Policy Plan 2025–2030
1. Objective:
To make education accessible for young people in Sondu and its surroundings who do not have the financial means themselves, nor do their families;
To enable further education after completing secondary school, so that young people can truly become self-sufficient;
To support local initiatives and develop local projects in Sondu and the surrounding area;
To aim for 95% of all incoming donations to be spent directly on the youth.
2. Board:
The board consists of five individuals, all volunteers: a chairperson, secretary, treasurer, and two members. They receive no remuneration. Board members may only claim actual expenses incurred, up to a maximum amount of €200 per calendar year.
The current board consists of: Lucie van Hassel, Chairperson; Gerdine van Loosdrecht, Secretary; Neltien Kreijger, Treasurer; Johan van Heumen, Member; and Jidske Rhijnsburger, Member.
The board works closely with an independent partner organization (NGO) in Kenya, called the MES Committee.
This committee provides advice and carries out the tasks requested by the board.
3. Finances:
Income:
Income is generated through the following activities:
Fundraising:
Recruitment of individual sponsors. A connection is made between the sponsor and a specific student.
Recruitment of individual donors.
Acquisition of structural sponsorships from companies and institutions.
Sales:
Collecting and selling second-hand books.
Management:
The treasurer is responsible for managing the foundation’s funds. At each meeting, the treasurer reports on income and expenses, and on any foreseeable developments. The board as a whole determines the financial policy.
The treasurer regularly checks whether the funds in Kenya are being used in accordance with the foundation’s objectives.
The assets are distributed across:
2 current accounts
2 business savings accounts (linked to the current accounts)
The funds in the savings accounts are intended to guarantee a secure buffer, ensuring that in the event of a loss of sponsors, the sponsored students are still guaranteed to complete their education.
Expenditures:
There are various expenditure categories, namely:
School fees and educational materials for secondary school
Medical care for students
Materials for preschool
One-time projects
Product purchasing costs
The majority of the funds are spent on paying school fees, educational materials, a warm meal, and medical care for the young people we sponsor. Payments are made per trimester. A small portion of the funds is used to sponsor materials for the local preschool.
Annual Accounts:
The treasurer prepares the annual accounts for the previous year in the first quarter of the new year.
The annual accounts and the annual report (from the secretary) are published on the website.
4. Public Relations
At least twice a year, a newsletter is published and sent to all sponsors and interested parties.
This newsletter is also posted on the website, in both Dutch and English.
We aim to attend at least two (small-scale) fairs each year.
5. Working Method
Sponsored Children:
Each year, primary schools in Sondu and the surrounding area nominate children to the MES Committee who cannot afford secondary school fees but are capable of successfully completing their education. This is determined based on their final score from primary school.
The MES Committee assesses whether the application is justified and conducts unannounced home visits to verify whether the child truly meets the foundation’s sponsorship criteria.
The MES Committee advises Stichting OKE on which children qualify for sponsorship.
Depending on available financial resources and administrative capacity, Stichting OKE decides how many and which children can be sponsored.
Lucie van Hassel – April 2025
