The Foundation Board met on Sunday 7 April 2024 to present the 2023 activity report and approve the Foundation's accounts. Both received the unanimous approval of the Board members. We are therefore pleased to bring them to your attention and to publish them, in line with our commitment to transparency in the Foundation's activities. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at contact form.
2023 Activity Report
activity-report-2023-Gd-PublicA word from Chairman Eric Collet
Inauguration! It's the word we've been waiting 7 years to say and write. The word that means we're finally there: the children of Simien have a school that meets their needs and ambitions. This Sona school with its 9 classrooms, library, infirmary, accommodation for 20 teachers, filtered running water and electricity. This school is, we were told, the most beautiful and best equipped in the whole of the North Gondar region. We are very proud of it. Let's hope it sets a new standard and encourages the local and national authorities to invest more in education.
The festive inauguration was an opportunity for us to reaffirm our determination to continue our efforts. These buildings are just one stage in our project for the Sona community. We now need to embark on agri-environmental work to develop farming techniques and adapt to climate change. We also need to anticipate the return of tourists and work on the conditions for welcoming them, an essential financial resource for maintaining the school and the entire economic life of Simien. This maintenance is a clearly identified challenge in which everyone, the Foundation and its local partners, will have a role to play.
In Europe as in Africa, times are troubled and the future uncertain. Everywhere in the world, geopolitical and environmental crises are roaring, causing some people to flee and others to withdraw. We are aware of the enormity of what is at stake and of our infinitesimal power to change things. Thanks to your support, year after year, this small power enables us to change things at the root, on the ground and in depth through education. With our feet in the mud and our heads in the clouds, with all our children!
Eric Collet - Chairman