Friday, 11 February 2011
Glue
Ann Katrina with the boys at the ICC
I think the most entertainment we gave them this week however was when Ann Katrina took out a contact lens to clean it - there was shock and horror all round!
My week at work
It’s been another productive week on the accounts front. Nancy and I have focused on the Income and how this is allocated across the projects. A proportion of income is received from the UK charity and one of our tasks next week is to produce a form that makes it easier for both the UK and Kenyan charity to allocate the income.
I also had a meeting with the two managers Florence & Evans to discuss the issues they have with the current system and how we can make it better. I need to come up with a timetable to try and get everyone to submit their finance forms on time, which the Managers need to submit their accounts to Nancy and give training to the staff on how to complete the forms.
On Tuesday night I also went to the Trustees meeting to ask what financial information they would like to see and how regularly. I’m going to build this into the budget templates I am putting together next week.
So there is still a lot to do but we are slowly getting there.
I also had a meeting with the two managers Florence & Evans to discuss the issues they have with the current system and how we can make it better. I need to come up with a timetable to try and get everyone to submit their finance forms on time, which the Managers need to submit their accounts to Nancy and give training to the staff on how to complete the forms.
On Tuesday night I also went to the Trustees meeting to ask what financial information they would like to see and how regularly. I’m going to build this into the budget templates I am putting together next week.
So there is still a lot to do but we are slowly getting there.
Monday, 7 February 2011
A good day
On Sunday Sarah & I went to 14 falls with Njenga, one of the Youth Workers from the ICC and 2 of his friends, an accountancy student and a footballer. We had a really fun day. The falls were beautiful and we had a picnic. Everyone tries to cross the river by jumping from stone to stone. Guides help you across because the current is fast but we still got soaking wet and Njenga fell in. It was very funny and we took the easy option of a boat back. We got a lift back to the main road on the back of a Del Monte pick up truck which was very dusty and also good fun. The boys then took us to a local open-air pool which was lovely as we have been dreaming about swimming because it is so hot. We never would have found it without them because it was in the middle of nowhere. All in all, a really good day.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
First week with Nancy
It’s been a relatively productive week on the accounts front. Nancy, the Administrator, came back from leave on Monday. She is lovely and has been at AfCiC for 4 years.
We spent quite a bit of time with her showing me what she does and getting the accounting records up to date. Each of the project managers is given a float every 2 weeks (or whenever they need it) and they then complete a sheet by hand to track how it’s been spent. They return this to Nancy with all the receipts and Nancy enters this on a spreadsheet. There are 8 separate budgets for the projects and Nancy herself is also responsible for the Office Petty cash and the Office cashbook. Nancy is then supposed to transfer these numbers onto the Actuals v Budget spreadsheet which is effectively the General Ledger. Unfortunately there is normally quite a delay in this process (as in months) and as the numbers are typed into each spreadsheet and not linked there is lots of room for mistakes.
I showed Nancy how to do reconciliation between the 2 sheets to check that they agreed. This was a revelation to her. I don’t think anybody had explained how or why to do a rec to her before.
Next thing to work on is reconciling the cash each time the Project Managers return their receipts and get a new float. But we are making progress…
We spent quite a bit of time with her showing me what she does and getting the accounting records up to date. Each of the project managers is given a float every 2 weeks (or whenever they need it) and they then complete a sheet by hand to track how it’s been spent. They return this to Nancy with all the receipts and Nancy enters this on a spreadsheet. There are 8 separate budgets for the projects and Nancy herself is also responsible for the Office Petty cash and the Office cashbook. Nancy is then supposed to transfer these numbers onto the Actuals v Budget spreadsheet which is effectively the General Ledger. Unfortunately there is normally quite a delay in this process (as in months) and as the numbers are typed into each spreadsheet and not linked there is lots of room for mistakes.
I showed Nancy how to do reconciliation between the 2 sheets to check that they agreed. This was a revelation to her. I don’t think anybody had explained how or why to do a rec to her before.
Next thing to work on is reconciling the cash each time the Project Managers return their receipts and get a new float. But we are making progress…
Saturday, 5 February 2011
New Boys
This week we had a new intake of boys at the Interim Care Centre. 22 in total arrived on Monday & Tuesday from Thika and nearby towns.
The first few days are spent getting them clean, into new clothes and settled in. Next week they will start lessons and counselling sessions. A number will have been sexually abused on the streets as well as all the other issues they’ve had to deal with. I’ll be reading with them as all secondary exams are in English they need to be able to read and write. By the end of 9 – 12 weeks they’ll be ready to go to school.
They seem very small but most are older than they look because of years of malnourishment. Quite a few of this intake are addicted to glue which they get from the shoe repair men and by the end of the week we’d lost 3, probably because they’ve left to get their fix.
They seem very happy to be here though and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they change. They are very different to the boys I took to school last week who were the last of the previous intake. Now I just have to learn all their names!
The first few days are spent getting them clean, into new clothes and settled in. Next week they will start lessons and counselling sessions. A number will have been sexually abused on the streets as well as all the other issues they’ve had to deal with. I’ll be reading with them as all secondary exams are in English they need to be able to read and write. By the end of 9 – 12 weeks they’ll be ready to go to school.
They seem very small but most are older than they look because of years of malnourishment. Quite a few of this intake are addicted to glue which they get from the shoe repair men and by the end of the week we’d lost 3, probably because they’ve left to get their fix.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Power strikes
Tuesday night at 8pm we had a power strike which lasted until I woke up this morning (Thursday). These are common in Kenya apparently, though normally there is notice given in the newspapers (not this time). It affected the whole of Thika to Nairobi and part of Nairobi too.
Yesterday was a bit frusutating in the office so I talked Nancy through the accounts in detail i.e. the meaning of 'true and fair', Directors responsibilities and the audit report. I'm sure it was fascinating! Then we did a LOT of filing.
Last night by head torch light we defrosted the freezer (which needed doing) and made an amazing thai chicken curry to use up our defrosting chicken. So it wasn't all bad :-)
Yesterday was a bit frusutating in the office so I talked Nancy through the accounts in detail i.e. the meaning of 'true and fair', Directors responsibilities and the audit report. I'm sure it was fascinating! Then we did a LOT of filing.
Last night by head torch light we defrosted the freezer (which needed doing) and made an amazing thai chicken curry to use up our defrosting chicken. So it wasn't all bad :-)
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