Making Donations
“The Got Matar Community Development Group thanks the large number of people as well as foundations and trusts that have generously contributed to our educational programmes. We have done our best to make prudent and efficient use of your donations and we hope that you can share our pride in what has been achieved. With your help, the livelihood prospects of thousands of young people have been transformed and the whole community can look to a better future.”
How to Donate
There are several ways in which prospective donors can contribute to GMCDG’s programmes.
Most donors find it convenient to donate through our partner registered charities. These are Ace Africa (UK) in London for donations in Sterling or other currencies, and Associazione SONIA in Rome for gifts denominated in Euros.
Donate to Ace Africa
Donations in support of the educational programmes of the Got Matar Community Development Group may be made via the registered charity Ace Africa (UK): https://www.ace-africa.org
Donors are asked to pay either by cheque or bank transfer, made in the name of Ace Africa (UK). It is important to indicate that the purpose of the donation is ‘support to Got Matar education programmes’. UK tax payers should indicate whether they would wish their contribution as eligible for Gift Aid. To ensure that full information is provided, donors may wish to complete the donation form which can be downloaded here:
Download the Ace Africa form here. (pdf)Cheques
Please send a cheque payable to ‘Ace Africa’ to: Ace Africa (UK),
c/o Lockton Companies LLP,
The St Botolph Building,
138 Houndsditch,
London EC3A 7AG
Bank Transfers
CAF Bank: 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ. England
Account name: Ace Africa UK
Sort Code: 405240
Account number: 00017187
SWIFT: CAFBGB21XXX
IBAN: GB65CAFB40524000017187
Contact
[email protected]
tel. (+44) 07440122478
Donate to Associazione SONIA
Please pay by cheque, bank transfer or credit, card, submitting a completed SONIA/Got Matar donation form.
Download the SONIA form here. (pdf)USA Donors
Donors in the USA have reported difficulties in making transfers to overseas not-for-profits. Dan Gustafson (who came to know Got Matar when he was formerly FAO Representative in Kenya) and his wife, Kitty, have recently returned to live in Seattle. Dan is keen to encourage US citizens to support Got Matar and is able to advise them on how to transfer donations. He may be contacted at [email protected].
Donating directly to Got Matar Community Development Group
If you wish to send funds directly to the Group, it is suggested that you contact Andrew MacMillan for advice on options.
Total Donations
The total amount of donations towards the development of Got Matar between 2006 and 31st December 2019 amounts to the equivalent of about Euro 810,000 (£740.000, $980,000).
Of this, about Euro 535,000 has gone to the Secondary School, with Euro 315,000 being invested in buildings and equipment and Euro 220,000 covering the initial recurrent income deficit and the bursary programme.
Since 2012, the Institute of Technology has benefitted from total donations of about Euro 275,000, of which Euro 150,000 have been spent on buildings and equipment and Euro 125,000 have been used to subsidise operating costs.
National Funding
The Ministry of Education meets a large part of the staff costs of GM Secondary School, and is responsible for maintaining the facilities. Other operating costs are met by school fees paid by parents/guardians and, in the case of bursaries, by the Bursary Fund. The Ministry has built teachers’ houses, as foreseen in the school development plan. In 2010, the Constituency Development Fund paid for the installation of a mains electricity connection for the school, and has also financed the construction of a full-scale science laboratory, additional classroom space and an administration block, opened in 2020.
Individual Kenyan contributors have financed the purchase of a school bus. Former students of the Secondary School are now financing most of the present bursaries.
