ANNUAL REPORT Lotus Outreach Annual Report

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Lotus Outreach Annua Report

2 INTRODUCING LOTUS OUTREACH OUR SOLUTION Lotus Outreach is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the education, heath and safety of vunerabe women and chidren in the deveoping word. Lotus Outreach was founded in 1993 in Bir, Northern India. Chairman and Founder Khyentse Norbu formed the White Lotus Chidren s Program to provide educationa sponsorships for Tibetan refugee famiies. Recognizing the dire poverty suffered by argey invisibe oca popuations, he decided to expand beyond refugee communities and founded the first mobie heath and education program for street chidren in Dehi. In 2002, White Lotus was incorporated as a secuar charitabe organization in the United States. In 2003, the name was changed to Lotus Outreach. Since then, Lotus Outreach has expanded both the reach and scope of our work. Whie expanding access to education remains a top priority, we are aso tacking more unsetting issues such as preventing the sexua expoitation of chidren and rehabiitating survivors of human trafficking. OUR VISION Lotus Outreach envisions a word where every chid has equa access to quaity education and heathcare. We envision a word where chidren of a races and nationaities are free from expoitation, sexua abuse and forced abor. We envision societies that nurture, protect and educate chidren thereby eiminating poverty and its tragic consequences. CONTENTS 3 Our Programs 4 Letter from the President 5 Letter from the Executive Director 6 The Word Needs Our Attention... 8 Education 10 Human Trafficking and Vioence Against Women (VAW): Awareness & Prevention 12 Human Trafficking and Vioence Against Women (VAW): Victim Aftercare 13 Heath & Sanitation 14 Economic Empowerment 16 Our Approach: Grassroots Coaboration 16 Our Beneficiaries 17 Our Loca Partners 18 Financia Snapshots 20 Principes & Practices of Financia Management 20 Charitabe Donations & Giving Guideines 21 Our Team 22 Our Supporters 22 How to Hep

3 OUR PROGRAMS Lotus Outreach is bringing this vision to ife through the foowing initiatives, which reach over 30,000 men, women and chidren in Asia today: Girs Access to Education (GATE) - Cambodia Provides educationa schoarships to at-risk and expoited young girs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey. GATE Women and Youth Schoarship Initiative (GATEways) - Cambodia Provides schoarships to GATE graduates so they can continue their studies at the tertiary eve. Lotus Tutors - India Provides after schoo education and tutoring to chidren of iiterate daits who abor in the dangerous rock quarries of Tami Nadu. Lotus Education As A Right Network (LEARN) - India Utiizes community mobiization, ega advocacy and pubic interest itigation to expand access to quaity pubic education for thousands of marginaized chidren in rura Haryana. Integrated Rura Deveopment - Cambodia A socia deveopment program that provides microoans and agricuture/ farming resources to thousands of rura viagers residing in the remote viages of the Cardamom Mountain Range. Safe Migration and Reduction of Trafficking (SMART) - Cambodia A mobie anti-trafficking program which moves from point-to-point aong the porous Thai-Cambodian border to educate at-risk migrant aborers and street chidren on the dangers of human trafficking. Counseing & Reintegration - Cambodia Provides trauma counseing, socia assistance and sma business grants to hundreds of young survivors of human trafficking, sexua abuse and domestic vioence residing in a women s sheter in rura Cambodia. Non-Forma Education - Cambodia Provides iteracy casses, vocationa training and ife skis to sex workers and their chidren in order to hep them find better opportunities. We Projects - Cambodia Constructs water wes that serve entire viages in the drought-prone regions of rura Cambodia. Phnong Education Initiative - Cambodia Improves access to education for ethnic minorities in Mondukiri through chidren s schoarships and teacher training. Bossom Bus - India Provides daiy transportation to and from schoo for adoescent minority girs who ive too far from the nearest schoohouse to wak each day. Lotus Pedas - Cambodia Provides heavy-terrain bicyces to rura Cambodian girs that are otherwise unabe to traverse the considerabe distance to the nearest schoo. Education Schoarships for Chid Laborers - India Provides bus transportation and enroment assistance to hundreds of migrant chid aborers iving in brick factory compounds. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Lotus Outreach supporters, To begin, I d ike to thank everyone invoved with Lotus Outreach for making the previous year our most successfu ever. In 2011, we surpassed the $500,000 revenue mark for the first time, and becoming a miion doar non-profit is now on the horizon. In particuar, my gratitude goes out to our chair, Khyenste Norbu, a mountain of compassion whose vision to serve vunerabe girs in Asia has made this work possibe. I have been invoved with LO for many years, and it brings great joy to my heart to see what amazing progress our team has made as they join with a one-pointed vision to bring tremendous benefit to the word. In eary 2012, members of our Board of Directors and Executive Committee conducted an exposure visit to Cambodia to witness the many different new and continuing projects that are thriving there. The most touching experience for me was visiting with the young women of GATEways, a new initiative which provides university-eve schoarships to promising young women graduating from GATE. Most of these young women enroed in the GATE program at the junior high eve, and 58 of them are now in their freshman and sophomore years of university. This achievement is astonishing when we consider these girs come from homes made of thatched pam and makeshift was, and used to survive on just a doar a day. After many years of studying and sacrifice, these young women are now determined to become educated and break the cyce of poverty for their famiies. What s more, they are majoring in fieds incuding aw, accounting, nursing, medicine, IT and education with the goa of giving back to their communities and their country. Their triumph over adversity was obvious in their teary eyes as they expressed to us their gratitude for heping them reach this point. What an amazing journey! the Lotus Outreach programs, and I woud ike to personay thank him for his dedication and the briiant sense of humor that he demonstrates in a of his activities. The future of Lotus Outreach is in good hands. Our Executive Director, Erika Keaveney, keeps us on a track of expansion and inspiration. Her skifuness, dedication and passion come together to create the energetic force that binds together a of the various petas of Lotus Outreach. I am aso happy to wecome our new Grants Manager, Sara Haq, to the LO famiy. With roughy one-third of our funding coming from our generous foundation supporters, it is essentia to continue nurturing, cutivating and growing these partnerships. Sara brings a weath of experience in deveopment, and is deepy aware of and committed to the issues we address in the deveoping word. I thank you again for your tremendous generosity in time, money and effort. This generosity has created countess opportunities and has reieved immeasurabe suffering for the hundreds of thousands of peope that have been directy or indirecty affected by Lotus Outreach. Your intention and commitment are coming to fruition through this work, and your continued support wi carry us body into the future. Lotus Outreach coud not thrive without you. Sincerey, Patty Watcher President Genn Fawcett, our Fied Operations Director since Lotus Outreach s inception in 1993, has been the backbone and pivota visionary behind our programs in Cambodia and India. He has worked tireessy to cutivate a of 4 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear friends of Lotus Outreach, The year 2012 wi mark my 5th year serving as Executive Director for this sma but mighty goba organization. In those five years, I have witnessed incredibe things. I have watched us grow our staff and board, tripe our annua revenue and greaty increase our programs and partnerships on the ground. But most importanty, I have witnessed rea, tangibe change happening in the communities we serve. When I first started teing peope about the conditions in Cambodia, the numbers were staggering and the picture was beak: per capita income was $380 per year, ife expectancy was just 58 years of age, HIV/AIDS was a growing probem and ony 14% of girs woud ever reach the 7th grade. Since then, we have witnessed a remarkabe sea change. Income has more than doubed to $802, peope are iving we into their 60s and the number of peope dying from AIDS has dropped from its peak of 15,000 per year to just 3,000. One of the biggest changes we have witnessed - and one which we proudy caim direct responsibiity for aong with our coeagues in the deveopment sector - has been the achievement of gender parity in primary education in Cambodia, an accompishment which the Asian Deveopment Bank attributes to girs schoarship initiatives such as GATE, our fagship program in the region. Our achievements on the girs education front in India have ikewise been great. Just a few short years ago, not a singe Musim gir in Mewat had ever studied beyond primary schoo. The schoos that were actuay functioning when LEARN first started were in a state of utter disrepair. They acked toiets and drinking water, and the schoo buiding conditions were so precarious that the chidren had their casses in the schoo yard for fear the buiding woud coapse and ki them. Since then, much has changed. The vast majority of schoos have received significant infrastructure upgrades, incuding the construction of toiets. Tens of thousands of out-of-schoo chidren have been enroed, and the first Musim girs in the history of their viages have now reached secondary schoo. Despite this tremendous progress, however, we sti have our work cut out for us. Gender parity is a ong way off in secondary and tertiary education, human trafficking is an ever-morphing probem and the majority of peope in our target communities sti survive on ess than $2 per day. But Lotus Outreach is up for the fight. Armed with great ideas, taented peope and a passionate core of supporters, we wi continue to work vigorousy to acceerate these changes. And we ook forward to continuing to share these stories of triumph unti we can finay cose this chapter in human history. We thank you again for joining us hand-in-hand as we pursue this mission. Sincerey, Erika Keaveney Executive Director Lotus Outreach Annua Report

6 THE WORLD NEEDS OUR ATTENTION... THE PROBLEM: HUMAN TRAFFICKING 2.4 MILLION The UN s estimate of the goba number of human trafficking victims at any one time $40,000 The average cost of a save - in today s money - during the height of the Transtantic African save trade 800,000 The number of peope absorbed gobay by the modern-day save trade every year $ $ 25% $90 percentage of peope that ive on ess than $1.25 per day The average cost of a save today 6 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

7 THE PROBLEM: GENDER INEQUALITY 7 % The percentage of the word s 1 biion peope iving in extreme poverty that are women THE PROBLEM: LIMITED EDUCATION ONE IN FIVE Aduts in the deveoping word - or 862 miion peope - are iiterate Out of the word s 130 miion out-of-schoo youth, 70 percent are girs CHILD LABOR POVERTY EARLY MARRIAGE CORRUPTION MILITARY CONFLICT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION DISCRIMINATION Are the main reasons chidren are prevented from achieving the promise of education and breaking the cyce of poverty THE PROBLEM: POOR HEALTH AND SANITATION EVERY 20 SECONDS A chid dies as a resut of poor sanitation 1.5 MILLION PREVENTABLE DEATHS Occur each year as a resut of poor sanitation ONE IN SIX PEOPLE GLOBALLY Lack access to safe drinking water Lotus Outreach Annua Report

8 EDUCATION Expanding access to education is internationay recognized as one of the most powerfu methods for reducing poverty and its myriad consequences incuding infant and materna mortaity, poor heath and gender-based vioence. Studies show that a singe year of basic education, for exampe, can increase a young gir s future earning potentia by as much as 25%. Not ony wi education hep her earn better wages, but her future chidren wi benefit as we: chidren born to mothers without primary schoo education are twice as ikey to die before the age of five, and those that survive are twice as ikey to be out of schoo. With these facts in mind, neary a of Lotus Outreach s initiatives in Asia work to expand access to education, with a particuar focus on women and girs. Our approach to improving education is broad-ranging, and we adapt our strategies to the changing cutura, poitica and socio-economic contexts on the ground. From iteracy casses for sex workers up to university schoarships, to directy supporting teachers or exposing corrupt education officias, a of our education work is having a significant impact in our target communities and transforming the fates of countess generations to come AT-A-GLANCE Provided schoarship packages - incuding uniforms, schoo suppies, meas, transportation, monthy stipends, and housing and emergency food reief where necessary - to 757 chidren throughout Cambodia. Over 90% of our students successfuy advanced to the next grade or graduated at the cose of the academic year. Provided daiy bus transportation to 510 adoescent Musim girs and former chid aborers in rura India, cearing the singe greatest obstace to their continued education. Provided iteracy and ife skis casses to 133 sex workers and chidren iving and working in Phnom Penh s red ight districts. Eighteen of the students had secured aternative empoyment and eft the commercia sex industry by the cose of the year, with an additiona 19 enroed in pubic schoo. Provided remedia education to 252 ower-caste chidren in India, aowing them to exce in pubic schoo and break free from the ife of subsistence abor endured by their iiterate parents. Supported 25 promising young graduates of GATE through their freshman year of university with tertiary education schoarships, which cover housing, food, text books, tuition and other iving expenses. These young women are deepy committed to rebuiding Cambodia s human capita, and are studying subjects such as pedagogy, accounting, aw, nursing, finance and foreign anguages to hep their country hea from the scars eft by genocide. Supported IT training for 20 impoverished young Cambodian women. A 20 have aready secured jobs, and wi soon begin their university studies with tuition assistance from their empoyer, Digita Divide Data. Provided schoarships to 20 ethnic Phnong youth to attend a two-year teacher s training coege. Sixteen of these students graduated in 2011, and are now sharing the gift of education with other inguistic minority chidren in Cambodia s pubic cassrooms. Reached 4,162 Cambodians through education campaigns designed to increase community awareness on the importance of education. Teaching communities about the vaue of education provides one of the greatest returns on investment, with every $100 spent on pubic awareness resuting in 40 additiona years of education. Identified and enroed 3,000 chidren in Mewat, India in pubic schoo through our LEARN project. An additiona 80,000 chidren throughout Haryana state were enroed in schoo due to pubic pressure resuting from LEARN s 2011 socia audit. Pressured education officias in Mewat, India to construct 200 functiona toiets in pubic schoos, greaty increasing reguar attendance for adoescent girs in the region. 8 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

9 Afsana Makes History Afsana just received the wonderfu news that she passed grade 9. But this achievement is more than a miestone for her; her entire community is marking the occasion. That s because Afsana wi be the very first femae in the history of her viage to reach grade 10. Finishing grade 9 at 16 years od, Afsana is a tad behind by western standards. But in the remote, rura district of northern India where she is from, an unwed, chidess gir of her age is a rarity. Afsana s own mother was 14 when she married, and neither of her parents ever attended schoo. A striking contrast aso ies between Afsana and her two oder sisters, ony one of whom reached as far as grade 5 (the other never went to schoo). Whie Afsana amiaby eads our fied staff on a tour of her home, her sisters remain in their rooms; on the way out, our officers are discouraged from acknowedging their veied forms at the door. As married women, they must keep their heads covered, and certainy not address men other than their husbands. It s ike seeing the past and the present in one pace at the same time, remarked our Director of Fied Operations, Genn Fawcett. This surrea juxtaposition amost didn t come to pass. Despite her visibe passion for education, in the year after grade 8 Afsana remained at home, heping to ook after her nieces, nephews and the housekeeping. With her secondary schoo too far away to safey wak to aone, Afsana s parents pued her out of schoo. She resigned hersef to the idea of an eary marriage. That s when news of Lotus Outreach s Bossom Bus, a schoo transportation program designed specificay to reach Mewat s secondary schoo-aged young women, bew through Mehuka viage. When I heard about the chance to return to schoo, my heart amost burst, says Afsana. Not ony did she sign hersef up for the Bus, she raied four of her friends who had aso dropped out to re-enro with her. Now at the top of her cass, a confident Afsana decares, I want to finish grade 12 before even thinking about marriage. Describing her return to student ife, Afsana tes us, we eave for schoo at 7:30 in the morning and return by 3:00 pm. Academicay, I now rank first of 16 girs in my cass. Science and Math are my favorite subjects. I study two to three hours at home every day and my parents give me the time so in that way they support me. Fortunatey we have eectricity at night and I can study during evenings. We asked Afsana if viagers in these parts treat boys differenty from girs and she tes us, boys get more opportunities than girs but I think both shoud be treated equay. Girs shoud be given the same opportunity to get an education and jobs so they too can hep to support their famiies. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

10 HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (VAW): AWARENESS & PREVENTION A rapidy growing mutibiion doar crimina industry, human trafficking is second ony to the drug trade in ucre. With as many as 27 miion trafficking victims wordwide, there are more saves today than in four centuries of the Transtantic African save trade - when a save cost the equivaent of $40,000. Today, the average price for a human being is $90. Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or taking of persons by means of threat, force, coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception for the purpose of expoiting them. It incudes invountary servitude, savery, debt bondage, and forced prostitution and abor. Trafficking is inextricaby inked to poverty in the deveoping word, and for that reason Lotus Outreach considers a of its programs to be preventative in nature. We do, however, work to educate especiay vunerabe popuations - such as iega migrants and impoverished teenage girs - on the dangers of trafficking and the ruses of expoiters AT-A-GLANCE Reached over 2,000 Cambodian migrants and street chidren through mobie counter-trafficking advocacy and peer-to-peer education so they know how to protect themseves from sex and abor trafficking. Produced an origina movie on human trafficking which was screened to 2,000 at-risk Cambodians during the year, providing ife-saving information in an easy-to-understand format with broad pubic appea. Distributed over 8,000 eafets, bookets and emergency contact cards containing messages on safe migration and trafficking prevention to Cambodian migrants and street chidren iving near Poipet on the Thai-Cambodian border, a known internationa hotspot for human trafficking. Trained 28 border poice, oca government and miitary officias on Cambodia s 2008 counter-trafficking aw to enhance understanding and enforcement among duty bearers in the region. Hosted a pubic awareness campaign for Nationa Day Against Human Trafficking on December 12, which was attended by 1,250 Cambodians. 10 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

11 Turning the Tabes on Domestic Vioence in Cambodia The story of Goong Mouey highights just how far a sma investment can go in heping sufferers of Vioence Against Women. Mouey may have survived decades of war and genocide in Cambodia, but she didn t emerge unscathed. The Khmer Rouge competey shut down the pubic education system in the ate 1970s, and 90 percent of a teachers were summariy executed. Mouey is a part of an entire generation of women to grow up competey iiterate, and with itte to no economic opportunity. Lacking education and iving in abject poverty, Mouey is representative of the roughy 30 percent of Cambodian women that suffer from reguar domestic vioence. Escaping her abusive, acohoic husband and unabe to provide for her five young chidren, she was forced to turn the chidren over to an orphanage for two years. This was especiay painfu for me, she shares, but I had run out of options. Since coming into contact with Lotus Outreach s counseing and reintegration program, the tabes have turned for Mouey. After spending some time at a safe sheter, Mouey received $20 in startup support aong with a $120 sma business grant and now runs a highy successfu vegetabe grocery business near Poipet city. Her business aows her to earn about $50 per day over 15 times the per capita income in Cambodia and she has since been abe to resume caring for her chidren. I did have a sma vegetabe sta earier but it was not enough to ive on and the grant aowed me to offer five times as much variety and voume, Mouey shares. Now I can afford pretty much whatever the chidren need to be we nourished. Mouey s 16 yearod daughter, Srey Mom, pipes in as we: Previousy we didn t have the money I need to pay for schoo tuition or buy food and medicine and now we do! The socia stigma attached to divorce in Cambodian society is harsh. When Mouey s husband came skuking back to their improved financia situation, she et him in. The difference now, however, is that the physica abuse has ended. I contro the money in the famiy now, Mouey tes us. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

12 HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (VAW): VICTIM AFTERCARE Though our main activities focus on preventing abuse and expoitation before they occur, it is an unfortunate reaity that one out of three femaes around the word wi fa victim to vioence and sexua abuse during her ifetime, and the majority wi depend on non-profit organizations for aftercare and support. Whie prioritizing most of our efforts on preventing these atrocities from happening in the first pace, we make sure to extend a oving hand to those who have aready faen victim by providing trauma therapy, socia services and economic empowerment AT-A-GLANCE Provided 127 sheter-based victims of trafficking, rape and domestic vioence with trauma therapy, aowing them to overcome the ravages of abuse and regain the sef-worth and sef-confidence needed to successfuy rejoin society and ead safe, heathy and productive ives. Our socia workers heped 106 cients find housing, empoyment and/or enro in pubic schoo, paving the way for their futures outside of the sheter. Provided 25 cients with start-up support packages - incuding food and kitchenware - to aid them in their reintegration into Cambodian society. Repatriated 21 victims of vioence and trafficking to their home provinces, foowing a comprehensive famiy-tracing assessment. Estabished two victim support groups for reintegrated cients and members of the broader community. With mora support and encouragement from the victims counseors, oversaw the conviction of 14 chid rapists who are now behind bars in Cambodia. Through our SMART counter-trafficking unit, identified and referred 16 trafficking victims and at-risk migrants to vocationa training, aftercare and ega services. 12 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

13 HEALTH & SANITATION Lack of access to cean water and adequate sanitation faciities - aong with poor hygiene - are among the eading causes of chidhood death in the deveoping word. But it doesn t have to be this way. For a sma investment, Lotus Outreach can bring cean water, toiet access and hygiene education to isoated communities which drasticay improves their we-being. Furthermore, many heath probems paguing deveoping nations such as typhoid, dysentery and maaria are easiy preventabe and treatabe. It is often poverty of knowedge - rather than economic poverty - that prevents communities from maintaining good heath. That is why Lotus Outreach works to spread knowedge on preventative heathcare practices - from hand-washing to reproductive heath - throughout our countries of operation AT-A-GLANCE In cooperation with the Cambodian Department of Heath, provided heathcare education - incuding prevention and treatment for maaria, dengue fever, anemia, diarrhea, tubercuosis, HIV/AIDs as we as the importance of breast-feeding and chidhood vaccinations - to 3,266 rura viagers. Preiminary reports have shown a 35% decrease in heathcare expenditure in the region since our work began there in At the cose of the year, the number of househods using toiets increased to 18% of our target viages in Pursat (up from just 2.9% of househods in 2008). This is a direct resut of our toiet use advocacy, and the support of toiet construction for 24 mode famiies in 2009 and Constructed eight deep-bore water wes, which now provide a daiy suppy of cean, safe drinking water to over 1,000 impoverished viagers iving in the drought-prone regions of rura Cambodia. As a resut, rates of typhoid and diarrhea among chidren in these regions dropped over 38%, and 41% fewer chidren are missing schoo due to water-borne iness. Educated we recipients on the importance of basic sanitation and hygiene practices. As a resut, the number of viagers washing their hands after going to the bathroom increased 124% and the rate of viagers boiing water before consuming increased 34%. Educated 85 urban sex workers on reproductive heath and STD prevention. Provided HIV testing and counseing to 72 of them. Provided on-the-spot medica care to 84 street chidren on the Thai-Cambodian border through our SMART mobie advocacy unit. Supported ife-saving emergency medica treatment for 40 schoarship girs throughout the year for aiments incuding maaria, dengue fever, manutrition and intestina parasites. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

14 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT Lotus Outreach beieves firmy in empowering peope and communities to meet their own needs. For this reason, we invest heaviy in initiatives that improve earning potentia and iveihood for needy individuas, famiies and communities. We achieve this goa by working cosey with our oca partners and beneficiaries to take stock of potentia capita - both materia and human - that can hep peope earn income. Through the provision of skis training, sma business grants, and the estabishment of community-ed savings and oan groups, Lotus Outreach has heped thousands of famiies become economicay sef-sufficient. In doing so, we ensure communities can utimatey meet their own needs, such as food, heathcare and education, without continued dependence on deveopment and reief organizations AT-A-GLANCE Supported six community savings and oan cooperatives - or Sef Hep Groups (SHGs) - consisting of 122 viagers (95% women) in Pursat, Cambodia. During the year the tota vaue of the SHG funds increased 48% to US$3,026. In 2011, Sef Hep Groups suppied microoans to 69 viagers to support income-generating activities, incuding anima farming and cash crop production. Viagers aso used oans to construct wes and toiets, cover heathcare expenses and purchase bicyces so their chidren can get to schoo. There were zero oan defauts during the year. 150 famiies earned approximatey $200 each during the year as a resut of cash crop support packages (seeds, toos and training) provided in Beneficiaries of the origina support packages paid forward seeds from their harvest to 78 additiona famiies, 41 of which were abe to se surpus crops to earn around $34 each month. Provided 30 at-risk and abused young women with agricutura training - incuding hands-on support and bookkeeping assistance - so they coud estabish pig and chicken farms. An additiona seven famiies in Pursat, Cambodia received training in mushroom growing, fish farming and soy mik production. Provided vocationa training in sewing, taioring and cosmetoogy to 19 sex workers so they can find better job opportunities. Provided 26 at-risk and abused young women with sma business grants. Grants were used to purchase sewing machines, estabish pig and chicken farms, grow vegetabe gardens and more. By the end of 2011, some of the grantees were aready earning as much as $100 per month as a resut of the grant. 14 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

15 Srey Leak Leaves The Red Light District, Dreams Of Opening Her Own Beauty Saon Srey Leak is one of hundreds of entertainment workers to graduate from our Non-Forma Education (NFE) program, which targets young women ooking for better opportunities in Phnom Penh s red ight districts. Leak and her twin sister were orphaned at just three years of age, osing their mother to maaria and their father to acohoism. The todders then began their ives as transients, rotating under the care of reatives unti their oder brother found two sma businesses wiing to house and feed the itte girs in exchange for their abor. They both dropped out of schoo in the first grade, and utimatey reunited as young women when they began entertaining men at the same karaoke bar in Phnom Penh s red ight district. Fortunatey, the tides have turned for Leak, and we recenty visited her at her new job as a beautician in Phnom Penh s riverside Od Market. Leak competed NFE in 2010, and in 2011 was one of five graduates to receive additiona beauty skis training from the program - a piot initiative sated for expansion in LO Director of Fied Operations Genn Fawcett describes the observabe change in Leak s appearance: I remembered Leak s apparent sadness and ack of energy on the many occasions we met during our visits to the karaoke bar where she ived, and coud hardy beieve how happy and easy going she is now, says Genn. Her happiness to be away from her former ife, where she was prone to abuse and expoitation, and to now be among good friends that nurture and ove her is so apparent - the transformation is extreme. During the visit Leak aughed often with her co-workers, and her boss Pov described the atmosphere: We a ove each other very much. There is itte reason to doubt her sincerity in addition to fu-time work and a iving wage, Pov provides Leak with free training in nai design. What s more, Pov has invested heaviy in a training course in Hong Kong, and is saving to open up her own training schoo. It s cear that Leak has anded in a positive, future-focused environment where she wi have room to thrive, iving on her own terms. I wi continue to add to my skis, says Leak. I pan to open my own sma business in this market, maybe on this very spot when Pov opens her training schoo. Whie Pov partiay hired Leak out of pity for an orphaned young woman trying to make a better ife for hersef, Leak woudn t have been a viabe candidate without the training in cosmetoogy she received from NFE. I can now earn $50 each month, beams Leak. I am very happy! Bridging the sma gap in education and training to make these women s skis marketabe in their communities is precisey what NFE is designed to do, and we are overjoyed to see this come to fruition in a case ike Leak s. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

16 OUR APPROACH: GRASSROOTS COLLABORATION Our unique approach to tacking poverty and its consequences invoves working with oca grassroots organizations that possess the deepest understanding of their communities needs and chaenges. And whie we beieve that change spreads fastest from the ground up, we are aso aware that grassroots organizations in the deveoping word are confronted by a unique set of chaenges incuding ack of money, infrastructure, accountabiity measures, and performance management techniques. Lotus Outreach is thus working to empower our oca partners by providing critica, on-the-ground support in the areas of funding, program design, performance management, technica support, training, and data coection and anaysis, whie giving them enough autonomy to ensure the oca ownership and cutura reevance of each project. OUR BENEFICIARIES Lotus Outreach seeks to empower both its partners and beneficiaries to become sef-sufficient. Lotus Outreach has, at its core, a simpe vaue and principe - to enabe oca resources to fourish so peope can meet their own needs. We ony seek to change the inequity between those who can manifest their own soutions and those who cannot. Chidren Chidren are the most vunerabe members of our goba community, and it has been demonstrated that working with them provides the greatest ongterm, sustainabe benefits to communities in need. Poverty is neary aways transmitted from one generation to the next - a devastating cyce that must be broken. Chidren who are afficted by poverty are substantiay more ikey to grow into aduts who ack the education, resources and empowerment to give their chidren more hopefu futures. Consequenty, Lotus Outreach operates on UNICEF s principe that investments in chidren are the best guarantee for achieving equitabe and sustainabe human deveopment. Women The connection between empowering women and improving the ives of chidren is now widey recognized by the internationa community. As stated in UNICEF s 2007 State of the Word s Chidren report, heathy, educated and empowered women have heathy, educated and confident daughters and sons. With this important connection in mind, Lotus Outreach aso specificay targets girs and young women in order to achieve this doube dividend of socia change. Vunerabe Communities Lotus Outreach programs aso target chidren in communities that are among the poorest and most vunerabe - those most in need of assistance. Lotus Outreach programs are depoyed in regions where both the needs are most pressing and where the organization has the abiity to operate effectivey. Though there are severa arge, highy effective NGOs and non-profits operating in Asia today, Lotus Outreach is unique in that it works to fi the gaps that arger organizations eave behind. Lotus Outreach specificay targets underserved popuations in isoated regions in order to ensure that it does not dupicate efforts aready underway whie reaching the peope most in need, such as the rura poor. Loca Partners Because we beieve that change spreads fastest from the ground up, our projects are deivered at the grassroots eve by oca peope. Lotus Outreach carefuy seects smaer partners who have demonstrated a capacity to do exceent work and coud benefit from both financia assistance and program deveopment. In addition to keeping its programs cuturay reevant, this mode aso aows Lotus Outreach to have a much greater impact, for ess. Lotus Outreach foows the principe of a hand-up, not a hand-out (change not charity) and aims to buid oca capacity in the areas it serves. 16 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

17 OUR LOCAL PARTNERS Khemara Khemara was the first Non-Governmenta Organization (NGO) for women estabished in Cambodia. It was founded by Mu Sochua, the former Minister of Women s and Veterans Affairs. Khemara deivers Non-Forma Education to sex workers and to impoverished youth who are at risk of entering the commercia sex industry. Casses are taught by Ministry of Education-trained teachers and cover a wide range of subjects incuding numeracy, iteracy, ife skis, income generation and bi paying, how to avoid credit schemes, embroidery, sewing, gardening, HIV prevention and sanitation. Cambodian Organization for Chidren and Deveopment (COCD) COCD is a oca NGO registered with the Roya Cambodian Government s Ministry of Interior. Its vision is to see a society where a peope are equa, where a chidren are free from a forms of abuse, and where chidren are protected, educated, cared for, and have their rights respected. COCD s mission is to improve the socia wefare of vunerabe chidren, their famiies and communities through the impementation of integrated deveopment and empowerment projects. Kampuchean Action for Primary Education (KAPE) Founded in 1999, KAPE is a grassroots NGO that seeks to improve both the quaity of, and access to, basic education for chidren iving in Cambodia. The agency was founded by oca stakehoders for the stakehoders, representing a unique experiment in stakehoderdriven deveopment. KAPE aso seeks to assist the Cambodian government in reaizing recenty proposed educationa reforms that focus on increasing access to education for vunerabe groups. White Lotus Charitabe Trust Founded by Khyentse Norbu in 1993, White Lotus works with socio-economicay weaker sections of society with specia emphasis on women and chidren - irrespective of caste, creed, cuture and reigion - toward the sustainabe deveopment of individuas, the famiy and the community through various interventions to raise the standard and quaity of their ives. Cambodian Women s Crisis Center (CWCC) CWCC is a oca NGO registered with the Roya Cambodian Government s Ministry of Interior. Its primary purpose is to provide assistance to women and chidren who are victims of domestic vioence, sexua abuse and trafficking. Its mission is to eiminate a forms of vioence against women and to work toward creating a society founded on equaity, peace and deveopment that wi achieve happiness for a. Passerees Numériques Passerees Numériques is the resut of a coaboration between Enfants du Mekong, a French NGO that sponsors vunerabe chidren in Southeast Asia, and Accenture, a goba consuting and technoogy service provider. Its founding vision is to give disadvantaged youth a means to escape poverty through speciaized education. Specificay, it seeks to train them to be both skied technicians in the rapidy growing fied of information technoogy and savvy professionas abe to respond to the needs of thriving companies. Spirit in Life Movement Founded by Indian University Professor and deepy engaged socia worker Dr. Manivannan, Spirit in Life is a humbe grassroots initiative that aims to buid a peacefu, nonvioent and just word. Lotus Tutors (formery Buddha Smies) is a project of the Spirit in Life Movement, a registered Pubic Charitabe and Educationa Trust in India. Lotus Tutors is a secuar initiative that draws its inspiration from Gandhian phiosophy of Sarvodaya (Wefare of A) which recognizes that mora, cutura, socia, economic and poitica dimensions are a necessary components of hoistic deveopment. Santi Sena Santi Sena is a non-profit, non-governmenta and non-poitica organization; it is a Buddhist monks organization founded by Venerabe Nhem Kim Teng and other founders in 1994, at Prey Chhak pagoda, Svay Rieng province and registered with the Cambodian Ministry of Interior. Santi Sena is from the Pai anguage, meaning a group of persons that works for peace, iveihood improvement, socia justice and environmenta protection. Lotus Outreach Annua Report

18 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOTS STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011 Expenses by category UNRESTRICTED TEMPORARILY TOTAL $ RESTRICTED $ $ Revenue and Support: Contributions 326, , ,149 In-kind contributions 16,442-16,442 Interest income Other income Net assets reeased from restrictions 205,899 (205,899) - Tota Revenue and Support 550,543 64, ,143 82% 6% 12% Expenses: Program Services 404, ,874 Supporting Services: Fundraising 61,358-61,358 Genera and administrative 29,009-29,009 Tota Supporting Services 90,367-90,367 Tota Expenses 495, ,241 Admin Fundraising Programs Change in Net Assets 55,302 64, ,902 Net Assets at Beginning of Year 198,651 55, ,767 NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR 253, , ,669 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DECEMBER 31, 2011 $ Assets: Cash and cash equivaents 296,497 Contributions receivabe, net 99,122 Prepaid expenses 316 Tota Assets 395,935 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabiities: Accounts payabe and accrued expenses 22,266 Tota Liabiities 22,266 Revenue by source 66% 3% 31% Net Assets: Unrestricted 253,953 Temporariy restricted 119,716 Tota Net Assets 373,669 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS 395,935 In-kind Grants Individua contributions 18 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

19 TRENDS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 2007 THROUGH 2011 Program Expenses Fundraising Expenses Genera & Administrative $404,874 $368,364 $250,989 $128,029 $132,641 $14,534 $8,629 $88,436 $27,590 $41,314 $56,352 $61,358 $10,971 $7,269 $29,009 Tota Support & Revenue $615,143 $411,798 $408,767 $195,887 $177,757 Lotus Outreach Annua Report

20 PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Lotus Outreach has adopted and adheres to the most current practices of financia and performance accountabiity. We want every stakehoder to have fu confidence in the transparent presentation of our fund management. The foowing are some of the most important principes we practice: Lotus Outreach operates in accordance with an annua budget that has been approved by the Board of Directors prior to the beginning of each fisca year. Quartery financia statements are provided to the Board of Directors. The statements expain any significant variation between actua and budgeted revenues and expenses. Lotus Outreach maintains financia reports on a timey basis, accuratey refecting the financia activity of the organization, incuding the comparison of actua to budgeted revenue and expense. Lotus Outreach subjects its financia accounting principes and reports to annua audits by an independent accounting firm. That firm s audited financia statements are avaiabe on our website. Lotus Outreach has written financia poicies. Lotus Outreach may budget for a deficit from time to time but does not incur persistent or increasing operating deficits. CHARITABLE DONATIONS & GIVING GUIDELINES Lotus Outreach foows a aws, rues and reguations concerning charitabe giving and receiving. We beieve it is important to conduct our giving and receiving with as much transparency and accountabiity as possibe. We want to assure every donor that each doar is coected and distributed in a manner compiant with pertinent U.S. and internationa aw. Charitabe Donations and Contributions to Lotus Outreach Lotus Outreach wi accept ony unrestricted contributions or contributions for projects approved in advance by Lotus Outreach. Whie Lotus Outreach wecomes suggestions from donors about our use of funds, donor suggestions are not binding on Lotus Outreach. In a cases, Lotus Outreach wi, as required by aw, retain fu discretion and contro over the use of contributed funds, incuding the right to withdraw approva of a previousy approved project if necessary so as to ensure that a contributions wi be used or are being used to carry out Lotus Outreach s functions and purposes. Charitabe Giving The Lotus Outreach Board of Directors reviews and approves a charitabe giving abroad and retains fu discretion and contro to ensure that partners are using funds for the stated purpose. Foreign charitabe partner agencies submit to reguar financia and narrative reporting that assures Lotus Outreach funds are being spent on the stated purpose formay approved by the Board of Directors. Lotus Outreach cannot accept funds that have been earmarked or restricted by the donor for use by a particuar foreign organization or person. 20 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

21 OUR TEAM Chairman of the Board Khyentse Norbu BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patty Watcher President Peneope Tree Vice President and President, Lotus Outreach United Kingdom Ed Maey Treasurer Agam Pate Secretary Marow Brooks Juie Chender Angie Dion-Shore Kathryn Gessner Cara Godberg Michaea Haas, Ph.D. Germaine Hoston, Ph.D. Jody Lippman Juia Booth President, Lotus Outreach Austraia Vaerie Chou President, Lotus Outreach Hong Kong Jacqueine Chow President, Lotus Outreach Society Canada Ex Officio Members Michae Fritzsche Patrick Jacqueine Dr. Mia Eche Regina Kaczmerick Staff Erika Keaveney Executive Director Genn Fawcett Executive Director of Fied Operations Raksmey Var Country Representative - Cambodia Suraj Kumar Program Manager - India Rache Curtis Deveopment Manager Communications & Deveopment VOLUNTEERS Krista Lamp Media and Pubic Reations Pat Armstrong System Administrator Kristen Jourdonais-Ritchie Onine and Socia Media Advisor Stephen Mortimer Graphic Design Andrea Murphy Graphic Design Aison McCurdy Event Panning Lauren Joy Event Panning Frances Chu Community Outreach Meggin Suivan Community Outreach Lotus Outreach Annua Report

22 OUR SUPPORTERS We are immensey gratefu to our individua contributors, foundation and corporate funders, in-kind donors and vounteers for your support and partnership. You make the work of Lotus Outreach possibe, and your continued aid is crucia as we further our mission and expand the reach and benefit of Lotus Outreach s programs. Your generosity is a ifeine for the chidren we serve. FOUNDATIONS & CORPORATE SPONSORS The Angus Lawson Memoria Trust Autodesk Buddhist Goba Reief Dining for Women Eieen Fisher GobaGiving Foundation Independent Piots Association Foundation Lutheran Church of the Ascension Materia Word Charitabe Foundation Ronad C. Wornick Jewish Day Schoo Schwab Charitabe Fund Shopkick, Inc. State Association of Addiction Services (SAAS) The Internationa Foundation The Marbrook Foundation Weyerhaeuser Famiy Foundation HOW TO HELP There are many ways to support Lotus Outreach, incuding: Visiting and cicking Donate Now or maiing your donation in the encosed enveope Gifts of stocks, bonds and other appreciated assets Enroing Lotus Outreach in your empoyer s matching gifts program Honoring someone with a gift in their name Making a gift by bequest Engaging in peer-to-peer fundraising by organizing an event, donating your birthday or asking for sponsorships for your next athetic event. To get started, visit and cick Get Invoved CONTRIBUTORS OVER $1,000 Anonymous Michae Aen Janice Batcheder Lady Angea Bernstein Richard Chang Juie Chender Chen Ching Lan Vaerie Chou Judy Coe Harry & Chanta Doman-Dussouchaud Yarrow Durbin Gary Dyson Bi K C Fong Franck Genson IN-KIND DONORS Beaded Obsessions Bissfu Babies Body Buit for Sport Bouchee Gourmet Camie Lem Photography Capricorn Boutique Circebuzz Connie C. Madden CrossFit Invictus De Mar Aesthetic Cinic Fitzee Foods Ginseng Yoga Jeweiany Joao s A Tin Fish Bar & Eatery Burt Joy Juntos Knobbe Martens Oson & Bear LLP Lipstick & Luster Loi Swim Luuemon J. David Hakman Timothy & Kristine Hennessy Jackie Hoander Germaine A. Hoston Jason Kaufman Trudee Kautky Art Leahy Lok Wah Leung Jody Lippman Linda Lippman Erin Maoney Anne & Peter Meehan Owen Sayre John Swearingen Eva Stern Peneope Tree Patty Watcher Lynda Weinman Marriott Courtyard David Nude Oga Contreras Pauette Shuffer Primavera Restaurant Recreationa Music Center Robert Cromeans Saon Joey Rodrigues Sai Ho Gof Cub San Diego Baet San Diego Gymnastics Sarah Kanemasu Sater s 50/50 Burgers by Design Stefanie Poteet Photography Tender Greens The Bar Method San Diego Warp 9 Imaging W Saon & Spa David Zweiback 22 Lotus Outreach Annua Report 2011

23 CONTRIBUTORS Hector Acosta Joan Adams Kathryn Aexandrei Jimena Aonso Senja Antia Shoaib Asif Cathin Atchison Rodney Atchison Vinnie Basamo John & Susan Barisone Marina & John Bear Joee Beer Lisa Beott Georgie Bernstein Emiy Bert Martin Boise Stanisav Bozikow Eeanor Bristo Marow Brooks Mariyn Brown Roy Buchanan Tami Carter Anoki Casey Amy Caste David Castro Lapo Cavina Charene Chang Lynda Chang Cangioi Che Rosemarie Chen Shiang-Jean Chen Yi Chen Yung S. Chen Sarath Aec Chhoeung Ginger Chih Anna Chuen Brigit Carke Smith J.P. Coe Liian Concordia Ana Luiza Cordeiro De Moraes Sheya Costa Sharon Crayton Courtand Creekmore Megan Cross Kathy Curtis Patrick Daiy Bruce Da Santo Charotte Davis Cheri Davis Marie De Amo Jennifer Deaqui Steve & Kerry Dibartoomeo Laure Dion Raymond Dougherty Serena Edwards Tatianna Esworth Sandra Engeand Eman Faah Ren Yong Ming Famiy Hannah Fedman Donna Fiadefia Liian Fireside FirstGiving Anne Ford Water Fordham Eizabeth Franke Sandra Garcia Kathryn Gessner Patricia Gessner Paua Gi Nancy Giis GoodSearch Catherine Granett Jeffrey Granett Susan Greanias Devi Guo Zaria Hardwick Connie Harmatz Raymond Harth Jr Yeshe Hegan Katherine Herd Barbara Hirsch Jennie Chun-Ni Ho Nien-Hwa Ho Hong Hoang Jennifer Hogan Eieen Hooway Terry Anne Hozman Yuaning Hu Yu-Chien Huang YunJu Huang Caroyn Humphreys Shoai Syed Asif Hussain Asif Jeffrey Irean Sindee Irean John Jensen Feng Jin JustGive.org Matthew Kameron Kenny s Kar Kinic Lisa Keaveney Gaee Kennedy Janet Y Kim Chhun Kin Birgit Koeher Seng Kiat Koh Peter Koev Eizabeth Krainer Bernhard Kriechbaumer Manuea Kriechbaumer Lihshin Ku Marene Kurz Cherry Lai Tina Lam Wendy Layton Syvia Lee Liang Li Shi Yi-Shan Lin Cheri Lippmann Nigge Loddi Andrew Logan Mary Lombardo Aicia Longust Margaret Lorenz Katheen Lyon Michae Macioce Ed Maey Sanjay Manchanda Leon Marcus Sandra McCann Denise McCurdy Yuan Mei Ma Jacqueyn Merre Diane Metzger Henia Miedzinski Dorothy Migiaccio Lesie Mis Bakes Mitche James Mitche David Moore James Morioka Kimbery Sue Myers Annie Ng Forence Ng Johnny Ng Mui Yung Ng Ushnisha Ng Nonprofitshoppingma, LLC Lisa Norsigian Luciana Novaes Miha Nozik Iya Obgadze Maureen O Brien & Roy Creekmore Connie O Leary Chin Hwee Ong Richard Page Rache Parsons Lesey Patten Aisan Peters Penny Lynn Peterson Shou-Jou & Michae Piston N Peasants Wofgang Poony Maurizio Pontiggia Katheen Pratt Andrea Pucci Lynn Rappaport Susanne & Moritz Regnier Suzanne Rigaud Katherine Rodittis Susan Roncone Dena Rosenboom Aexa Ross Mark Rothe Aison Roye Joe Samues Ryan Sandvig Pamea Scazo Mary Scazo-Carpenter Shiwa Shadden Lara Sherpa Shiao Ping Shih Asif Shoaib Graham Simmons Joanne Spadavecchia Catherine Spain D. Michae Spain Steve Spendorio Aison Squier Wayne Stith Meggin Suivan John & Maria Sutherand Amy & Patrick Sweeney Joceyn Syvester Erda Tansev Dorothy Thompson Vicky Thompson Yuing Ting Cam & Bang Tran Madeine Tsui Mason Tsui Fred Tufts Kaye Van Neve Vioeta Vassao Annabe Von Arnim Fangjie Wang Leah Wang Lachan Waterbury Liian Westcott Paua White Vima Wison Forence Yeh Xia Yin Ren Yong Ming Heen Yuan Lotus Outreach Annua Report