Retrak Annual Review 2013 (F)

AnnualReview

RetrakMetropolitan HouseCheadle HulmeCheshireSK8 7AZTelephone: +44 (0)161 485 6685Email: [email protected]: www.retrak.org

UK Registered Charity No. 1122799Company No 6424507

Facebook: Retrak CharityTwitter: Retrak_Charity

Contents

6 What We Do10 Our Impact in 201314 Achieving our Strategic Priorities30 Our Finances32 Thank Yous!34 Future Plans36 Ways You Can Help

(Derrick is no longer on the streets and is staying in Retrak’s centre whilst our social workers find him a way home)

www.retrak.org To find out more call 0161 485 6685

“ I thank Retrak for all the good things they have done for us throughout the year. I don’t know how it would have been if I was on the street.” Danny aged 13, Uganda


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“ Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing my son home – it’s like the dead have come alive again.” A mother of a reintegrated child, Ethiopia


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Why We Are HereEvery night, millions of children are forced to sleep on the street suffering hunger, poverty, abuse and violence. These children receive little or no help, have no hope of a positive future, and some will not survive.

We believe that these children deserve a voice, an opportunity of a sustainable future, and a way back home. We believe that no child should be excluded, forgotten or ignored and we are motivated by our Christian faith to work towards our vision of no child being forced to live on the street.

What We DoAt Retrak, we work to return children forced to live on the street to loving family homes, either with their biological families or with foster families. We do this by reaching out to children in their own environment through our outreach workers and gaining their trust. Children receive urgent medical care, counselling to overcome the traumas of the street, food, shelter from harm, and catch-up education to start building their future.

Our staff go to great lengths to trace families, and once they are reunited, we provide support to ensure that the family has a sustainable income, and that children can return to school or vocational training. We also make follow-up visits to ensure that children who return home remain safe, happy and supported.

To prevent children from coming to the street in the first place, we supports families, carers and communities. Through training, child protection awareness and self-help groups, this support addresses the root causes of why children are on the street. In 2013 Retrak received a special certificate of recognition for its community work from the Mayor of Gimbicho, a town in Ethiopia, where we work.

EthiopiaUganda

DRC

Kenya

Tanzania

MozambiqueZimbabwe

Malawi


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MESFINS STORY

Mesfin’s mother died when he was just two years old. Rejected by his father he was sent to live with his aunt and his uncle who is disabled. They were always struggling to make ends meet. Mesfin heard that he could make money by going to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and set off for the city at just 12 years old.

When he got there, he couldn’t find shelter, his clothes were taken, and he was hungry. He lived like this, in constant fear, for a week. He was found by Retrak and offered counselling, medication, food, and life skills training.

Retrak retraced Mesfin’s family and offered them financial support to create an income. This money bought Mesfin a new bike, which he uses to go to school and to the market, as well as to rent out. Mesfin’s uncle said, “I thought my boy was lost forever but thanks to Retrak we got our child back.”


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Our impact inRetrak works to change the lives of the children that we meet on the streets: reuniting them with their families, or placing them into foster families and supporting their caregivers. We also strive to impact the lives of vulnerable children and their families in order to try and prevent these children turning to the streets. We work hard every year to increase the reach of our work, because we know there are many more children on the verge of running away from home, or already suffering on the streets of the towns and cities where we work.

Childrenfostered

Childrenfostered

Children reunifiedwith families

Children reunifiedwith families

Children reunitedwith families

School Bus

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Caregivers supported

Retrak and Retrak partners’

staff trained

Street childrenSupported

Vulnerable childrensupported


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YvonneS story

Yvonne was only ten years old when she was found living on the streets by Retrak’s partner Child Rescue Kenya (CRK). It was August 2013 and Yvonne had been on the streets for over a year – feeling afraid, alone, and in danger. It took two weeks for CRK staff to earn Yvonne’s trust by involving her in different activities and even longer to find out that Yvonne had been born to unmarried parents. After being initially raised by her mother she was then taken by her father, only to find that when her father did marry, her step-mother mistreated her and wouldn’t let her attend school. CRK staff were able to trace Yvonne’s aunt who got in touch with her mother. On hearing that Yvonne had been found, her mother immediately travelled to Kitale to find her child and could not hide her happiness, crying tears of joy at being reunited. CRK worked with Yvonne’s mother to ensure that she would stay safe and well in her care. When they got in touch to follow-up with Yvonne, they found that she was well, with her mother, and back in school.

“ Being able to go to class felt like a dream. I was welcomed with love and I felt valued.” Luke aged 14, Uganda

“ l am so excited and grateful to Retrak for this help. I will use this chance to develop myself. Thank you and thank you again.” Bassima aged 17, Ethiopia

“ When I started attending the training facilitated by Retrak staff, it never occurred to me that I would come this far.” Peter aged 24, now a salon manager, Uganda


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Achieving our Strategic PrioritiesWhen developing our strategic plan 2013 – 2017 we worked with street children, staff and stakeholders to identify what we would focus on in order to deliver our vision of creating a world where no child is forced to live on the street. What follows is an update on our progress told through the eyes of the children to highlight how we are achieving each one of these priorities.

Retrak provides street children with a safe and real alternative to life on the street.

Priority

www.retrak.org

It is hard to imagine it, or even believe it but there are thousands of children who have to sleep on the streets. These children go to bed every night wondering if they will be safe while they sleep and if they will wake up again in the morning. It is a life of extreme hardship and vulnerability that most of us will never face – it is difficult to imagine being 9 years old and facing this alone. Retrak works to give street children a place of shelter and safety as Isaac’s story overleaf demonstrates.

Children no longer on the street(reintegrated, fostered or in

independent living)Children accessed

shelter

Accessed educationand employment

To find out more call 0161 485 6685

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“ Staying at Retrak has saved me so much from beatings on the street.” Eddie aged 13, Uganda

IssacS story

Isaac’s father died when he was just a few months old, leaving his mother to raise three children single handedly. She managed for several years until it became impossible and was forced to leave the children with extended family. However, Isaac’s uncles mistreated them so Isaac ran away to try and find his mother.

Isaac ended up living on the streets. Other children taught him how to scavenge for food, water, and where to sleep, but with no other help he became disheartened. But then, Isaac found the Retrak centre. “The welcome I got, I had never received it anywhere I had been,” he said. Isaac received food, medication and a place to wash. When he told his friends on the streets about Retrak’s services all three of his friends followed him.

Isaac learnt to grow vegetables, look after farm animals, and went to school each morning. When he was ready, Retrak social workers helped him trace his family and organised for him to meet his mother at the centre. “I was very happy and I could not believe it!” he said. “After seven years without a glimpse of her! I met my mother at the centre and this day I will never forget.” His mother was also overwhelmed to see her child after so long, and tears rolled down her cheeks when they met. Isaac went back to living with his mother, but stays in touch with Retrak regularly, letting us know how he is now settled and happy with a person he loves.

“ I am now sure of returning home, because I know Retrak will help me go back.” Godfrey aged 14, Uganda


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In self-help groups In childwelfare groups

In communityeducation workshops

Caregivers supported through community outreach including

Children reached throughcommunity outreach

To position Retrak as a development organisation that promotes family preservation and works with communities to prevent highly vulnerable children coming to the street.

Priority

Retrak recognises that the optimal place for a child to grow up is with their family and this is why we are concentrating more on helping families to stay together, for example by supporting the economic position of families in self-help groups. We are also beginning to implement plans that prevent children from going to the street. This involves working with communities and families to identify vulnerable children and support them to realise they have other options available to them other than turning to a life on the streets.

Photographs from Ethiopia, where Retrak runs a community based programme for child reintegration and family preservation.


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To expand the work of Retrak through partnerships for the benefit of highly vulnerable children living in poverty.

“ With Retrak’s wisdom and commitment we believe that Chisomo can go on to achieve even more for and with the children and their families.”

www.retrak.org

Priority

In reaching our vision of a world where no child is forced to live on the streets we need to work with other partners as the task is too big for us to resolve on our own. We want to work with partners who are experts at particular elements of working with children in order for us to learn and improve the services we offer to children and families. The case study overleaf highlights one of our partners in Ethiopia and the vital work they do.

Children reintegratedthrough partners

Children reachedin outreachthrough partners

Children receivingshelter, medical help,counselling or educationthrough partners

Vulnerable childrensupported bycommunity workthrough partners

To find out more call 0161 485 6685

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DANAS STORY

When Dana was 5 years old she was sent to a family to be a domestic worker. As a domestic worker she was still allowed to go to school, but her employers would often fly into a rage at her and she was beaten several times.

With nowhere else to go, and being desperate to stay in school, she accepted the beatings until one day her employers threw her out. Dana was homeless. She was taken in by a family who were also poor – she had nowhere proper to sleep, no sheet, mattress or pillow.

Dana came to the attention of Retrak’s partner, OPRIFS (Organisation for the Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children) who provided the family taking care of Dana with bedding, money for transport and school fees. OPRIFS has since ensured that Dana has been reintegrated with close family and that she can stay in school, meaning that she is stable, happy, and free from abuse.

“ OPRIFS strongly appreciates the close supervision and support of Retrak.” Ethiopia

“ Nearly every quarter, CRO receives feedback or follow-up of some sort from Retrak. Monitoring and networking visits as well as workshops for organisation strengthening. Their visibility at CRO is felt.” Uganda

“ The support from Retrak has been very productive in terms of a very horizontal relationship where Mkombozi has felt empowered and supported.” Tanzania


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ACTION ACTION ACTION

To inform Retrak’s research, advocacy and collaboration by being better at listening and engaging children’s voices in order that we work to change policy and practice in their favour.

Priority

Our mission statement states that we put children at the heart of what we do and one of our values is boldness. Both of these things motivate us to make more of our responsibility of listening to and engaging with children, taking what they say and think seriously.

We always need to do more. Below illustrates some of the things we currently do, and why it is important to give children a voice not only in Retrak, but also in wider public forums.

Retrak put children and families at the heart of what we do. This is what they said in 2013 and what we’re doing in response:

Most importantly, the children reported feeling more positive with Retrak than on the streets, and felt more positive when supported in family or in the community than in Retrak’s centres. This shows that it is vitally important that Retrak keeps working towards and advocating the reintegration and deinstitutionalisation of children.

We give all new children at the drop-in centre in Ethiopia a new set of clothes when they arrive.

Retrak are good at providing food and shelter but they need to provide more clothes after living on the street.

Retrak did well in reintegrating children home to families.

The children enjoy education but it could be better.

We hope to increase the number of children returning home in Uganda by 10% in 2014.

Retrak is training its staff in creative therapies such as music, dance and drama to make the educational experience as engaging as possible.

“ We are happy that Retrak is helping children to leave street life and become better people.” Geteye aged 14, Ethiopia


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To work with highly vulnerable children in areas of conflict and disaster situations.

Priority

This priority was a new addition to our strategy from previous years and the reason why it was included is because we feel that we can use our expertise to help in emergency situations where children are deeply affected. Initially we envisage this will be done (as the case study over highlights), through funding and supporting local partners who are already operating in areas experiencing disaster or conflict. We were delighted to be able to help our partner Rift Valley and see children like Mohammed protected during a terrible period of drought. Without your help Rift Valley would not have been in a position to ensure Mohammed had access to food and education during the drought, which would have had a detrimental impact on him growing into adulthood, potentially consigning him to a life of ongoing poverty.

“ I am grateful to Retrak staff that even when I returned, they did not chase me away but listened to my reasons for coming back and here I am being taken back home for the second time.” Moses aged 13, Ethiopia

Children, caregivers and community members reached in disaster situation


more girls attending school – an increase of 60% from 2012.

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MohammedS Story

Eight year old Mohammed lives in a region of Ethiopia affected by the East African drought which was the worst in the area for over 60 years. The UN estimates that it affected over 10 million people.

Mohammed is from a farming family and has four siblings. The drought meant that the family’s harvest was so poor, it was unable to feed them. All attention had to go to this serious crisis. “My parents are worried about our food, and not for our education.” Mohammed said.

Retrak operated a feeding programme for two schools with partner Rift Valley Children and Women’s Development Organisation, and along with Mohammed, helped over 600 children have the energy to study and get to class, relieving the parents of this pressure. Mohammed says, “I am very much happy about attending school without much worry. Last year I stood 12th in my class, this year I am third!”


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OUR FINANCES

Creating Safe Spaces & Rebuilding Childhood 41%

Project Costs and Advocacy 82%

Raising Standards 6%

Preserving Families & Nurturing Community 20%

Returning Children Home 26%

SpeakingOut 7%

UK Fundraising and Admin 15%

US Fundraising and Admin 2%

Audit and Governance 1%

Cost per beneficiary

spend on

charity

activities

HOW WE SPENT

OUR INCOME

Creating safe spaces and rebuilding childhood

Raising standards Average cost of the Retrak Programme for one child

Returning children home

Preserving families and nurturing community


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Thank yousA huge thank you to everyone who has supported Retrak during 2013. You have given children a real alternative to life on the street, and helped us move closer to our vision of no child being forced to live on the street.

Whether you are a fundraiser, volunteer, church, donor, company, trust or institution, your support is greatly appreciated, and we’re excited about what we can continue to achieve together.

Here are just some of our supporters fromGreater Manchester East ScoutsCheadle Hulme Methodist ChurchSt Paul’s ChipperfieldFleet Baptist ChurchChichester Baptist ChurchSt. Michael’s & All AngelsSt. Peter & St. Paul TonbridgeCMSWardle Academy RochdaleWalkden High SchoolThe Moran FamilyInternational Monetary Fund David Pickford Foundation Mercury Phoenix Global Giving America The Hillfield Trust The Zochonis Charitable TrustAnglican Aid (The Archbishop of Sydney’s Overseas Relief and Aid Fund) Dorfred Charitable TrustThe Girdler’s Company Charitable Trust Noel Buxton trust Cycle AfricaZurich Community Trust Ivy, Manchester

St. Michael’s, SandhurstRoger Vere FoundationMaranatha Christian Trust Stansfield Charitable TrustEvan Cornish Foundation Human Dignity FoundationSouter Charitable Trust The Conaniah Trust The Marr-Munning Trust St. Mary’s Charity Paget Trust The Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust C.B. and H.H. Taylor 1984 Trust Home Trust Fulmer Trust Diggs Family FoundationBetter LivesThe Tournelles Foundation Open Gate The Ceniarth Foundation Diocese of Southern Ohio Ashoka St. David’s Episcopal Church (Washington D.C.)Nairobi Chamber Chorus St. Paul’s, Trueveren


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Annual Review 2013

future plans

In Retrak’s 2012 annual review we stated that we would start working in other African countries. That vision became a reality in 2013 when we entered into a significant partnership in Malawi to work with the nation’s street and vulnerable children for a minimum of 5 years. We were also privileged to provide training to several organisations in Mozambique, DRC and Zimbabwe.

Looking back over the last 5 years I am amazed at what our incredible staff, generous supporters, loyal donors and committed volunteers have achieved. We have worked with a remarkable total of over 41,000 children and families, and together raised a staggering £4.6 million.

Our plans for the future include developing a way to count the number of children on the street in the places where we work so that we can see where there is the greatest need for our services, and to give us a baseline to measure how successful our preventative projects are in the future. We will also try to ascertain the life expectancy of a child once they start living on the street. Our hope is that this information will give us a more precise picture that will allow us to allocate our limited resources to the most needed places. We also believe that by having this level of detail we can influence decision makers in the way programmes are funded and designed.

We are committed to keep improving and maintaining our quality of care, and understanding our impact as the numbers of children and families we work with increases. We will also develop our projects promoting family preservation and working with communities (such as our self-help groups in Hosanna, Ethiopia) to prevent highly vulnerable children coming to the street, and aim to reach more highly vulnerable children in areas of conflict and disaster.

Ultimately, with your help in implementing these plans (please see over the page for ways you can help us) we will continue to speak up on behalf of children in every way we can, so that in the future no child will be forced to live on the streets of any village, of any town or of any city.

Diarmuid O’Neill Retrak Chief Executive

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Ways you can helpWe do everything we can to help street children. How can you help?

DonateYou can become a regular giver to Retrak and stay in touch with all of our news, or simply make a one-off donation. Regular gifts allow us to plan for the future and provide futures for the children we help.

£8 a month can shelter one child. £10 can buy a pair of school shoes for a child, £25 can pay school fees for a month, and £62 can trace one family of a child living on the street.

EventsChallenge yourself, get involved, and make a difference through one of Retrak’s events. We do everything from skydives, taking part in the UK’s major running events, to trips climbing Kilimanjaro. Or, you could find yourself sleeping out on the streets, living on £1 a day or walking on fire. To find out more visit our website or call us on 0161 485 6685. Also, if you have an idea for a fantastic event, we’d love to hear from you.

VolunteerGive your time to transform lives. Could you hold your own event? Get some friends together to fundraise? Take part in one of our campaigns? Or be an ambassador for Retrak, going out to groups to give presentations about our work?

Take Retrak to work, school or churchDoes your company have an annual charity, could you fundraise as an office, or do you have a CSR scheme? Call us to discuss how Retrak can become involved in your workplace or to share the ideas and experience we have of creatively communicating street children’s voices into schools and churches.

Leave a gift in your willYour will is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy of love, hope, and a future for children after you’ve gone. If you would like to find out more about leaving a gift to Retrak in your will or have any questions, please contact us.

For more information on any of these ways you can help please call us on 0161 485 6685 or visit our website www.retrak.org

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Retrak Annual Review 2013 (F)

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