Annual General Report 2023
President’s Report to the annual General meeting of power of Education Africa Foundation
June 2024
2023 was the 10th year of the Foundation’s operations. In this milestone year, we returned to Kenya after 2 years of Covid-related absence. It was wonderful to reconnect with our students and helpers and interview and select 24 new students for sponsorship. We prepared for the departure of Father George Ochola, our advisor and Treasurer on our Kenyan Board, as he has been transferred out of Kenya indefinitely. He will remain an advisor and we will be in regular contact with him. Father George has been mentoring Richard Omaru, a CPA and we are confident he will very capably take on Father George’s tasks. We are very grateful for Father George’s contributions to our Foundation over the years and we will greatly miss his presence when we are working in Kenya.
This year we added Caroline Oluoch to our Kenyan team. She is the parent of two young adults and works full-time at the local university as a chef. Caroline has agreed to help us each year when we are in Kenya and support our students should they need assistance when we are back in Canada. From time to time our students need to talk about a sensitive matter to someone who is not their parent or teacher. Caroline travelled with us to the schools as we visited our students and participated in the new student interviewing process. Her nurturing nature and kind regard for her fellow Kenyans make her a very good fit for this work.
The in-person connections we make with our students, their educators, and our Kenyan helpers and advisors allow us to ensure our students can build a future for themselves knowing they have people supporting them who care about their educational needs, and their well-being. These relationships help us share with our sponsors and donors at a more personal and better-informed level than if we only administered from afar.
In 2023 Lesley Blok retired from her position as correspondence director. Lesley started as our Hospitality Director and successfully managed many events over the years. In her last few years with the Foundation Lesley moved to a position as Director of Correspondence providing updates to our sponsors and donors as well as thank you letters and answering queries. Lesley travelled to Kenya in 2020 and 2023 to work with our students and helpers. We thank Lesley for her many years of service to POEA and wish her all the best in the future.
Megan Otton also retired from her position in 2023. She began her association with POEA assisting with our Hospitality team. She later joined our board as Student Records Director. We are very thankful to Megan for her years of service and we wish her well in her future endeavours.
Activities in Kenya
In January of 2024, the beginning of our 11th year as a Foundation, we visited Kenya and reconnected with our students and their respective schools. We found them all well and thriving and enjoying their boarding school life. We welcomed 19 new high school students. We now have 54 high school students and 41 university students.
Lauren Selden, our POEA Technology Director travelled with me and proved to be avaluable addition to the team. She participated in all of our tasks and enjoyed working with our Operations Manager Kevin. Together they did most of the shopping, purchasing, organization, and delivery of supplies for our students. Her willingness to take on any task with good humour and a willingness to learn allowed me time to focus on other work that must be done when we were there. Lauren’s technical skills ensured we were able to connect with our Canadian board members during our annual Kenyan board meeting. As a photographer, she was able to take beautiful photos of our students. For a bit of fun, she set up a movie day for the young children living on the compound where we stay, complete with popcorn and treats. It was delightfully received by everyone.
It was joyful to meet the new students at their interviews and we saw them again (as we have every year) through the process of visiting their homes, registering them in school, and a few weeks later paying their tuition fees. Once again, we saw the new students settle in and watched them find their place in their school, as they proudly wore their new uniforms and expressed excitement at meeting new friends and new teachers. We again saw in their faces that renewed sense of hope as they came to realize that the boarding school would be their home for the next four years. Our students have often doubted that this chance is real until they are officially registered in school. Each new student can now look forward to the future and to the opportunities that further education will bring into her life.
Sponsorship is a gift for the future of not only the student but her entire family. Single, often widowed mothers are better able to care for their younger children when we remove the burden and guilt they feel as they try to find a way to pay for high school fees for the older ones. The mothers feel a tremendous sense of responsibility as they do not want their daughters to follow in their footsteps. This is often a foregone conclusion simply because of their level of poverty.
An example is our new student Roseline’s family history. Her father passed away last year after having run a successful small electronics business in town. The family lived and went to school in town. Roseline’s mother, now widowed with 4 young children to support and without a skill or business of her own was forced to move her family back to their rural ancestral home. The children had to leave their schools in town and Roseline’s mother had to sell a small plot of land to support their basic living and primary school expenses. This left no money left for high school fees and our student (the eldest) would have had a future with little hope of education beyond primary school. When we agreed to sponsor Roseline, her mom expressed tremendous gratitude and explained that “now she can breathe’ and care for her three younger children without the burden of knowing she could not help to educate hereldest daughter.
In the last few years, we have been meeting more and more of the poorest families who cannot afford to buy the basic supplies needed to join a boarding school. The reality for these families is that while it is a relief to have their daughter sponsored to high school, they are then faced with the dilemma of how they will pay for all the supplies. The schools are very strict, and a student will be sent away if she shows up on registration day without every item on the supply list. When we agree to sponsor these students, we buy all their supplies. We do encourage families to provide some small items, which they do, as this helps them feel part of the process and not embarrassed by their poverty.
The Foundation over the past 10 years
2023 marks Power of Education Africa Foundation reaching a milestone of 10 years in operation.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our endeavours over the years whether it was through their donated time and effort, and/or financially as a sponsor or donor. Every contribution has been and continues to be instrumental in making the Foundation the success it is today. The Foundation and our students are recipients of these gifts, and for this, we are tremendously grateful.
Many people continue to make it possible, but our Founder, Shiella Fodchuk, and the small group of people she gathered around her in the beginning, who helped her build and nurture the Foundation, cannot go without specific mention:
Shiella Fodchuk, Founder and the one who tirelessly shared her vision, travelled to Kenya to pave the way and nurtured many, many relationships to ensure its future success. Sheilla’s vision remains an inspiration to all of us continuing her work here in Canada and in Kenya.
Bo Fodchuk, Shiella’s husband Co-founder, and a lawyer developed our Constitution and advised on many other requirements.
Ann Kober, a lawyer who provided wise, legal, and practical advice, particularly as we worked through the phases of NGO registration.
Anne Millar, was Shiella’s partner in almost every aspect of the day-to-day operation. Of particular note were the excellent communication skills that she used to keep our sponsors and donors well informed. Her contribution to the success of POEA is beyond measure.
Syd Gallinger, as the Foundation’s first Treasurer guided us in putting a sound financial infrastructure in place. Syd retired as Treasurer but remains a Director on our Board and is chair of all of our meetings to which we are very grateful.
Shaaron Fedora, our original Secretary was dedicated and generous of her time and expertise. Her advice about meeting protocols and record-keeping was an invaluable contribution.
David Yeung, travelled to Kenya with Shiella and took beautiful photos that we used for our stationary, reports, and on our website.
Shiella Fodchuk, Founder of Power of Education Africa with students, over the years.
10 years of POEA
In 2013 we started with 24 students and on average accepted 20 new students each year. So far, we have sponsored a total of 204 high school students and many of these students went on to colleges and universities. In early 2024 we had a total of 22 post-secondary graduates with degrees in Nursing, Education, Economics, and Human Resources and diplomas in Social Work, Communications, and Building and Construction. Two students have completed master’s degrees in Law and are now aspiring young lawyers.
Over the years we had some students drop out due to pregnancy, but we always offered them the opportunity to return to school once their baby was born. Most did return to school, but a few did not, and we were saddened we could no longer help them on their educational journey.
While our mandate is to educate girls, we have assisted a few boys throughout the years due to their dire or very compelling circumstances. One, now a young man has just completed his law degree and continues to help the Foundation with our post-secondary students as well as serving on our Kenyan Board of Directors. Another is working on completing his teaching degree and will graduate next year. Both young men have a strong belief in equality and the value of working together to build strong families and communities through education.
The Foundation has also assisted several adults. For example, we helped one of our volunteers complete her social work degree and she was able to leave us and secure a good full-time job. Another was a young man with post-polio syndrome who was able to complete a Bachelor of Education degree and is now teaching in his town.
Over the years we have carefully built a team of helpers in Kenya with whom we have a relationship of trust, and we can depend on them to carry the beliefs and culture of POEA, especially when we are not there. The strength of these relationships was put to the test during the Covid-19 restrictions, and we are happy to report they did not let us down. Everyone worked very hard to take care of the work on the ground despite the many obstacles the pandemic presented. Even though we were not able to travel to Kenya in 2021 and 2022 our team of helpers was able to cater to all the needs of our existing students. They were also able to interview and do home visits for 12 very needy girls who would have suffered greatly had they not been sponsored to go to school.
We could not do our work without the great skills of our Kenyan team.
Board of Directors: Roles and Responsibilities
Jennifer Owen Blacklock, our Treasurer, is a CPA specializing in Forensic Accounting. Joining our board in 2019 she continues to prepare our Annual Financial Statement and file the Annual CRA Return . She works with Judy Mostardi, our bookkeeper on our Kenyan bookkeeping, accounting, reporting and auditing services. Jennifer’s knowledgeable, professional presence on our Board gives us confidence in all our financial dealings. Jennifer had this to say about her experience with POEA:
“My work with POEA began five years ago when I joined the Board of the Foundation as Treasurer. Over the years, my appreciation for this organization and the people involved has grown. What first attracted me to the POEA was the idea that we can change the trajectory of impoverished Kenyan girls’ lives and I was happy to provide my accounting skills to that endeavour. As I got to know how the organization works, I was impressed with the vision our Board has of keeping our overhead low so that the maximum funds are set aside to directly support the girls in Kenya. I have gained a real appreciation for the volunteer team here in Vancouver who bring their collective skills together to work on this project. Finally, it has been incredibly rewarding to get to know either via Zoom or email many of the dedicated people on the ground in Kenya from helpers who work with the girls and keep records for us to the Kenyan auditors, accountants and lawyers who assist with our required regulatory filings. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this Foundation.”
Syd Gallinger, chairs our meetings and provides steady leadership on the Board. He guided us in putting a sound financial infrastructure in place. Syd retired from his role of Treasurer, but he continues to provide guidance to all of us when needed and chairs all of our board meetings. Syd had this to say about POEA:
“I joined the board of POEA as treasurer of the foundation in 2013. Although I am no longer the treasurer I continue to serve on the board. I am honoured to be a part of a charity whose purpose is to educate young women in Kenya who would not otherwise have the opportunity to complete high school. Over the years, the Board has had to deal with some difficult situations, but we have remained true to our purpose. For that, I am proud. As we move into our second decade, we continue to carry out our important goal of improving the lives of young Kenyan women. Of course, we are always encouraging of new volunteers and donors who share our important goal.”
Secretary, June 2024 Tristan Durrad joined our board in this role. The secretary prepares agendas and notices of meetings, records comprehensive minutes of our Board meetings, and prepares annual tax receipts. We are very pleased to have a permanent Secretary on our Board.
Dr. Phil Sestak, is the CEO of our operations in Kenya, sitting ex-officio on the Kenyan Board of Directors, as well as being a Director on the Board in Canada. Phil has the authority at our Kenyan bank and with the schools to run the operation in Kenya, if needed. With many years of experience working as a volunteer HIV/AIDS physician in Africa, Phil brings extensive knowledge to both Boards of Directors. Phil had this to say about POEA:
“As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Foundation, I want to briefly reflect upon our journey. In doing so, I return to the Mission Statement of our founding members. Our mission has been to assist girls in impoverished areas of Kenya to gain access to secondary (and sometimes post-secondary) education and in doing so, to help them rise out of the underlying effects of poverty, gender inequality, cultural oppression and the devastating effects of HIV disease among their family members.
In the first year of our Foundation, we also accepted a limited number of impoverished boys, and of the several students that I have assisted, perhaps this one boy’s achievements represent the hopes to which all of our students aspire. His mother, father, and grandfather had all died of HIV disease, and he was living with his grandmother, who although also living with HIV disease, was managing on HIV medications. He had shown great promise in his elementary school, and with our Foundation, I have sponsored him in high school and university. He graduated near the top of his class in high school and was accepted into the Law program at one of the best universities in Kenya where he graduated with Honours, in the upper one-third of his class. He is now completing his articling requirements. He has related to me that without the help of our Foundation he would, almost certainly, have been relegated to living a life of poverty on the streets.
To date, our Foundation has sponsored over two hundred students – through high school and many are now also completing post-secondary education in programs as varied as medicine, law, nursing, engineering, accounting and others. For these students we have been instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty and of likely bleak futures by providing them with access to education, to adequate nutrition and the safety of, in nearly all cases, boarding schools. We have helped them to complete their education – a mark of status in their communities – and have helped them build senses of self-esteem, self-worth and confidence. We have helped to provide foundations for their subsequent choices of careers and of work. My personal experiences with our students over several trips to Kenya has convinced me that our sponsorships, donations and efforts have been very significant and have helped these students thrive in numerous ways. Our efforts and accomplishments have been limited in the overall picture of the great needs of students in Kenya, but for these more than two hundred students, they have doubtless been life altering.”
Lauren Selden, our Director of Technology, updates our website as needed, formats the Annual Report for publication, maintains our social media accounts, and edits Keynote presentations for our events. Lauren brings a valuable skillset to the Foundation and has travelled to Kenya on several occasions to help with our work on the ground. Lauren had this to say about POEA:
“My years working for this foundation have been life-changing and affirming in ways I cannot describe. I am so proud of the incredible work we are doing, and truly honoured to travel to Kenya with Darlene (and in the past, Shiella). Having the opportunity to work with our Kenyan team (Kevin and Caroline) always inspires me. We are truly lucky to have built such a safe and welcoming Kenyan team and thanks to them, we have the ability to build a truly deep and authentic understanding of life in Nyanza Province. Most of all, getting the chance to meet our new students each year, and witnessing their confidence grow thanks to the support of POEA is truly heartwarming and inspirational.”
Richard Kyle Paisley, is an international lawyer and Director of the Global International Waters Governance Research Initiative at the Institute of Asian Research at UBC. He has worked extensively throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas including with the marginalized and disadvantaged in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other Nile Basin countries. Richard had this to day about POEA:
“I am honoured and pleased to have the privilege of working with POEA. I cannot say enough good things about the dedication, and professionalism, of the POEA team who continue to make a real and significant difference on the ground in Africa. I look forward to continuing to work with my POEA colleagues to recruit, and inspire, the next generation of POEA leaders, both here in Canada and in Kenya, as well as give them the tools and skills they will need to make POEA as sustainable as possible going forward. Thank you Sheila and Bo who first encouraged me to get involved!”
Judy Mostardi, our bookkeeper, has been an essential cornerstone of the Foundation since its inception in 2013. We are happy to announce that in 2024 she agreed to join our board as a Director. She works tirelessly and with attention to detail making everyone else’s work easier. We are very thankful and fortunate she shares her time and energy with us. Judy had this to say about POEA:
“It is with deep gratitude to witness the response and enthusiasm of our donors and our Board of Directors towards providing a better future for our students in Kenya. On a personal note, when I read the story of my first student and her baby, I cried. A few years later, I was sent an updated photo of her with her daughter where she now was a lovely young woman full of life and sharing laughter with the photographer. Her life had been transformed and the future held more promise. This experience has happened many times over with the students, is very encouraging, and makes the program so worthwhile. It has been a privilege to have sponsored girls and also to have helped out POEA by taking care of the bookkeeping part of administration.”
Advisors, Committee Chairs and Core Volunteers
Fr. George Ochola, is Treasurer of the Board of Directors in Kenya. In 2023 Father George was transferred to South Australia indefinitely and remains on our Kenyan Board as an advisor. We are very grateful for all of Father George’s years of service to the Foundation and thankfully we continue to be in touch with him. He recently reported that he is doing well and settling into a much different life than the one he had in Kenya—in particular getting ready to experience his first cold winter.
Richard Omaru, has joined our Kenyan Board due to Father George’s departure. Richard is a Kenyan Certified Public Accountant and will be responsible for our Kenyan expenditures when we are not in Kenya. He is engaged in budgeting, writing cheques (with other signatories), sending funds to students, and recording expenditures monthly. Richard is a husband and the father of 4 children and has strong beliefs in the value of educating girls.
Honorary Members
Shiella Fodchuk is the Founder, former President and until retiring, a Director of POEA. She was instrumental in building the Foundation from the ground up and gathered together an amazing group of people to help further her cause of educating the neediest girls in one of the most impoverished places in Africa. She worked tirelessly, in very challenging and in often uncomfortable physical conditions and forged relationships in Kenya that continue to
support us to this day.
Bo Fodchuk Bo is a retired lawyer and is a Co-Founder of POEA. He coined the name of the Foundation, developed our Constitution and Bylaws, obtained our registration as a Society and secured our status as a Registered Canadian Charity. He advised us on new regulations in the Societies Act. He files our Annual Report in Victoria, maintained our Minute Book, and provided legal advice. His contribution to the Foundation is greatly appreciated.
Anne Kober retired as a Director in March 2019, but remains an Honorary Member. Over six years Anne helped us to set up the Foundation as a registered charity. She provided wise, legal and practical advice to the Board. She successfully guided us through the several phases of NGO registration, banking signatory protocols, and the composition of the Board of Directors in Kenya. Anne worked to protect our interests while achieving a balance of Kenyan and Canadian representation. We miss her regular presence among us and her contribution.
Anne Millar held multiple roles as Director of Communications and of Student Records until her retirement. Over the years she partnered with Shiella in sharing visionary responsibilities, deliberations, and decisions, in almost every sphere of our operations. Throughout the years, Anne assumed the vital work of corresponding with sponsors and donors, sending out hundreds of handwritten letters, photographs of our work in Kenya, student letters to sponsors, and tax receipts. She educated sponsors about our protocols, students, the Kenyan education system, and she expressed our gratitude to them. Anne updated our donor and sponsor lists and our student and family contact information. She maintained our student records, which enabled her to know our students, their schools and home situations, the students’ schools, forms, grades, and admission numbers. She developed complete student profiles and all other necessary documents for us to take to Kenya.
Dr. Moira Chan and Dr. David Yeung We are very grateful to the Moira and David Foundation for continuing their major financial support of the Foundation. They sponsor students and have paid for the installation of solar lamps in the homes of our day scholars. Their donations also subsidize our graduate students in their post-secondary education as not every sponsor is willing or able to continue carrying the sometimes considerable cost of their student’s post-secondary tuition and room and board.
Future considerations
In 2025 we will travel to Kenya again to meet our students, school principals, and helpers. We will not have the opportunity to sponsor new students as there have been some changes in the Kenyan primary education. Previously grades 1-8 were government funded and grades 9-12 were private funding only. Starting in 2023 grade 9 will be government funded as part of the junior secondary school program (grades 7-9). 2025 will be the first cohort of grade 9s in the program. As a result, the existing primary schools already with limited space, a lack of resources, and too few teachers will have to accommodate the grade 9s as well.
We hope the new Junior Secondary program can successfully prepare students for senior high school and in 2026 we can meet and interview students wanting sponsorship (grades 10-11). Moving forward our team will continue to work hard and adapt to changes to the education system in Kenya as required. Helping students attend high school is still our most important mandate.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or if you would like to get involved with the administration of our Foundation.
With very best regards and gratitude
Darlene Durrad, President