Annual Report 2021
ACCOUNTABILITY
Do you want to help someone who is dependent on help, in a way that is lasting? Do you want to take part in a paradigm shift?
Message from the CEO
As fellow human beings, many of us feel that the earth’s resources should be distributed fairly.
At the same time, if we donate money to aid organisations, for example, it may feel uncertain whether the grant will really be useful. The development goals set in 2000 were not achieved in 2015 as planned. Instead, new goals were set with the hope that they will be achieved by 2030. But in reality, the number of extremely poor people in Africa is increasing at a breathtaking rate, 150 million more extremely poor persons in 20 years. It is unacceptable. We have an aid budget from the OECD of USD 150 billion a year, Sweden and several other countries have provided aid for 60 years.
The society is making great progress in many areas, but not in this area. Being extremely poor is extremely difficult. We live for the day.we are worried and there are no opportunities to change the situation. Cecilia wants to give these people exactly that, opportunities, to change their situation themselves. But she does not want to do it in a “feel-sorry” way, she wants to work professionally and generate measurable and sustainable results. She wants to create a large and powerful organisation that has good finances, secure income, qualified staff, a professional way of working and high standards. Cecilia also wants to work with vulnerable people in an equal and respectful way. Therefore, cooperation must be based on mutual and well-defined benefits. Cecilia claims that she is working for a paradigm shift.
Well, it’s not an easy task, albeit an honorable one. But Cecilia is convinced that it will work, and she does not give up. She has worked day and night for 15 years with this in focus. She has founded a voluntary organization Action10 and a social enterprise Human Rights & Science (HR&S). During these 15 years, a lot has gone wrong, but Cecilia has developed a strategy to effectively learn from her mistakes and to adjust the business to the new knowledge. Action10 and HR&S are independent flexible organizations that can be quickly and efficiently adapted to new findings. A lot has also generated good results. HR&S now has local offices in eight sub-Saharan countries and has reached 10,000 people in extremely poor environments with products and services that improve their living conditions in various ways.
Cecilia’s strategy includes establishing a network of scientific researchers, innovators, social entrepreneurs and decision makers who together reach out to people in need with the products and services they have expressed need for. She has developed a management strategy that she offers the management of institutions with relevant actors. The management strategy takes into account the specific conditions prevailing in sub-Saharan countries.
Cecilia has also established local support packages for researchers, innovators and social entrepreneurs which include training, expert advice, contact with suppliers from Europe, networks with relevant actors, access to computers and internet, co-working space and corporate loans. These two activities, management strategies and local support packages, work together to reach out to the extremely poor but also to other vulnerable people who lack opportunities. However, not all local support packages are fully developed yet, nor have we established cooperation with all the actors we seek contact with, but this is understandable because change takes, and must take, time.
Strategies, networks and local support packages are in place, but on a limited scale, so now we just want to grow. We want to reach more people and offer more products and services. We intend to become an actor who makes a real impression, who takes many, many people out of extreme poverty in a sustainable way. Cecilia offers you to contribute, you are welcome to participate in a unique and innovative program that puts your fellow human being in focus and that is only satisfied if there is scientific evidence for sustainable improvements. A paradigm shift based on collaboration with, and respect for and understanding of, people in other places and in other environments. You are welcome to help us grow and become a member of the HR&S family. We welcome you who want to deepen your knowledge and you who want to contribute. We welcome monthly donors, philanthropists, and companies with corporate social responsibility (CSR) operations.
31 December 2021
Assoc. Prof. Cecilia ÖMAN
Founder and CEO of HR&S, Founder and President of Action10
Financial Analysis
2015 – 2020
Financially the period 2015 – 2020 has been characterized by bootstrapping and volunteer work. The founder has contributed with capital when income was low. The income consisted of three consultancy assignments and one Major Giver donation. One Major Giver donation created the foundation ActionInvest capital, which was invested and regained. The expenses were limited to fees for co-working space, bank, website, telephone and insurance. Investment capital for business loans through ActionInvest has been kept at the EUR 10,000 level every year.
2021
Also 2021 has been characterized by bootstrapping and volunteer work. The founder has contributed with capital to manage the company costs. The expenses were limited to fees for co-working space, bank, website, telephone and insurance.
ActionInvest raised SEK xxx. Funds were distributed according to the Table ActionInvest below.
Accontability
Working at locations were corruption is social norm, rule of law is not efficient and social support structures does not include foreigners requires special accountability attention. We work with agency for change, volunteer approach and direct and longterm benefit motivation.
Lessons learened & Informed decisions
Funds are raised on a continuous basis by Action1o. The purpose with the fundraising is to create a platform for cross-cultural awareness as well as generatting a capital for business loans. The ActionInvest is also used to reimburs external and professional auditors and can be used occasionally to reimburse coaches small, in case the local HR&S branch cannot afford. Ove the years, sinces the launching of Action10 in 2009 a number of programmes have been supported.
Villages in Togo. The first and one of our flagships is the support to villagers in Togo. The focus is on local small scale businesses, and local partners requesting collaborations are ususally female farmers selling crop and value added products from the farm; food, drinks and grinded crop, but also other businesses run by women mainly hairdressing, medical drugs, animal husbandry and small villages shops. A few men is also requesting collaboration, maybe support to sell their cotton. The programme has included also other components such as education and health care, and has changed programme manager two times. The programme supports 200 – 300 parallel businesses with business loans, business management training, keeping funds safe, and weekly consultation.
Reintergration in Liberia. Another flagship programme that started early, our second programme, is reintegration of former child soldiers (FCS) in Liberia. Our partners has always been IDEFOCS and we have supported IDEFOCS to interact with the FCS in ghetto areas in Monrovia and collect their ambitions, we have bought farm land in a fishing village and within the programme IDEFOCS has cleared the farmland, started agriculture,build a water pump, and build a home with five bed-rooms where FCSs can live and farm while becoming drug free and ready to join the society. The next step is to be able to offer trauma counselling.
Teaching English language to adults in Nigeria. We have been supporting various initiatives by SpellAfrica in Nigeria to train adults in the English language and have successfully empowered adults in general. The programme had difficulties to become financially sustainable, as the students were not able to pay for the education, eventhough we tried creative solutions. Thus, this programme is on hold for now.
Chusa saloons in Uganda is a potential flagship where girls from the slum area Kamwoya who had left school were trained to become hair dresseras and are now setting up their own saloons. Dolas Creation in Kenya is opertating withtin the slum area Kibra and is locally producing and selling fashion clothes. Amani Women Group is managing as saving and credit institution in a small village in Kenya with a democratic governance.
The programme LINK-UP empowering early education and PanaPads producing sanitary pads were programmes with potential but which closed themselves down as a result of external and internal challenges.
Action-Invest
| Year | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |
| Funds raised | |||||||||||||
| Monthly Givers | 63,577 | 64,173 | 74,516 | 74,495 | 72,186 | 81,297 | 71,14 | 42 501 | 38,955 | 44,923 | 25,971 | 12300 | |
| Global Giving | 28,644 | 33,633 | 21,39 | 6,033 | 12,747 | 7,871 | 32,513 | N/A | |||||
| Targeted Donations | 200 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16,79 | 34,002 | 0 | 973 | ||||
| Corporate Donations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 000 | |||||
| Projects and Events | 0 | 0 | 15,614 | 433 | 260 | 1,13 | 2,443 | 5 275 | |||||
| Restricted Donations | 0 | 0 | 67,964 | 0 | 40,953 | 18,662 | 500 | 950 | |||||
| TOTAL | 96,498 | 99,806 | 179,484 | 80,961 | 126,146 | 128,75 | 148,598 | 56,726 | 39,928 | 44,923 | |||
| Funds transferred | |||||||||||||
| IARAD | Togo | 0 | 27801 | 9300 | |||||||||
| S.E.VIE | Togo | -9604 | -22593 | -87734 | -34057 | -16600 | -41720 | -36276 | -38500 | -30773 | 0 | ||
| L&D villages | Togo | -73511 | |||||||||||
| Spell Africa | Nigeria | -4886 | -21468 | -20415 | -19920 | 0 | -18739 | -8750 | |||||
| IDEFOCS | Liberia | -26290 | -378 | -52799 | -6264 | -73679 | -46029 | -114478 | -18850 | -10601 | -45513 | ||
| Creative Arts | Uganda | -14745 | -21300 | ||||||||||
| Dolas Creation | Kenya | -20773 | |||||||||||
| LINK-UP | Cameron | 0 | -3613 | 0 | -1766 | ||||||||
| Amani Women | Kenya | 0 | -18977 | ||||||||||
| BanaPads | Uganda | 0 | -18951 | 0 | 0 | -18904 | |||||||
| TOTAL | -128709 | -87038 | -162986 | -60241 | -131820 | -106488 | -152521 | -85004 | -41374 | 45513 |
Management & Operation Report
Operation Report *
Our partners in the target countries are local social enterprises or associations. Our partners are in charge of the tasks and operations on ground. HR&S collaborated with eleven Country partner organisations in six countries during 2020.
Programme management partners
Our collaboration operations were managed by eleven development institutions in six countries in Africa Senexel in Burkina Faso, Amani Woman group and Dolas Creation in Kenya, IDEFOCS and Little Bassa community in Liberia, SpellAfrica and NoveleQ in Nigeria, S.E.VIE and M Yawo community in Togo, and 256 Creative Arts as well as Ubuntu Art House in Uganda.
Management Report *
RISE Support Centres
The focus of 2020 was to strengthen each RISE Centre with very competent coaches and auditors. Four coaches and one auditor were assigned for each Centre, and a lot of effort was invested in training and team-building. With support from the coaches, all programmes were reviewed and areas requiring strengthening were strengthened. During 2020, HR&S has strengthened the RISE Support Centres and our team of coaches and auditors in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, and Uganda. HR&S has also negotiated a new Centre in Burkina Faso.
Our collaboration operations were managed by eleven development institutions in six countries in Africa. The implementation of programmes was successful and also challenging; lessons were learned were fed into the organisation by adjusting our tools and strategies. HR&S has during 2020 strengthened our on-line communication with our partners.
As a conclusion from 2020, HR&S is content with what we are doing and how we are doing it. The frame of operations is laid down and the aim from now on is scaling.
Action10
HR&S has also empowered the relation between HR&S and Action10 through streamlining. Action10 was run by 52 volunteer staff members during 2020. The financial fundraising result for 2020 was SEK 96,498 and the Action10 administration costs represented 4,2 % of the funds raised.
Active assignments during 2020*
During 2020 we worked actively on 20 assignments.
On total has HR&S, over the years, been involved with around 50 different assignments.
- Basic education with sustainable economy & children abuse prevention Togo
- Community services Kenya
- Ghetto interventions & survey addressing former child soldiers Liberia
- Waste management in slum areas Liberia
- Promoting local handicraft by former child soldiers; knitted items glass-pearl items Liberia
- Botanical Reintegration Village Liberia
- Back2Shool Nigeria
- Promoting local handicraft; Shea butter Togo
- Promoting local handicraft; West African fabric tailored items Togo
- Early pregnancies prevention & tailoring training Togo
- Research management workshops; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Togo, Mali
- An office established ready to create central laboratories with sustainable economy Nigeria
- Offering light and homework support in rural areas in the evenings Togo
- Installing sustainable solar-panel businesses in villages Togo
- Adding value to crop Liberia
- Improved irrigation Togo
- Installing sustainable milling businesses Togo
- Radio call-in to ask questions to stigmatised citizens Liberia
- Promoting local handicraft; baskets, jewelleries Rwanda
- Promoting local handicraft; jewelleries and cards Uganda
- Promoting local handicraft; tailored clothes in fabric East African style Kenya
Country Partners in 2021
We have been collaborating with xx different Country partners in seven African sub-Saharan countries during 2020.
- Senexel: Boubacar SENOU, CEO and Founder
- Amani Women Group: Mama SHIRU, CEO and Founder
- Dolas Creation: Frederick ATING’A, CEO and Founder
- L&D
- KIMU Coffee
- xxx
- Initiative for the Development of Former Child Soldiers (IDEFOCS): Morris MATADI, CEO and Founder
- Little Bassa Community: Chief of the Village
- SpellAfrica: Erezi EDOREH, CEO
- NoveleQ: Karniyus GAMANIEL, CEO and Founder
- Association Solidarité Enfance et Vie (S.E.VIE): Francois KLUTSÉ, CEO and Founder, Délali ADEDJE, CEO Assistant
- M.Yawo AHIAKPONOU: Yawo AHIAKPONOU, Programme manager, Adjo Martina AHIAWONOU, Programme manager adviser & Business manager, Filomene KOGLO, Programme manager adviser & Business manager
- 256 Creative Arts: Edward BUTIMBA, CEO and Founder
- Ubuntu Art House: Bernard OMONY, CEO and Founder
THE YEAR AHEAD
Scaling and reaching potential customers
Ahead, in 2022, will HR&S empower the work with establishing contacts with potential customers.
- We will establish links within the management at institutions in SSA countries , seeking relations with individuals, prove our performances through free seminars where we present our services and our previous results. Then we just stay in contact, invite to events.
- Work on CSR and agreed suppliers.
- Reach out to development institutions in Sweden with seminars to earn income and visibility. Seek grants to establish contact and visibility.
- Reach out to the public in Sweden with seminars to earn income and visibility.
- Empower our ActionTalks for knowledge sharing.
- ActionEvents and attract monthly givers.
Achievements 2021
- The goal is to scale by attract more researchers, innovators, social entrepreneurs and supporters that agrees with our ambition and core-values. (Networks)
- HR&S will also empower the work with the Strategy for Change concept.
- More, during 2021 will Action10 create its own crowd-funding platform.
- HR&S acknowledges how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guides towards a fair and equal partnership. Even though the GDPR concerns EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, HR&S states that it is fair to let the protection of personal information concern partners in all continents. Also, in line with our own ambition and core-values are we happy to acknowledge successful conclusion of the negotiations of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the launching trade deal 1 January 2021.
- Two more target countries, Zambia and Burkina Faso
Acknowledgement
We are for ever thankful to all of our coaches, auditors and programme management partners in out Target Countries in Su-Sahara Africa,who fight for development in a professional way, often under challenging conditions. We appreciate you and we admire you. We appreciate our Advisory Board for guidance. We are also grateful to the amazing team of Action10 volunteers that manages the ActionInvest programme on a volunteer basis. We thank the financial contributors of Action10.
We are grateful to out Senior Expert Advisers.