Q & A
Q #1 : What schools do the children attend?
A #1 : The schools the students attend are all accredited institutions. The Kenyan agents have a number of years of experience facilitating the placement of students through scholarship donations and are familiar with the teachers and the good boarding schools. They identify, in consultation with the student, and if feasible their families, which school might best fit with their individual scholastic and extra-curricular strengths and needs (e.g. a school that has stronger science facilities, or a school with a strong football team, etc.).
Q #2: Are the schools in Nairobi but outside the slum, in another city, or how does it work?
A #2: Our scholarships are designed to send students to rural boarding schools away from the dangers of the slum and the city (Nairobi). Victoria Sheppard, CMETrust President, has visited a number of these schools in western Kenya, and while their facilities are quite basic, they are very safe, secure establishments with committed teachers and high academic successes; they are clean, healthy learning environments. The students not only focus on academics, but learn basic agricultural practices, strong social skills, and are able to practice various outdoor sports. Mathare, with its lack of security and high crime levels, lack of sanitation and disease, high population density and extreme poverty is a very negative environment, particularly so for children and young people. It is not conducive to learning and in the opinion of CMETrust’s Kenyans Agents, it is better to send students outside the slum to continue their education after primary school. It is not enough to send students to secondary schools with better resources outside of Mathare but still within the Nairobi, as they would be putting themselves in danger each day, travelling back and forth alone on public transport, and returning to Mathare often after dark. Boarding schools around Nairobi are for the elite and/or international students; they are extremely expensive and often not welcoming to slum children.
Q #3: What method of financial control is used to verify the use of the funds?
A #3: Funds are used for tuition and room & board at the secondary schools (paid directly to the schools from CMETrust’s Kenyan bank account), as well as uniform, books and transport (purchased for the scholars by CMETrust’s Kenyan Agents). CMETrust Kenyan Agents send copies of all receipts to the Board of Trustees in Canada, as well as a copy of the CMETrust Kenyan bank statement annually.
Q #4: What due diligence is undertaken to ensure that the money will be used for the proper purposes?
A #4: Due diligence in this matter came in selection of CMETrust’s Kenyan Agents. They have successfully and ethically managed a variety of different forms of funding in the past, including individual donations for secondary school scholarships, Australian High Commission funding for slum infrastructure development project, Chinese Embassy funding for primary school infrastructure development projects, and UN World Food Programme School Feeding Programme supplies. As well, they were already working as volunteers with the students before the formation of CMETrust. They are extremely dedicated, loyal and committed individuals, and while there is no fail-safe method available to guarantee against the unexpected, Victoria Sheppard, who worked with them on projects while in Nairobi, has a very high degree of trust in these individuals. Each of the Kenya Agents has signed a Written Agreement with CMETrust. For more information on these individuals, please click here to visit the Kenyan Agents section of our website.
As a registered Canadian charity, CMETrust must fulfill all reporting requirements as dictated by the Canada Revenue Agency, including filing an annual information return. A full financial report is presented at our Annual General Meeting each May.
Q #5: What controls are there in taking money out of the Kenyan account? Whose account is it?
A #5: CMETrust’s Kenyan Agents manage a bank account specifically dedicated to CMETrust funds, and only they have access to the account (are able to withdraw funds). It has been set-up so that two people have to sign for each withdrawal transaction. The account is registered to CMETrust – Kenya.
In Canada, our banking is as required for a registered Canadian charity. We have a community account with the Royal Bank of Canada. Funds are wired from this account to the account in Kenya.
Q #6: Who sees the banking documentation?
A #6: A bank statement is sent to the Board of Trustees in Canada annually, along with the receipts. The bank statement is reviewed by our Treasurer before any new funds are put into the account from Canada for scholarships the following year.
Q #7: Is there any possibility of obtaining insurance against agent defalcation as CMETrust grows?
A #7: Insurance for these purposes would be very expensive and thus is not being considered at this time.
Q #8: If I sponsor a child for the whole scholarship, is it possible to be in touch with that child?
A #8: While we of course welcome such a generous donation, it is our policy not to assign individual donors to individual children. Various development organizations have run into problems with this approach in the past. Also, it requires much greater administrative oversight, which in turn requires money to be siphoned off that which would otherwise go directly to scholarships. All donors will be sent updates on all the scholarship recipients’ progress, as well as news from CMETrust, semi-annually.
Q #9: Does CMETrust spend revenue on external fundraisers?
A #9: No, CMETrust volunteers carry-out all our own fundraising and follow the Canada Revenue Agency’s guidance for fundraising accordingly.