Last week Maranatha had a groundbreaking ceremony for the new girls dormitory. All of the 500+ children from the central primary school came to participate in the celebration. Doing the dirty work in the picture above is the 7th grade teacher on the left and the school’s headmaster on the right. There was much singing and clapping! Below is a short video of the children during the event.
One of the goals while I am here is to assist Maranatha in improving its accounting measures. This is particularly important for projects like this one, which are largely donor-funded (KidsUganda is heading the fundraising effort for this one). I’m currently working with Maranatha’s accountant to separate capital expenses from operational expenses to help them get a better understanding of their uses of funds. Providing more accountability and open-ness in this regard improves trust between Maranatha and its partners abroad. It also improves the ability of those organizations to clearly communicate expectations to donors and fundraise for future projects.
Videos like the one above definitely get people excited, and transparent accounting practices get others excited!
