Financial Report for 2021

In 2021, and for the second year in a row, the education of the world’s children has been seriously disrupted by the repeated closures and reopenings of schools and by the shift to online schooling, where this was possible.

Disadvantaged, disabled and illiterate children were the most affected, but their resilience helped them manage this crisis like all other crises. Our Don du Chœur association, which has been supporting these vulnerable children for almost twenty years, has mobilized for them this year more than ever, here as elsewhere!

Thanks to your support, dear friends and patrons of the Don du Chœur, the children of Mexico, Madagascar and Cambodia have been able to get through the current crisis in acceptable health and school conditions.

The strong mobilization of Geneva volunteers and local teams, with the support of private schools in Geneva, has enabled the Don du Chœur to continue to fulfill its mission with 916 students.

• In Geneva, our association has organised, in collaboration with the AGEP and private schools, two collections of trainers and jeans for the Vestiaire Social, to help the poorest families who no longer have the means to support themselves.
• In Mexico, the expansion of the Santa Cecilia music school has progressed well. The extension of the covered space has facilitated the resumption of face-to-face music lessons, outside. Five students continued their university music studies, still online.
• In Madagascar, we mainly fought against the malnutrition of school children, distributed school supplies and developed training programs adapted to teachers and women in the village. The operation of the school canteen of the Andohasatra-Betioky school was provided throughout the year by the World Food Program (WFP), an essential factor for the sustainability of the school.
• In Cambodia, the school has maintained its education program despite the many changes to health rules. We have also focused on the nutrition of the most disadvantaged students and families. Despite the difficulties, school results have been satisfactory and school dropout rates have remained low (10%) thanks to the dedication of the local team. Ta Pen’s first students have successfully started higher education.
• In India, We remain in contact with our school in Anbumalar, to offer food baskets to families of children with disabilities.

Detailed analysis of our different actions

In Mexico

Thanks to the proceeds from our Don du Chœur 2019 concert and the work of young choristers from Geneva’s private schools, we are continuing to expand a music school in a slum in Oaxaca in collaboration with the French association “la Banda of Musica”.

Despite the successive closures of the school, the construction work was still able to progress with a small number of workers on the site and strict sanitary measures.

Second phase of work: after the construction in 2020 of two large rehearsal rooms, this year was devoted to expanding the covered space.

The reception of this phase of work took place in September and the students were thus able to develop their talent as young musicians in the open air, in satisfactory sanitary conditions during the pandemic.

Overall expenditure for this 2nd phase: CHF 26’527.18, thus bringing the total amount of work financed by the Don du Chœur since 2019 to CHF 102’253.18.

The sum of CHF 13’392.42 is provisioned for the construction of individual work rooms.

The sum of CHF 3’575.- is reserved for university scholarships planned for six musicians registered in 2022 at UNAM in Mexico City (courses still online today).

In Madagascar

In this period of pandemic and very severe drought, living conditions in southern Madagascar were particularly difficult and aggravated last February by the devastating effects of Cyclone Batsirai.

Access to water and food has been more essential than ever for the 340 students at our school. The World Food Program regularly provided the school with supplies. The manual pump installed in 2020 provided access to water despite the significant drop in the water table.

Thanks to the Friends of Don du Chœur,

We have financed school supplies for the school, compensation for preschool teachers who are only remunerated by the community, a week of training for teachers with the help of the Regional Department of Education.

We also participated – thanks to the collaboration of SOS Villages d’Enfants Betioky – in the literacy of women for six months and in their training around various activities (weaving, goat breeding, market gardening) to give them financial autonomy.

Expenses of CHF 12’280.- are mainly distributed as follows:

• School supplies: CHF 1’890.-
• Compensation, monitoring and training of teachers: CHF 1’248.-
• Training of women in the community: CHF 2’740.-
• Building maintenance (painting): CHF 1’715.-
• Monitoring by Toro Hay (two on-site missions): CHF 4’686.-

Our local partner Toro Hay ensures the follow-up of the school, in coordination with Claude-Alain Burky. Member of the SDC committee, project manager and based in Tuléar.

In Cambodia :

Cambodia, extremely dependent on tourism, has been strongly impacted by the current health crisis. Our school, like all those in the country, was closed for 7 months, from March 20 to October 18, 2021.

Our local team has managed to put in place the means, in collaboration with families, so that primary school students can follow lessons at home, and that middle and high school students can follow the distance lessons provided by the State.

Seven former Ta Pen students (out of 9 students) passed the 2021 baccalaureate, and are now following higher education.

Twenty-seven students passed their secondary school leaving certificate (100% of enrolments).

The school results were generally satisfactory despite the difficulties:
85.7% in primary, 82.9% in college.

The overall expenses of the Cambodia project amounted to CHF 96’010.- in 2021 compared to CHF 98’985.- in 2020, mainly broken down as follows:

Operation of the primary school and middle school (541 students) (CHF 84’650.- in 2021 compared to CHF 86’768.- in 2020):

Low operating costs linked to the temporary closure of the school with in particular an adjustment of salaries while maintaining good sanitary conditions, school supplies, uniforms but also the distribution of food portions for students and baskets food to the poorest families to compensate for the closure of the school canteen.

Support for the studies of 34 young graduates from Ta Pen college (CHF 11’359.- in 2021 compared to CHF 12’216.- in 2020)

High school students and vocational training (CHF 9’964.-): Low costs because, for the most part, the follow-up of the courses was done online, the students living with their parents. Normally, we pay for accommodation close to the Bakong high school and we give a scholarship to all our high school students and young people in vocational training (INPA, Techo SEN). This year, for the first time, a young person followed a training course in agroecology offered by Bayon Agroecology Training!$

University (CHF 1’395.-): Our eight students have all passed their first year of university! They were taken care of on file by trusted partners whom we thank for their support (Childsdream Foundation, Children of the Mekong, Lotus Outreach). The Don du Chœur intervenes only occasionally to help three students (CHF 1’395.-)

To replace our work trips and exchanges with the Cambodian teams, which were totally impossible in 2021, monitoring took place through very frequent Zoom meetings which made it possible to maintain close contact for all decision-making.

Le Don du Chœur signed a new Cooperation Contract with the Provincial Department of Education on March 10, 2022 and valid until December 31, 2025.

Communication actions have been regularly developed by the Don du Chœur ranging from updating the website, developing our presence on social networks, in particular through the production of videos, and the publication of two newsletters. with the support of the Foyer Handicap Foundation.

All Don du Chœur activities are carried out by volunteers whose personal commitment means that 100% of the donations are allocated to the projects. We would like to thank them very much on behalf of all the children here and elsewhere.