Updates

We trained 20 conflict-affected young people in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, over three months. All had been formerly associated with armed forces or groups and were referred to our Fesser and Friends Transit and Orientation Centre after escaping active conflict.

Training covered carpentry, welding, and metal fitting. During the programme, trainees produced furniture, doors, windows, handwashing stations, and metal crates, and some of what they made was sold to reinvest in materials and give them real market experience.

We ran psychosocial support alongside the technical work: regular counselling sessions, group discussions, and recreational activities. Stigma initially made it hard for some trainees to open up, so facilitators shifted to smaller groups and activity-based formats, which gradually built trust.

We spent $2,641 (roughly £2,100) from the Kwanda grant on training delivery, materials, and administration, with bank and admin fees coming to $150.

The main constraint was materials. Trainees had to share and rotate tools and protective equipment, which limited individual practice time, and the three-month duration was tight for fully consolidating trade skills. We are now developing a structured exit plan with start-up kit distribution and follow-up check-ins for graduates, and will look to extend future cycles to six months.

This month, we purchased and installed solar panels at Safe City, our clinic in Oworoshoki, Lagos. We contracted a local vendor and installer from the Oworoshoki community, which also provided a small economic benefit to the area.

In February, 315 community members received free healthcare at Care Circle in Surulere, Lagos, a 50% increase on January that brings the total since the clinic opened five months ago to 1,370 patients. Of those, 41% were visiting for the first time and 59% returned for ongoing care, which suggests families are building a regular relationship with the clinic.

The average monthly household income among patients was about 11,400 naira (roughly £6) for a family of four, working out to about £1.50 per person per month. This is lower than January, which suggests Care Circle is increasingly reaching families with the fewest financial resources. We spent about £310 (US$391) on medications and nurses' salaries.

Earlier months saw a slower ramp-up than expected, partly due to government home demolitions in the area causing displacement and instability. With conditions calming, patient numbers have now picked up, and the slower early months also meant we could stretch the clinic's operating funds and extend its runway through to the end of April.

In February, 303 community members received free healthcare at Safe City in Oworoshoki, Lagos, bringing the clinic's total since launch to over 7,250 patients and 681 treated in the first two months of 2026 alone.

Patient visits dipped slightly from January due to government-led home demolitions in Oworoshoki, which displaced residents and created instability in the area. Despite this, Safe City stayed fully operational and slightly exceeded its monthly target. Of the 303 patients, 35% were visiting for the first time and 65% were returning, a continued increase in repeat visits that shows how central the clinic has become for ongoing care.

The average monthly household income among patients was about 24,400 naira (roughly £13) for a family of four, which works out to about £3.30 per person per month. We spent about £303 (US$384) on medications and staff salaries.

Mrs Victoria, one of Safe City's oldest patients and a grandmother in Oworoshoki, shared her experience on video, describing how the clinic has changed her life.

With solar panels now installed and power issues resolved, the team is well placed to maintain this pace heading into Q2.

This month, we moved from classroom theory to a running school enterprise at Government Bilingual High School Mfou, and submitted our Annual Report for the Global School Enterprise Challenge, officially entering our 20 scholars (12 girls, 8 boys) into the "Top School Business" category.

We harvested our first crop of organic spinach and huckleberry. When standard 1kg bundles proved too expensive for students' daily allowances, we created 250 XAF "Mini-Bundles" (roughly 30p each) and sold out within 48 hours, reaching 60 community members. Scholars rotated through Finance, Sales, and Production roles so each one gained hands-on experience running the business.

We spent 40,000 XAF (roughly £50) this month on market research stipends, logistics to move produce from farm to market, data bundles for scholars to upload business plans and the annual report, and branding materials for the first Harvest Day.

Our scholars are now completing individual business plans in the Enterprise Adventure App, and we are preparing for a formal graduation ceremony between late April and early May, where they will transition from students to independent soil stewards and entrepreneurs.

This month, we reviewed and revised the GEAR Lab calendar. After running the pilot, our team decided that holding sessions over seven consecutive days works better than spreading them across four separate weekends, as the weekend model introduced too many disruptions and increased the chance of students not finishing the course.

We have set dates for six cohorts running from June to September: 15 to 21 June, 29 June to 5 July, 13 to 19 July, 16 to 23 August, 7 to 13 September, and 21 to 27 September. We will open applications in the coming weeks to recruit all cohorts at once.

We also recently received a donation of 20 laptops from an individual in the US, which we plan to use for GEAR Lab sessions. The laptops have been shipped to our logistics partner in Florida and we are arranging transport to Haiti.

No funds were spent this period. We are assessing materials from the pilot to reuse as many robot kits as possible and will order new materials in the next few weeks as needed.

We have completed our 2025 Literacy Pilot Project. We achieved the following results with our pilot:

• 29 women enrolled, and 24 completed the programme (83%).

• Each participant received an average of 108 hours of literacy instruction focused on reading, spelling, and written communication.

• Transport stipends helped participants attend regularly, increasing attendance from around 50% to approximately 80%.

  

  

  We also supported five women with transport stipends to undertake three-month internships. One participant withdrew due to higher travel costs, and four completed their placements.

  Most participants are heads of household with limited formal education. Many are unemployed or earning income through informal work. By the end of December, participants reported stronger literacy skills and more confidence in navigating written information.

  One participant, a former child soldier, shared that without the right documentation and literacy skills, she could not access government benefits or navigate the required forms. “I am in this situation because I didn't have anyone to guide me,” she said.

  When she heard about the free literacy programme, she enrolled immediately. Today, she can read. One of the first things she proudly shared was, “Now I can read the Bible on my own.”

  

  

  Activities:

  • We enrolled 29 women in the 2025 Literacy Pilot Project.

  • We delivered an average of 108 hours of literacy instruction per participant.

  • We provided transport stipends to support regular attendance.

  • We supported five women with transport stipends for three-month internships.

    

In January, 378 patients received free healthcare at Safe City, our clinic in Oworoshoki, Lagos, bringing the total since launch to 6,953. Patient visits picked up as residents returned to Lagos after the holiday season, following a quieter December.

Of the 378 patients, 40% were visiting for the first time and 60% were returning. New patients continue to hear about the clinic through word of mouth from their neighbours. The average monthly household income among patients was about 21,700 naira (roughly £12) for a family of four, which works out to about £3 per person per month. We spent about £375 (US$474) on salaries and medications.

On the infrastructure side, we have finalised plans with local engineers to install a small solar generator at the clinic. The community helped raise funds alongside Kwanda's contribution, and the vendor will install the system within the next few weeks, which will help keep the clinic running smoothly as patient numbers continue to grow.

In January, 212 community members received free healthcare at Care Circle, our clinic in Surulere, Lagos. This brings the total to over 1,050 patients since the clinic opened four months ago, with 51% of January's patients visiting for the first time and 49% returning for ongoing care.

The average monthly household income among patients was about 13,700 naira (roughly £7) for a family of four, which works out to about £1.75 per person per month. We spent about £310 (US$390) on medications and nurses' salaries.

Care Circle is ramping up as expected, and as more families in Surulere discover the clinic, we anticipate patient numbers continuing to grow through Q1.

Our enrolment grew to 156 students this period, with 98 new enrolments joining 58 returning learners. Demand for vocational and horticultural training at Chipinge College of Horticulture continues to rise.

We are compiling a prioritised list of materials and equipment for the next cycle, with supplier quotes, and will share a costed budget once it is confirmed.