australia continually strives for transparency in all areas of the organisation. as part of our accountability we report to global development group (gdg) who oversee all of watoto child care ministries (australia) development projects in uganda. we would like to take this opportunity to again thank gdg for their valuable support of watoto in australia.

g L O b A L d e v e L O p m e n T g R O U p ( g d g ) global development group is an approved non government organisation (ngo) carrying out humanitarian projects with approved partners and providing aid to relieve poverty. the australian treasurer declared global development group an ‘approved organisation’ under the oagds scheme on 10th march 2004. From this date donations to the ‘global development group overseas relief Fund’ were declared tax deductible. international organisation of standardisation (iso)iso is a network of the national standards institutes of 148 countries, on the basis of one member per country, with a central secretariat in geneva, switzerland that coordinates the system. Global Development Group has certification to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2000 and is compliant.

For more details visit www.iso.org/iso/en/isoonline.frontpage


W A T O T O v I L L A g e Sthe watoto model is designed to meet not only the physical needs of a child, but to provide everything the children we support require in order to grow up healthy and whole, with purpose and meaning. watoto responds to africa’s orphan crisis by placing vulnerable children in new families consisting of 8 children, aged 2 and above, and a mother who takes care of them. here, they are given the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving environment. watoto is not an orphanage in the traditional sense, instead, real homes are built to cater for children who have lost their family or are vulnerable for any reason. watoto homes are constructed in the form of small vibrant communities we refer to as villages. the village setting is representative of a familiar traditional dwelling for many people in africa. the houses are positioned in clusters and contain all the essentials of any basic home in a developing country. each village contains a nursery, kindergarten, primary and secondary school, vocational training centre, water project, medical clinic and a multi-purpose hall for use as a church and community centre. the village provides safe and open outdoor spaces with beautiful vegetation and plenty of space in which to live and play. watoto currently runs 3 villages in uganda. Bbira and suubi in Kampala and laminadera in gulu.

each child’s physical needs are met by placing them in a home so that clothing, shelter and food are provided. we purposefully create a family setting so that they will learn love and respect as they live with their mother and siblings. this allows them to live a healthy, functional life. each child has his or her own bed and space to manage their belongings, helping to build a sense of ownership and responsibility. each watoto village contains a school for the education of the village children and those from the surrounding community. our education is of a good standard and technical and vocational training is also provided for older children.

each village has a medical clinic that is utilised by those living in the village and the surrounding community. a multipurpose centre within each village provides a site for a local church. a watoto church pastor oversees this ministry and the home cell groups (small fellowships that meet weekly). during the week the centre is used to facilitate extra-curricular activities that assist with the psycho-social development of the children. This financial year a total of 274 new children were settled into Watoto villages from Baby watoto and from thecommunity. we also welcomed 178 new babies into Baby watoto, and 87 new mothers who will care for and nurture the children.


b A b y W A T O T O

Baby watoto is a home for abandoned and vulnerable babies. tiny preemies to toddlers found on rubbish heaps, in trash cans, or abandoned in hospitals and police stations are brought to their new home where they find acceptance and unconditional love.

many vulnerable babies in uganda are abandoned or orphaned due to poverty, a lack of education and the HIV/AIDS crisis. The vast majority fail to make it to their fifth birthday because they require intensive care and medical attention that their immediate relatives cannot provide. at Baby watoto, care is given to destitute babies aged between 0-2 giving them the best start in life. once they are well enough, and are between 18 and 24 months, they are reunited with relatives or transition to a watoto village.

this year Baby watoto rescued over 100 babies and we remained near capacity (250 babies) between the three facilities in Kampala, gulu and suubi. the new intake translated into an increase in staff and staff salaries, utilities, medical care, and supplies, especially formula and nappies. it was a joy to experience growth in the number of teams travelling from various countries to help at Baby watoto throughout the year. project funds raised by these teams helped to provide many of the items that could not be covered by operational funding. major improvements were made at our facilities through refurnishing, decorating and landscaping. this has greatly enhanced aesthetics and functionality, not to mention the boost it has given to the morale of the team that works with the babies, day in and day out.

Baby watoto plans to increase the number of social workers who will focus on the tracing and resettlement of babies as well as creating an early child development team that will monitor american society for Quality (asQ) guidelines. in addition to a focus on training and further development of the staff and volunteers, we also aim to redecorate and carry out maintenance at the Kampala and suubi facilities. the key objectives for the year ahead are to construct a prematurely born infant room in Baby watoto Kampala and a perimeter wall for Baby watoto gulu. our partners have continually catered for our growing needs. Our heartfelt thanks go to our generous donors, whose financial contribution has had a huge impact on the well-being of the babies and staff.


L I v I n g h O p e

the most marginalised and wounded people in africa are women. left abandoned or widowed, many of them are hiV positive and destitute fearing that their children will soon join the ranks of africa’s countless orphans. initiated in 2008, living hope exists to restore dignity to vulnerable women in africa. most of the women at living hope are single mothers who were forced into marriage as young girls.

living hope is restoring dignity to vulnerable women in a variety of ways. through spiritual discipleship they are introduced to the person of Jesus christ and the power of his redeeming love. their quality of life is improved by assisting with basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and medical care, including hiV/aids treatment, counselling and psychosocial support. living hope empowers and equips women with vocational skills that will enable them to become productive members of their communities through income generating projects, including microfinance loans, enabling the ladies the freedom to raise their own children, and support their families.

This financial year we welcomed 301 new ladies to the Living Hope program. A number of ladies from the previous intake were retained as community leaders and are involved in the visitation and identification of new ladies. They exhibit great leadership skills and are mentoring the newest members of the program. during the 2013 calendar year 10 women underwent reconstructive surgery to have their ears fixed through the Constructive rehabilitation services in uganda (corsu). these procedures were carried out by a team of surgeons from France, led by the renowned dr. Firmin. the ladies were also given food subsidies for their families while they were having surgery. whilst they were in hospital they were looked after by fellow living hope ladies who had already been empowered and were in a position to provide this support.

Keep a girl in school (Kagis) is one of the interventions that is geared toward empowering girls while they are still young. a total of 1027 girls in 10 schools were given sanitary towels, soap and underwear during the 2013 calendar year. a total of 973 others were mentored and discipled throughout this time. our return to dignity (rtd) tours launched this year aiming to raise awareness about living hope and to market the book of the same name that was written by watoto co-founder marilyn skinner. in 2013/2014 she visited various countries around the world including canada, the us and australia, selling products made by the ladies in the program and raising awareness and funds for the ministry. the living hope program is possible as a result of the generous partners who support us, both locally and globally.


S U S T A I n A b I L I T yOur sustainability approach exists to generate additional income through profits made from external sales and to provide training and employment opportunities for ugandans. This benefits Watoto as well as local communities and has a national and regional impact. in 2013 we saw immense growth in our agricultural projects. approximately 15 acres of land were cleared for ploughing and corn was planted on the 5 acres that were ready ahead of the rainy season. Rice was planted across the rest of the acreage during the first rainy season of 2014. an average of 40 acres of fruit and vegetables were planted during the 2 cropping seasons, including tomatoes, eggplant, bitter african tomato, cabbages, beetroot, carrots, onions, pawpaw and watermelons. a steady supply of these were distributed to the villages and to markets around the city. in mid 2013 a group of australian farmers visited watoto and took an interest in the agricultural work being done. they recognised the need for water supply and generously raised money to build a 20 acre dam which was completed in august. the development of the dam is significant as it will have a direct impact on the farms productivity throughout the year, and in turn, on the income generated through agriculture.

watoto also operates a goat farm to provide milk for Baby watoto. as of January 2014 there are 101 goats on the farm producing an average of 630 litres per week. this equates to a daily average of 53.2 litres of milk supplied to our facilities. the farm employs 9 full time staff from the community around the suubi village. they are very committed people and take their work seriously. one lady is hiV positive and her earnings help to look after her and her children. sixteen watoto teenagers were involved in work on the farm during their school breaks this year, taking part in activities such as slashing and planting grass, and collecting forage for feed for the goats. one of our primary school classes also took a trip to the farm for a lesson in dairy farming and to experience firsthand what they had been learning in class.

our poultry farm has provided employment opportunities for men and women living in the neighbourhood. While some are employed full time others are contracted for specific jobs. this year the farm was improved by having solar pumps, equipment and fencing installed, through completion of our feed mill building, and by a backup generator being purchased. with over 8100 chickens, eggs are laid at an average of 250 trays per day which go to markets and local communities.

the sustainability projects act as a great magnet when it comes to attracting guests. it has resulted in many teams choosing to partner with us in an effort to increase self-sustainability and our ability to take care of africa’s vulnerable. as we provide work for the community we believe that we are making an impact in the great nation of uganda.

w w w . w a t o t o . c o m

@watotoaustral ia

WATOTO AUSTRALIApo Box 782

springwood, Qld 4127

(07) 3208 [email protected]

watoto australia - annual report 2014

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