Thomas Allport, Vantis Accounting & Advisory Senior, gives an account of a special trip to Malawi to provide accountancy support to a school for orphans
A day of work would normally take me no further, in a geographic sense, than the tropical climes of 66 Wigmore Street i.e. my desk. It was therefore with a heavy heart that I was asked to abandon that desk for a whole 12 days to provide my accountancy guidance in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Malawi. My precise destination was a place called Monkey Bay, where there is an amazing school for orphans, Mangochi Orphan Education and Training (MOET), whose funding was under threat due to the difficulties they were having producing meaningful accounting records for donors. It was a fantastic experience to apply my expertise in such extraordinary circumstances and this article is really to express my thanks to everyone that made me feel so welcome in Malawi.
As a litany of horrendous diseases continue to devastate the country, it is estimated that there are over 1 million orphaned children in Malawi and with a population of 12 million for the country as a whole, this is a truly shocking statistic. MOET was founded by a truly inspirational local headmaster, Patterson Majonanga, who became increasingly shocked by the situation a large proportion of orphans found themselves in, and sought to provide an education for such children.
From a class of just 15 children, the school has grown to cater for over 200 children, providing education for those up to the age 12, as well as one meal a day, seven days a week. The aim is to provide education for those through to the age of 12, providing feedback on the progress of the children and to give pupils the skills to help them earn a living safely.
Vantis was kind enough to arrange for me to take time away from my ‘normal’ workplace to provide guidance to the school on keeping accounting records. Unfortunately there I found many of the challenges to be similar to the day job and this to be more of a busman’s holiday. Bank reconciliations, control accounts, expense claims etc, but these were all made more interesting by the lack of electricity and local wildlife (of the insect variety) that seemed insistent on helping me out!
Vantis donated a laptop and I was therefore able to train staff to use this and produce the high quality information which the donors required. The staff are now able to keep proper records which, going forward, should enable them to meet their regulatory requirements and reassure overseas donors. Following my report, the overseas funding is no longer at risk, and the school can look to expand even further and provide a safe environment for local orphans to equip themselves for adulthood.
This was a once in a lifetime experience and they even said my accountancy skills were excellent! I made so many friends during my short stay, and I keep in regular contact with them. I now plan to visit MOET on a regular basis, starting with a trip later in 2009.
For further information, please contact Reza Motazedi, Head of Vantis’ Charity & Not for Profit Group. Alternatively, please complete the online enquiry form below.