Archived Updates
field report
JUNE 2009 - Since the inception of MCFCF and more specifically since our charitable registration effective July 1, 2007, we have been greatly blessed through the generosity and love of so many Canadians and supporters of MCF. As a result we’ve had the privilege of raising significant sums of money to transfer over to MCF Kenya in support of MCFCF initiatives over there
Certainly when a Canadian charity raises funds within Canada to send overseas, there’s a significant level of accountability and integrity placed on both the charity and the overseas recipient of funds. The MCFCF Board agreed, as part of our due diligence process, that a small and very focused Board team would travel to MCF Kenya and perform a field audit in February 2009, comprising of three main components:
· (i) Physical Audit – the Board visited the physical sites where the majority of Canadian funds had been expended for both capital and operational initiatives – including visits to the main MCF sites of Ndalani, Yatta, the Nairobi Head office and with a side trip to the Eldoret tent camps where large sums were expended on relief efforts to assist with for the civil unrest.
· (ii) Corroborative Evidence – also known as supporting evidence – a focus on 3rd party communications with MCF staff, children, Eldoret tent camp residents, etc, to identify and validate the support MCF was providing in many areas of food, shelter, clothing, spiritual and emotional counseling, etc.
· (iii) Financial Audit – The Board worked directly with MCF representatives to perform a detailed review of certain financial processes and procedures at MCF, we reviewed a selected sample of financial data and records and had significant conversations with Grace Mulli, the Chief Financial Officer for MCF.
As Treasurer for MCFCF, I am pleased to report the results of our field audit as being very positive. We had productive and fruitful discussions with various people and MCF stakeholders during the process and found everything and everyone to be of the utmost professionalism, courteous and helpful. The financial records are in very solid working order and Canadians can be proud of the very hard and diligent efforts made by MCF staff in Kenya. I am very impressed with the quality of financial records maintained at MCF and I have a very high level of assurance that Canadian donations are being received at MCF in an accurate and complete process and expenditures by MCF are made in accordance with designations provided by MCFCF.
It was a real pleasure to tour the MCF facilities and experience first-hand the love of everyone who greeted the Board team. It was very heart-warming to know that Canadian donations were hard at work everywhere we travelled, be it through the construction of much needed facilities, including the Yatta Early Childhood Centre, Ndalani Kitchen which will finally allow the children to congregate and eat in fellowship together and the Ndalani Computer Lab as well as through the obvious joy of the MCF children who are all clothed, fed and educated with the assistance of Canadian donors.
I would like to personally thank each and every Canadian who may have financially contributed to the needs at MCF, and certainly those who hold MCF and MCFCF close in their prayers. We continue to make a significant difference in the lives of the MCF children and we know they love all of us and they hold us close in their prayers.
Michael Crane, MCFCF Board Member & Treasurer