Your 2021 Year-End Review

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Thank you for generous support during another challenging year! Starting in May, COVID's Delta Variant took a toll on Liberia with overcrowded hospitals and more people died than the previous year. Fortunately, we continued to enforce our hygiene protocols. Also, Kelvin Fomba, Co-Founder & Director, took the lead by receiving the vaccine first. We are grateful to announce that your students and staff remained safe.

Like any other year, we started 2021 with high hopes of receiving some much needed help. Surprisingly, someone heeded our call and pledged $50,000. These anonymous donors knew our work and wanted to do more. So, they asked for a written proposal with our wishes that quickly exceeded the donation amount.

Upon receiving this most generous contribution, the Uniting Distant Stars board and co-founders worked on prioritizing our needs, both immediate and future. We accomplished two major items in 2021 by buying an acre of land ($10,000) for our future site and renewing our lease for five years ($15,000). Additionally, the donors asked to allocate $2,230 to meet our cosmetology fundraiser goal. Now as we start 2022, we will focus on the next items that could include some small business initiatives, refreshing learning materials, or adding more solar panels.

Income

You generously raised $64,522.24 for Liberian Youth in 2021. Here is the breakdown:

• 96% from businesses and individuals
• 3% from employer matches and contributions from United Way campaigns.
• 1% from in-kind donations.

Expenses

Uniting Distant Stars allocated $46,665.27 to the programs and projects listed below. Please note $10,787.80 carried over from 2020 for scholarships and learning materials.

• Both the 4th and 5th cohorts of student received learning materials and improved classrooms from your generous help of $15,445 (33.1%). You supported 75 graduates from the 4th cohort to receive their diplomas on September 11, 2021.
• Three people sponsored 8 vocational training students with half or full scholarships for $675 (1.45%).
• Three sponsors supporting 8 academic students with full scholarships for the 2021-2022 school year at $1.975 (4.24%). Three graduated from high school in 2021.
• Land purchase for future site at $10,000 (21.43%).
• Renewed lease for five years at current site at $15,000 (32.14%).
• Staff development valued at $960 with in-kind service (2.06%).
• Administrative costs at $2,610.27 (5.59%).

Furthermore, current assets are $28,659.10, which 79.42 is allocates for projects from the large donor, 1.83% for vocational student scholarship fund (one donor), 11.36% for learning materials for 2021/22 class, and 3.49% for 2022 administrative costs. The remaining 3.9% is the reserve fund. If you like to see how this compares to 2020, click on this link.

Our heartfelt Thanks for your continue commitment toward your students receiving quality education! 

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