ACTIVITY

R EP O R T
2017
 CS Community Schools

TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL

MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PSA Preparation for social action
UF Unity foundation

03
Dear friends of Unity Foundation,
EDITORIAL

It is evident that we have come a long way since Unity Foundation was founded in 1991.
04 OUR PHILOSOPHY After celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2016, Unity Foundation continued to evolve
and materialize its efforts to modernize and professionalize its work - a continuing

06 ONE PROGRAM, TWO LINES OF ACTION

effort for several years now. The capacities acquired and the hard work during all these
years came to fruition in early 2018 with the signing of our first co-financing framework
agreement (“accord-cadre”) with the Ministry of Cooperation. It was a reward granted
10 P R O J E C T U P D AT E S 2 0 1 7 after more than a year of preparation work of which we are very proud. I am confident
that this framework agreement will further strengthen the already good collaboration
10 CAMBODIA - COMMUNITY SCHOOLS & PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION
between the Ministry and our foundation.
12 C E NTRAL AFR IC AN R E PU BL IC - COMMU NIT Y S CHOOL S
In addition to the wonderful news regarding our projects, we have of course continued
14 C O LO MBIA - P RE PAR ATION F OR S OCIA L A CT ION our commitment in the area of public awareness. For example, the workshops of our
Mercy’s Blessing movie campaign provided us an opportunity to reach many youths
16 IND O NE SIA - C O MMUN IT Y S CHOOL S
and talk to them about the importance of education while discussing the opportunities
for them to get actively involved.
18 MALAW I - C O MMUNITY S CHOOL S

20 UGAND A - P R E PAR ATION F OR S OCIA L A CT ION A new year full of activities is opening up to us and we hope to continue our momentum
and meet the challenges that will come our way.
22 Z AMBIA - P R E PAR ATIO N F OR S OCIA L A CT ION

At the heart of the commitment ...

24 FOLLOW-UP VISITS
On behalf of Unity Foundation, I would like to thank the office team, our donors,
26 FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT 2018 - 2021
collaborators and supporters who, each in their own way, contribute to our activities
and make our actions possible. Without a doubt, the root of this relationship is trust,
and we are deeply honoured by this.
28 PUBLIC AWARENESS

Our gratitude also goes to our partners in the developing countries for their countless
30 SYNERGIES IN LUXEMBOURG efforts and time invested into carrying out the projects in the field.

32 V I S I T S F R O M O U R PA R T N E R S
I invite you to read about some of the highlights of the year in this report. I hope you
enjoy it and we are happy to answer any questions you might have.

34 NEWS AND EVENTS

38 FINANCING

42 U N I T Y F O U N D AT I O N P R E S E N T S I T S E L F Fernand SCHABER
President

2 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 3

 Together with our local partners, Unity Foundation
has adopted a specific framework of development
which acts as a guide and influences the way social
action is approached and carried out. At the heart of
OUR CORE VALUES
this framework lie beliefs about the nature of human
beings. These beliefs are Bahá’í inspired and universal
in their nature:

Man is a mine rich in gems of limitless potential:

Such a view of human beings does not permit to
OUR regard people as helpless victims nor as passive
recipients of aid. Rather, development work based on UNITED LEARNING STRIVING FOR HONORING CONTRIBUTING

PHILOSOPHY such views tries to tap into the vast pool of capacities
of local people and empowers them to become the
IN SERVICE IN ACTION EXCELLENCE YOUR TRUST WITH JOY

protagonists of their own development.

Coherence of material and moral dimensions

of human beings: Development should not only
be defined by material goals, e.g. the building of
infrastructure, but should also take into account the
moral aspect, in order not to risk reducing people to
mere consumers of goods and services.
Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED)
Equality between men and women: In order for
a community to develop, it is necessary that equal The Office of Social and Economic Development was established in 1983 for the
rights and opportunities between men and women purpose of facilitating learning about social and economic development. The agency
are achieved. helps to strengthen institutional capacity in every country to promote Bahá’í inspired
development efforts by fostering and supporting action, reflection on action, study,
At Unity Foundation, development is viewed as a consultation, the gathering and systematization of experience, conceptualization,
process, the main protagonists of which are the and training.
people themselves, irrespective of the degree of
material prosperity achieved by their nations. OSED has been our trustworthy and competent partner for many years. They are in touch
with local grass-root NGOs implementing the development projects and monitoring
Development activity emerges from within a their activities and progress. As some of these local NGOs gain experience and develop
community and belongs to the people and institutions their institutional capacity, OSED suggests these potential project partners to Unity
that are implementing the effort. While action is Foundation. Thus, we have the advantage of working together with local partners who
directed towards visible improvement of some have a positive track record, have demonstrated trustworthiness and reliability and
aspect of life, the main concern of the projects is to have the capacity to cooperate with an external funding agency.
develop people’s capacity to make decisions about
their development and then to implement them. OSED and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs act as two filters ensuring the quality and
integrity of our projects.
Unity Foundation only supports local NGOs who have
a proven capacity to utilize funds effectively and the
ability to interact well with outside donors.

4 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 5

 ONE PROGRAM, TWO LINES OF ACTION
Community participation and the resulting ownership is central to the project. The
Community Schools community is actively involved at all stages of the project and “owns” the project.
Here are some examples of how this principle of participation is applied: the villagers
themselves provide the construction materials to build their own school building; the
Community schools offer education for children living in rural areas and are exclusively
parents pay a school fee which allows the teacher to withdraw a salary; the parents
managed by members of the local community. Teachers are systematically trained and
elect a school committee which acts as a link between the school and the villagers
then encouraged to start a community school in their villages. Starting simple and small,
and which has the task of regularly consulting on the affairs of the school. Often the
schools develop and grow organically depending on the available local resources.
school committees become an informal institution to consult on the affairs of the
entire community.
Often the schools start in remote rural areas, where existing schools are far away or
non-existant. The work of our local partner organizations often starts with sensitizing the
The financial support of Unity Foundation for Community Schools mainly goes toward
village about the importance of education. In a next step, individuals, often chosen by
the management structure of the local partner organization, the payment of teacher
the local community, attend a systematic program of training to become teachers and
training and the purchasing of various educational materials such as school books, etc.
are accompanied, with the support of others in their villages, to establish and sustain a
community school. Generally, these schools start with one kindergarten class, but as it
In 2017, Unity Foundation supported four community school projects in Cambodia,
evolves, levels are added and new teachers are trained. From a simple beginning, these
Central African Republic, Indonesia and Malawi.
schools gradually grow and evolve always according to the available local resources.

Community Schools

SLOVAKIA

Cambodia
2015
816 20
63
CUBA

Indonesia
Number of Children 
2014
924 17
Number of Schools  55
Malawi
COLOMBIA

Starting Date Central African 2015

3735
Republic 122
57
Trained Teachers
2013
5804
232
59

6 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 7

 Preparation for Social Action

SLOVAKIA

Colombia
Cambodia
2013
788 5 2015
CUBA

Number of Students  52 312 2

41
52
Number of Groups  COLOMBIA

Uganda

Starting Date 2012

542 32
31
Trained Tutors
Zambia

16 2017
243
28

Preparation for Social Action
The Preparation for Social Action program (PSA) offers high quality, practical education
to the youth living in rural areas. The tutorial courses empower them to become
promoters of community well-being by initiating schools, projects in public health,
agriculture or environmental protection or starting small businesses.
The first level of the PSA program comprises the study of 24 books that aim at
developing the capabilities of young people in the areas of science, technology,
language, mathematics and community development. The program is carried out in
study groups, each consisting of 10 to 15 students and one tutor who meet about
20 hours a week. The groups’ activities, as they study together and carry out service
projects and research in the community, are guided by these textbooks, which
integrate knowledge from many disciplines to develop the capabilities of the students
and to serve their communities and influence the direction and progress of the various
processes of community life.

Rather than simply obtaining a graduation title, this is an opportunity for them
to take charge of their own material and moral development and to contribute
to the transformation of society. For example, youth taking part in the program
are initiating community development initiatives aimed at increasing sustainable
agricultural production, improving the health of the ecosystems in their region,
fostering the education of preschool aged children, promoting health campaigns
(e.g. against Malaria or chikungunya) or start income generating projects (e.g.
raising and selling chickens).
The PSA program imparts an education of the highest academic standard, demanding
rigor of study, which according to the many evaluations carried out, matches the finest
programs in the world. Yet, what distinguishes the textbooks most is that they achieve
such a high academic standard, while empowering, morally and intellectually, young
people to become agents of change in their communities.
In 2017 Unity Foundation supported four PSA projects in Cambodia, Colombia,
Uganda and Zambia.

8 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 9

 PROJECT UPDATES 2017
The coordinator responsible for collecting reports and
statistics held monthly meetings with the tutors. These PROJECT DETAILS
meetings were also intended to find possible solutions
to the challenges faced by groups on a daily basis, and Phase I
the more meaningful and profound these exchanges 2015 - 2017
and conversations were, the more the effects were felt
on the community life and the activities carried out. Community Schools
20 schools  
At the end of 2017, CORDE accompanied 25 PSA
groups with a total of 312 participants. 816 students  
63 teachers 
Community Schools PSA
This component of CORDE’s activities has been reliant on 25 groups  
building good relationships with community members 312 students  
and especially parents. Among the communities
identified, priority was given to communities in remote 41 tutors
locations with no kindergartens. Another important
aspect is the desire and willingness of these communities BUDGET 2017
to get involved in the education of their children.

After this initial stage, management committees Total: € 155.527,93

were created. These committees, made up of parents MFA: € 103.685,29
and community members, aim to ensure the proper
UF: € 51.842,64
functioning of schools and, of course, the community
ownership of schools.
THE PARTNER
By the end of 2017, the project had 20 schools with
31 classes ranging from kindergarten to level 4 of
Cambodian Organisation
CAMBODIA | COMMUNITY SCHOOLS & PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION primary education, with a total of 816 students.
for Research,
Development and
Education (CORDE)
Preparation for Social Action (PSA)
1994 Recognized officially
CORDE, our local partner in Cambodia, as an NGO
successfully continued their activities
2015 1st collaboration with
in the same manner as in 2015 and
2016, namely by organizing regular Unity Foundation
meetings to identify potential tutors
and suitable sites for the creation of
new groups. In parallel, CORDE made
visits to the families and accompanied
the tutors in their activities to reinforce
the cohesion of the groups.

10 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 11


CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Regardless of certain challenges
in the region, the AHDIEH
Foundation, is evolving in a
positive way as can be shown by
the figures and findings from an
external evaluation carried out at
the end of 2017:
Promotion of community schools
• 59 community schools have
been established to date and the
number of students attending
schools has doubled since 2012:
from 2.829 students to 5.804
at the end of 2017.
12 Unity Foundation
• There have been a total of 1.963 full-cycle graduates.
PROJECT DETAILS
Teacher training
Phase II
• To date, 232 teachers have participated in 2013 - 2017
AHDIEH’s training seminars, nearly double the 124
teachers trained in 2012. 59 schools  
• 65% of trained and active community school 5.804  students  
teachers are women (in comparison: in the public
sector only 20% of teachers are women). 232 teachers
• Several schools are among the most successful at
the national level, some even reaching a 100% BUDGET 2017
success rate. In general, community schools
also have a high success rate for national exams.
Total: €97.695,74
Action Research Programs MFA: €65.130,50
UF: €29.065,24
• 4 action research programs are currently being
offered to the project schools in the areas of Diddeléng Hëlleft*: €3.500
agriculture, community health, school construction
and PSA.
• 11 schools have set up an agricultural program. THE PARTNER
• 14 schools participate in the community health
program, including both promotion of preventive AHDIEH Foundation
health (i.e. hygiene, nutrition, sanitation) and the 2006 Recognized officially as
proper use of pharmaceutical treatments.
an NGO
• The construction component encourages the
systematic learning of the development of local 2010 1st collaboration with
affordable, sustainable and efficient building Unity Foundation
materials for the construction of local schools. 11
schools are currently participating in this program.
Organizational development of the partner
• AHDIEH has 6 regional teams with 5 decentralized
training sites.
• At the national level, the foundation develops
strong relationships with government and public
institutions and contributes to the discourse on
education and the role of teachers in society.
* On behalf of the beneficiaries of the project, we would like to express our sincerest grati-
tude to Diddeléng Hëlleft for their generous support towards this project.
Activity Report 2017 13
 We are happy to report that by the end of December
2017, the 4 project units were functional and had a PROJECT DETAILS
regular cycle of activities.
2013 - 2017
FUNDAEC has conscientiously followed a growth 52 groups  
pattern, giving itself the time to learn before moving
on to a next step. The current scope of the project 788 students  
and the establishment of strong coordination 52 tutors 
structures will allow a better application of the PSA
program in the region.
BUDGET 2017
The PSA project of Colombia mainly targets youth
between the ages of 15 and 25. There is also a strong Total: €152.327,18
emphasis on providing equal access to both sexes.
This also holds true for the hiring process of tutors. MFA: €104.884,79
In fact the percentage of females participating in the UF: €52.442,39
program remains constant at more than 50%.

In terms of ethnicity, the area where the projects take

THE PARTNER
place (North of Cordoba) is mainly an indigenous area
where the Zenu population is the principal ethnic group. Fundación para la Apli-
cación y Ensenañza de
Acts of Service las Ciencias (FUNDAEC)
1989 Recognized officially
In Peinada (Central Cordoba), the youth from the PSA
COLOMBIA | PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION project organised an activity day for children and their
as an NGO

community. The goal of this event was to integrate 2008 1st collaboration with
children in the activities in a joyful atmosphere and to Unity Foundation
teach them, through games, to develop their talents.
This event was well perceived by the community and in
One of the main objectives of the
particular the children and the parents.
present project was to establish
4 operational PSA units on the
North Coast of Colombia (Lorica-
Coveñas-San Bernardo, Norte
de Cordoba, Central Cordoba
and Oriente de Sucre). These
administrative units are primarily
a means of helping the partner
to manage, monitor and evaluate
the operation, effectiveness and
growth of the program. One unit
has between 12 and 15 groups
with about 150 students.

14 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 15

 During the period from 2014 to 2017, approximately
72 teachers were trained to provide access to quality PROJECT DETAILS
level education for children in remote areas of northern
Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands. 2014 - 2017
17 groups  
To ensure the independence and self-sufficiency
of Community Education Centers (CEC), local 924 students  
coordination within each community has proven to 55 teachers 
be a necessity. Data collection was carried out by
field coordinators, as well as ongoing support to
teachers. Starting in 2016, weekly staff meetings were BUDGET 2017
introduced so that the administration and trainers
could focus on the weekly activities and identify the Total: €92.552,48
needs of the field staff. Likewise, a transparent system
of meeting procedures has been developed to improve MFA: €61.701,66
operational methods and financial monitoring. UF: €30.695,83
Foyer Kannerwelt*: €155
YBTI has also organized reflection meetings with all
stakeholders. Following these meetings, teachers
showed an increased interest in home visits. The THE PARTNER
majority of them better understood the nature and
purpose of home visits. As a result of this awareness, Unity in Diversity
there has been increased parental interest in attending Foundation
CEC events such as the open-house-days and a gradual
increase in their contributions to these activities. 1996 Recognized officially
INDONESIA | COMMUNITY SCHOOLS as an NGO
Another important activity of the partner was the 1999 1st collaboration with
organization of forums for exchanges between CECs,
Unity Foundation
allowing them to learn from each other. This is an
opportunity for teachers to reflect on their work and
analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

YBTI recognizes that there are still a number of

challenges ahead of the full autonomy of the
CECs, but the progress made over the past period
demonstrates that the partner is clearly on the right
path to achieve this goal.

*On behalf of our beneficiaries, we would like to thank the team of the “Foyer Kannerwelt” for
their public awareness campaigns and their support in 2017 towards our project in Indonesia.

16 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 17

 importance of early childhood education, food
production and community-owned schools. PROJECT DETAILS

Community members have been trained in scientific Phase II

methods and good practices for food production to 2015 - 2017
ensure a correct and balanced nutrition for children at
school and also at home. In 2017, the schools involved 57 schools  
in the agricultural program made very good harvests, 3.735 students  
which was also due to the fact that, fortunately, there
was enough rain. 122 teachers 

The project has grown in both number of beneficiaries BUDGET 2017

and activities. For this reason, more human resources
were required. The partner therefore hired four
Total: €151.824,20
additional members at group level and three new
members at regional level, which greatly facilitated MFA: €101.216,13
the work of supervision and monitoring.
Fondation de Luxembourg -
Bambino Foundation, has begun consultations with Fondation Olivier: €20.000*
the Ministry of Education to support rural schools that UF: €30.608,07
the foundation supports in remote and hard-to-reach
areas. These consultations will continue in 2018.
THE PARTNER
The Government of Malawi has introduced student
identification numbers for both public schools and Bambino Foundation

MALAWI | COMMUNITY SCHOOLS private schools. For community school project

students to register, community leaders and
2010 Recognized officially as
an NGO
counselors approach district education directors to
register their schools. Bambino Foundation helps 2011 1st collaboration with
community leaders to ensure that all community Unity Foundation
During the period of 2016-
schools and their students are registered. This is done
2017, Bambino Foundation has
through formal visits to district directors’ offices to
been rewarded for its efforts
register schools, so that all children in primary schools
and the experience gained
can be registered in the official government records.
in recent years has paid off.
Five additional schools have
been established and teachers
have been recruited for
training, taking into account
that the number of children in
schools continues to increase.
Teachers have been trained
and awareness has been raised *On behalf of the beneficiaries of the project, we would like to express our sincerest
gratitude to Fondation de Luxembourg - Fondation Olivier for their generous support
in the communities about the
towards this project.

18 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 19

 could be useful for a better pedagogical approach.
The material studied made it possible to tackle various PROJECT DETAILS
topics, such as learning about improving community
involvement, the importance of critical thinking, the need Phase II
to be pragmatic, the pedagogical approach recalling that 2012 - 2017
education, more than only taking exams, is at the root of
32 groups  
the individuals’ and community development, working in
groups with the kids, the importance of reading and many 542 students  
more topics. Kimanya plans to consolidate its efforts in this
31 tutors 
area in the years to come.

Another key element to ensure the effectiveness of BUDGET 2017

the project was the improvement of communication
between the project stakeholders through the creation
Total: €106.070,00
of several spaces for consultation and reflection during
training and other gatherings. Encouraging open MFA: €70.713,33
communication has generated new types of sharing
Municipality of
and consultation at all levels.
Beckerich*: €2.000
Private donations: €1.690
UF: €31.666,67

THE PARTNER

Kimanya­Ngeyo
2007 Recognized officially
UGANDA | PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION as an NGO
2009 1st collaboration with
Unity Foundation
In Uganda, our partner’s numerous
activities continued in 2017. In
addition to agricultural activities,
community involvement, youth
training, health education, amongst
others, the partner has given
greater importance to the training
of young teachers for primary
schools using parts of the PSA
material. The main objective, apart
from training as such, was to see *On behalf of the beneficiaries of the project, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude
to what extent the PSA material to the Municipality of Beckerich for their generous support, which we have allocated to the
2017 activities of the partner following a one-year extension of the project.

20 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 21

 who puts the emphasis on the importance of the practical
activities, both in the groups and during the regional
PROJECT DETAILS
meetings. Among the promoters of the project, 11 were
trained in pre-school education and are currently engaged Phase I
in community schools. 2017
16 groupes  
Activities related to agriculture include composting,
gardening, the establishment of seed banks and the testing 243 students  
of natural ways to fight against pests and others attacking
28 tutors 
the fields. 40 students and 34 farmers got actively involved
and formed two plots in the communities of Katuyola and
Mwinilunga. Moreover, 13 students participated in the BUDGET 2017
environmental activities, of which 8 students conducted
the ecosystem research, while the other 5 created a pine
Total: €143.901,33
nursery with the goal of selling the seeds and planting
additional trees to help reduce carbon emissions. MFA: €95.934,22
UF: €47.967,11
During the past year, they also managed to organize
meetings with 40 promoters of community well-being.
The main objective of these meetings is to help them to THE PARTNER
engage socially and this according to their interest and
the capacities that they developed by participating in the Inshindo Foundation
PSA program.
2007 Recognized officially
as an NGO
2017 1st collaboration with
Unity Foundation
ZAMBIA | PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION

TANZANIA Since 2017, Unity Foundation

DEM. REP. OF THE CONGO supports the PSA program in
Zambia in collaboration with the
MFA, more precisely in the region
ANGOLA
MALAWI of Mwinilunga.
ZAMBIA A B C D

Towards the end of 2017, 37

LUSAKA students (11 girls and 26 boys)
A. Mwinilunga Town
took part in the practical activities
ZIMBABWE B. Kanyikomboshi set out and this in turn benefited
C. Samuteba
422 children. This is the result of
BOTSWANA D. Musangila
the efforts of our local partner

22 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 23

 FOLLOW UP VISITS

Central African Republic visit

In late January 2018, a delegated team of UF visited the Central African Republic for
a three-day visit. During this visit, the activities supported by our foundation were
presented to us and we were able to discuss many topics with the local team and the
beneficiaries of the project.

During our stay, we were invited to the Central African Ministry of Education by the
Director, Mr. Ernest Mada. This meeting and the fact that they allowed us to present
our foundation made us aware of the importance that the current government gives
to collaborating with local NGOs. We were delighted to see this.

Another highlight of our visit was taking part in a training session that our partner
AHDIEH gave to representatives of French-speaking organizations in Africa. Currently,
AHDIEH supports nine organizations in Burkina-Faso, Republic of the Congo, Mali,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Togo. Peer learning is highly important for
capacity building. Through these trainings, organizational leaders faced with similar
challenges can not only learn from each other, but also set common goals.
Uganda visit
To complete our field visit, we visited several schools in Bangui. Even though the
situation in the country is improving overall, the security, social and humanitarian After leaving the Central African partner, the UF delegation continued its trip and
conditions are still critical so we stayed in the capital and its immediate surroundings. went to Uganda to observe the results achieved with the PSA program.

This visit showed us once again how important it is to meet our partners in the
field in order to continually improve and strengthen our partnerships. On the one
hand, it was important and invaluable to see the implementation of the project,
while on the other hand, it was equally important for the local partner team to meet
the UF representatives in order to get updated about our work in general and our
commitments towards the Ministry.
During our stay, we were able to meet the team working at the partner’s headquarters,
the coordinators of the PSA groups and of course we visited communities where
groups are active. We have seen for ourselves that the program is now firmly anchored
in the region. Throughout the visit, we met enthusiastic young people who saw the
program as an opportunity to, on the one hand, develop the skills needed to meet
the needs of their communities and, on the other, the ones that allow them to develop
their own economic activity and future plans.

For many of the participants, having participated in the PSA groups positively changed
their lives. Two observations were recurrent: the first was that PSA gave them the ability to
express themselves in public and to share their own opinion with supporting arguments,
the second was that all of the young people involved made progress in English.

Activity Report 2017 25

 FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT 2018 - 2021

It is with great joy that we share with you the news of another milestone reached
in our development as an organization: the signature of our first Framework
Agreement (Accord Cadre), a four-year collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Luxembourg. For more than two decades, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Luxembourg has supported our development projects and our vision. Today our heart
is full of gratitude towards our local partners, for entrusting us with the financial support
to their projects, and towards the Ministry, for their generous contribution, providing
In addition, with our Framework Agreement, a new aspect has been integrated into
us the opportunity to carry our vision forward under one single development program
our development program: the capitalization of the experiences and good practices
entitled “Education and training for the integrated development of marginalized
developed by our local partners, in order to assist other local organizations working
communities in rural and periurban areas”.
in similar contexts and tackling similar issues. The experience gained by Fondation
AHDIEH and Bambino Foundation has allowed them to establish “training centers”
In more concrete terms this means that starting 1st January 2018 until the end of 2021,
for peer-associations interested in learning about the implementation of community
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pledged 2.586.500,00 € (about 76% of the total
schools. These two partners are accompanying nine and six such organizations in
budget) for our seven partners.
French/English-speaking African countries respectively. Although these other 15
organizations will not receive financial support from Unity Foundation, our support to
As pointed out by the Ministry: “It should also be noted that framework agreements
the training centers will contribute to extending the reach of AHDIEH and Bambino’s
are based on a coherent, results-oriented program approach aimed at concentrating
experience beyond their national borders.
resources for maximum impact.” With this in mind, our partners will continue their
tireless work: to raise awareness in their communities on the importance of education,
The approval of our Framework Agreement was the results of about two years of
to continue training youth and adults (via teacher training programs and PSA) and to
intense work and was only possible thanks to the support and good collaboration with
accompany community members in the implementation of social actions of various kinds.
our local partners, the Ministry, and OSED. We thank you as well, our loyal supporters
and donors, for your trust and we look forward to sharing with you the highlights for
Although not all processes of positive community-led transformation can be quantified,
the next four years.
we estimate that in the course of the next four years, in some 200 communities:

• more than 200 new community schools will be established, providing education to
more than 13.000 children
• more than 500 individuals will be able to provide training to youths and adults
• about 5.000 youth will receive training (PSA program, teacher training program)

26 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 27

 PUBLIC AWARENESS

Raising awareness about the importance of education is a very important part of Unity
Foundation’s mission. Whenever we host, or are present at events, this is very much a
part of our agenda aside from promoting our projects and our activities.

Mercy’s Blessing

After our first experience in 2016, we have continued working with the movie “Mercy’s
Blessing” by creating a campaign around it. This consists of workshops as well as
screenings with the objective of having a nice exchange with the target audience
about education.

Our campaign in 2017 was very successful. We had the opportunity to work with five
high schools all over Luxembourg (Atert Lycée, International School of Luxembourg,
Ecole de Commerce et de Gestion, Lycée Nic-Biever and St. George’s International
School), organizing a total of eight workshops with young students between 11 and
18 years old. In the end, we worked with more than 300 students. The structure of the
workshops was always similar, centering around the 30-minute short film and building
on its main themes to fuel the conversation about the importance of education,
both in a context such as a country like Malawi but also in general. All the students
managed to immediately connect with the story of Mercy and her brother Blessings,
which then led to very fruitful exchanges. The students and professors welcomed this
space to reflect about the subject of education, and also to draw parallels to their own
environment here in Luxembourg.

We also managed to screen Mercy’s Blessing at a Unity Foundation event, which also
sparked a lively and interesting discussion about education and the work that our
local partners are carrying out every day.

We would like to thank all of the teachers from the different schools for giving us
the opportunity to work with their students in 2017, and of course we also thank the
students for their great contributions during the workshops.

We will continue our efforts using Mercy’s Blessing to work with schools and other
institutions, organizing workshops and screenings throughout 2018. If you are a teacher
or a student, and you are interested in organizing a screening at your school, please
get in touch with our Public Discourse Officer, Yves Wiltgen (yves@unityfoundation.lu
or 25 26 20).

28 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 29

 SYNERGIES IN LUXEMBOURG

The “Assises de la Coopération”

2017
Unity Foundation attended the “Assises
de la Coopération luxembourgeoise”
held on 13th and 14th September
2017 at the European Convention
Center (Kirchberg). This conference
is a traditional meeting place for
Luxembourg’s cooperation partners
and their closest partners. The 2017
edition had two main themes, including
the Sustainable Development Goal n.
17 and the concept of inclusive multi-
stakeholder partnerships for effective
development cooperation. This annual
meeting allowed us to exchange with
the Ministry team, as well as with our
colleagues from other NGOs, on news
in this particular sector in Luxembourg.

Unity Foundation joins the

Payroll Giving network Collaboration with Diddeléng Hëlleft
In 2017, Unity Foundation joined the In 2017, UF did not participate in the traditional “Marché du Monde” organized
Payroll giving network in Luxembourg, annually by Diddeléng Hëlleft, given that we were in the middle of preparations for
created by the NGO Padem. Payroll a framework agreement with the Ministry of Cooperation. However, we continued
giving is a great tool with which to be actively involved on the board of Diddeléng Hëlleft and we wish to thank the
employees of any given company can association for their generous support of 3.500 € towards our project in the Central
donate any preferred amount to an NGO African Republic.
directly from their salary. This can be
done by an individual employee, a group
of employees or all of them. Companies
can even match the donation made by
their employees each month. This is a
great way to support Unity Foundation
and encourage the work we are doing.

30 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 31

 VISITS FROM OUR PARTNERS

OSED & Secretariat of Community Schools in Africa

On the 3rd July 2017, Unity Foundation had the pleasure to arrange a meeting with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by Mr. Alain Weber. We took the opportunity
to present our guests from the Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED)
as well as the Secretariat of Community Schools in Africa.

As Mr. Weber has been newly assigned to our case, collaborating with us for all the
projects in Africa, we had the opportunity to share the development program of Unity
Foundation with our two lines of action: Community Schools and Preparation for
Social Action. Moreover, as the representatives of OSED and the Secretariat were
visiting Luxembourg to attend a conference, they also had the opportunity to share
the nature of their collaboration with Unity Foundation and the underlying principles
that guide our efforts and those of all of our partner organizations. We were able to
present a strong network of organizations carrying out educational projects around
the world with the support of organizations such as Unity Foundation, OSED and
the Secretariat, all unified in their vision and common purpose to empower local
communities to take charge of their own educational needs and to be the protagonists
of their own development.

We were very happy to start our collaboration with Mr. Weber with such a meeting,
and we are looking forward to many more opportunities for such fruitful exchanges
with the Ministry.

32 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 33

 NEWS AND EVENTS
CREATIVE FUNDRAISING
In 2017, we have seen some amazing fundraising initiatives, some of which are part of our
regular campaigns and others are initiated and carried out by our friends and donors. We
are always happy to see that people, be they children or adults, take the opportunity to
raise funds for Unity Foundation and thereby supporting our cause in a very creative way.
4 Hands for Education - Vol. 2
On the 13th of May, Martine Jason and Lynn
Orazi, two classical pianists, organized yet
another concert in Schwebach in favor of Unity
Foundation and raised 450 €. The two musicians
have both been classically trained and have
played together on several occasions in the
past. As for their last concert, they decided to
collect donations in favor of Unity Foundation
to contribute towards the educational projects
that we support in Latin America, Africa and
Asia. During a little break, Yves Wiltgen had the
opportunity to briefly present Unity Foundation
and our approach to development.
Lëtzebuerger Studenten Zürich
Motivated to invest in sustainable development
efforts and convinced that education is central
in this respect, the LSZ (Lëtzebuerger Studenten
Zürich) members have chosen to support Unity
Foundation. A group of LSZ representatives
visited our offices to learn more about our daily
work and our framework of development. On
this occasion, they officially presented us with
a donation of 1.500 € representing part of the
result of the annual event organized by them,
the “Züricher Bal”.
A big thank you to the LSZ for this great initiative!
34 Unity Foundation
Check Out For Education
Since 2011, Hotel International in
Clervaux has been a loyal partner of
Unity Foundation, providing continuous
support by participating in the “Check
Out For Education” campaign, among
others. In the past 7 years, they have
managed to raise close to 18.000 €.
This campaign gives customers the
opportunity to add a donation in favour
of Unity Foundation to their check-out bill
at the end of their stay. At the beginning
of the campaign, UF organized a quick
information session for the reception
staff at the hotel in order for them to be
able to answer some basic questions
about our foundation.
Their generous and continuous support
enables our local partners to empower
local communities to take charge of their
own educational needs and to safeguard
their right to be the protagonists of their
own development. We would like to
thank Hotel International and their entire
team for their continued commitment
and support of Unity Foundation!
Birthday campaigns
One great example of creative fundraising are the birthday campaigns. It is touching
to see when individuals decide to forgo material gifts in exchange to donate their
birthday or other milestone event to a charity. In 2017, we had two more anniversary
campaigns. Two friends of UF appealed to the generosity of their family and all their
friends and they managed to raise 4.845 € for us. On behalf of Unity Foundation and
our partners, we want to thank them for this wonderful gesture.
Anyone, be they children, adults or even a group of friends, can donate their birthday
to Unity Foundation. Just get in touch with us and we are happy to assist you in
organizing your very own birthday campaign!
Activity Report 2017 35
EVENTS

ING Night Marathon 2017

Another annual fundraising activity is the ING Night Marathon. We would like to sincerely
thank all the 26 runners of the Linklaters & Unity Foundation team for having completed
this year’s ING Night Marathon, despite the difficult weather conditions they were facing
(28° still at 7pm)! A special thank you goes to our long-time partner, Linklaters, for
their 10.000 € donation and their continuous support. The Linklaters & Unity Foundation
team has been running the ING Night Marathon together for five years.

Spring Brunch

On May 14th 2017, Unity Foundation welcomed friends and donors to a screening of
the award winning film ‘Mercy’s Blessing’ followed by a cosy brunch to welcome spring!
The event was mainly to bring friends together in an informal setting and to share the
progress of the projects Unity Foundation has been a part of during the past year.

The film screening portrayed the realities of many of the countries our educational
projects are based in and it allowed a very insightful discussion afterwards. People
were clearly moved by the scenery and the theme of the film and it brought to light
the challenges many communities face and the importance of the right to education.

Journée des Associations de Bienfaisance - Mondercange

On May 28th, 2017, the municipality of Mondercange organised their first “Charity
Association’s day” (Journée des Associations de Bienfaisance) which was held at the
cultural center “Beim Nëssert” in Bergem. The goal of this wonderful initiative was to
raise funds in support of about 30 NGOs being represented during the event.

Regardless of the sweltering heat, the joyous occasion was filled with lovely music,
international food trucks, and a fun prize-winning tombola initiative. Many informative
stands from diverse Luxembourg-based NGOs were present and Unity Foundation
was amongst them with an info stand that allowed many meaningful conversations
with passers-by who wanted to learn more about our engagement with the educational
projects we support.

36 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 37

 FINANCING PROJECT EXPENSES OF THE 7 PROJECTS THAT ENDED IN 2017

All of our 7 projects running in 2017 were closed at the end of the year. In light of our
new framework agreement (“accord-cadre”) with the MFA, all of these projects will be
regrouped in this agreement, and will thus be able to continue their efforts without
interruption.

Cambodia
2015-2017
€234.029,00

OUR INVESTMENT IN PROJECTS Indonesia

2014-2017
In the last 10 years we invested over Uganda €362.382,19
Central African 2012-2017

5 million
Colombia Republic €551.317,06
2013-2017
2013-2017 Malawi
€485.916,33
€487.177,50
2015-2017
euros Zambia
€337.014,35

2017
€109.651,22

in a development program consisting of 2 types of projects:

TOTAL EXPENSES IN THESE PROJECTS: 2.567.487,65 €
Community schools and Preparation for Social Action

38 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 39

SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHERE OUR DONATIONS COME FROM

Co-financing of our projects

All our projects are co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Without the generous
co-financing policy we would not be able to support so many wonderful projects. All
of our projects that ended in 2017, which were detailed on page 41, were co-financed
at a rate of 66,67%. PRIVATE DONORS 81.831€

TOTAL EXPENSES FOR

CURRENT PROJECTS
2.567.487,65 €

CORPORATE DONORS 34.587€

CO-FINANCEMENT
1.711.658,43 €
PROJECTS

FOUNDATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS 26.579€

MUNICIPALITIES 2.000€
OTHER CAMPAIGNS 1.850 €
Co-financing of our public awareness activities
The Mercy’s Blessing 2017 movie campaign was also co-financed by the Ministry of
TOTAL 146.847€
Foreign Affairs at a rate of 75%.

MERCY’S BLESSING
2017 EXPENSES
14.756,44 €

CO-FINANCEMENT PUBLIC
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
11.067,33 € Audited Annual Accounts
Our annual accounts are audited every year and are published at the “Registre de
Commerce et des Sociétés du Luxembourg”. We are happy to send a copy of the
published accounts on simple demand.
Administrative fees
The Ministry reimburses some part of our administrative costs.

CONTRIBUITION TOWARDS ADMINISTRATIVE

COSTS RECEIVED IN 2017
75.186,32 €

40 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 41

 Sound and transparent financial management
UNITY FOUNDATION PRESENTS ITSELF - Strict accounting by GT Fiduciaire
- Annual accounts audited by Statera Audit
- Founding member of the association “Don en Confiance”
Unity Foundation was created in Luxembourg in 1980 as a “Public Utility Organization”. - Tax relief for individuals and businesses
In 1991, Unity Foundation was granted the official status of a Non-Governmental - Regular information on the use of funds.
Organization (NGO) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Unity Foundation in numbers

In order to keep up the good work, we are counting
on your support!
Active in More than

4 7 2 25
Accounts: IBAN LU39 0028 1030 9750 0000 BIL
IBAN LU03 1111 1326 8384 0000 CCP
IBAN LU33 0019 3755 0535 4000 BCEE
Countries Years

Office employees Cambodia, types of development of experience and

Central African Republic, projects: collaboration with local
Colombia, Indonesia, Community Schools partners A big thank you to all the people who make it possible
Malawi, Uganda and Preparation for for us to keep our activities going!
and Zambia Social Action

The board of directors

Your donations are tax deductible.

Unity Foundation
17, Allée Léopold Goebel
L-1635 LUXEMBOURG
Fernand Schaber Abbas Rafii Claude Wiltgen Paul Arbab T: 25 26 20 | E: info@unityfoundation.lu
President Vice president Treasurer Administrator

Read about everything we do on www.unityfoundation.lu

Editor: Herika Angeluti

Printing: REKA
Paola Dumet-Fusco Angela Roldán Serge Thill Thomas Hueck
Administrator Administrator Administrator Administrator
Texts and photos: Unity Foundation

42 Unity Foundation Activity Report 2017 43