A word from our team
We’re delighted to have kicked off our financial year 2025-2026 at the start of May on a very strong footing. So much has happened over the last year with GAGA UK and we ’ re grateful to be in an exciting and healthy place financially and operationally Of course none of this would be possible without the dedicated and continued help of our wonderful community of supporters, and to you we extend our most sincere and heartfelt thanks
I am absolutely thrilled to report that our income for the 2024/2025 financial year was £93,423. Although this represented a 13 5% fall on the prior year, this was a highly unusual year for us at GAGA UK because, as the sole salaried staff member, I took a five-month maternity leave in the middle of the year Although the Trustees appointed a part-time maternity cover to coordinate with the projects and activities, there was no staff member actively raising funds in the UK during this time. However, thanks to sufficient and cohesive planning between all parties, the charity remained smoothly operational over the course of the year and finished the financial year strongly
The charity also experienced some governance changes throughout the year In February three new Southern-African based Trustees were appointed to the Board, adding their expertise and knowledge on programmes and development in the region - two based in South Africa and one in Tanzania Our long-standing Vice-Chair Charlie Homer stepped down at the end of the financial year - Richard Lucas has now become our Vice Chair. Thank you, Charlie, for your many years of dedication to the GAGA UK mission and projects!
Additionally, this was the first full financial year that all operations and income of the former charity KYGN UK was brought within the GAGA UK organisation, which greatly strengthened our corporate fundraising programme. We also continued our strong partnership with our corporate partner sponsoring the Sangobeg Scholarships Programme
Finally, for some time we have been developing an NPO in South Africa (GAGA ZA) with the intention of GAGA UK working closely with GAGA ZA to bring the support of our projects (and potential new projects) closer to home and to develop a fundraising strategy amongst South African based corporates and donors The legal documentation for GAGA ZA was received in May 2025, paving the way for activities to begin in the next financial year
We could not be more excited for what’s in store for GAGA globally and we ’ re so deeply grateful to have you on board. Read on for more details about what each of our projects and partners have been up to this year
Thank you so very much once again for your continued support and interest in our work.
With warmest wishes
Olivia Van Rensburg Director
Our year at a glance
Our main activities are to raise and distribute funds to our fantastic and trusted partner projects in South Africa and Tanzania. Our funding decisions remain based on first-hand information and targeted to the areas most in need The support from our loyal community of donors enables us to make a real difference when it is needed most, from birth to the end of life.
Baby Wellness
Over the course of the 2024/2025 financial year, 1,920 babies were seen and treated at the 1000 Hills Community Helpers Baby Wellness Clinic in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa, which is supported by GAGA UK
Primary Education
Thanks to GAGA UK and a corporate partner, a primary class at Kilimanjaro Young Girls in Need School was funded last year. Additionally, with the help of one corporate partner and one trust, both phases of a new Biogas Energy initiative were funded in the last 12 months.
Higher Education:
Through our flagship Sangobeg Scholarships Programme, 13 young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa received funding through support with their course fees, plus accommodation and subsistence during their studies
Healthcare:
Income and distribution
Baby Wellness
We are proud to report that despite the leave of absence of the sole salaried staff member, we were able to disburse £53,274 to South Africa and £27,002 to Tanzania in 2024/2025 for a combined total of £80,276 disbursed to our partner projects
Over the course of the 2024/2025 financial year, 1,920 babies were seen and treated at the 1000 Hills Community Helpers Baby Wellness Clinic which is
The Othandweni Respite Unit at Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) in Hillcrest, South Africa served a total of 177 patients in 2024, representing a 7% increase on the prior year GAGA UK funding helps to keep this unit running www.gaga-uk.org
Sangobeg Scholarships Programme
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
The Sangobeg Scholarship programme continues to be a valuable part of our portfolio This year, 13 individuals received funding through support with their course fees, plus accommodation and subsistence during their studies This year also represented a trial period whereby we worked with the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust’s peer education team to identify new candidates to fund through the Sangobeg Programme. Two of these candidates were funded in early 2025 Funds received from our corporate partner Sangobeg Investments Ltd are restricted specifically for this programme.
In April we celebrated the graduation of one of our incredible and dedicated students. Goodness (pictured left on her graduation day) received her Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching diploma We’re so proud of Goodness for her years of hard work towards this brilliant achievement, and we have continued to support her through our graduate assistance while she looks for work.
At the start of 2025 we were made aware that there was a considerable gap between when many of our students started their studies and when NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) in South Africa provided funding to them This provides evidence for one of the many reasons that our Sangobeg Scholarship Programme is so important: our regular donations from our dedicated corporate sponsor allow us to respond quickly to emergencies and bridge the gap between what is allocated to students and when it is received We were able to provide the emergency funds to our scholars until their NSFAS funding was granted later in the year.
We’re so very proud of this programme and all of our incredible scholars and alumni. We can’t wait to see what they get up to in years to come! Thank you once again to our project sponsor, Sangobeg Investments Ltd, for providing these life-changing opportunities
Kilimanjaro Young Girls in Need
Mabogini, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
This year was the first full financial year that the operations, fundraising, and disbursements of the former charity KYGN UK (which ceased its charitable status) became part of GAGA UK.
The long-standing relationships held by KYGN UK have been nurtured and developed resulting in substantial gifts from previous KYGN corporate partners. The Rowland and Kerry Johnson Foundation also began funding KYGN in March 2025 with a two-year commitment to fund running costs of the school This will be an enormous help to Founder Annamaria Kanondo and her team of educators, as it will relieve some of the ongoing pressure to find funding for operations
Funding from our corporate partner ElectroRoute was allocated to fund the first phase of a Biogas sustainable energy project at the school, with the Jephcott Charitable Trust generously awarding a substantial grant to fund the project’s second phase. This funding ensured that the school remained operational after the Tanzanian government’s deadline of January 2025 to stop using charcoal and wood at the country’s institutions The Biogas Project was resourceful and innovative in many ways, one of which was the use of Flekvieh cattle for the project. In addition to producing the manure needed for the sustainable energy, the cows also provide milk which is sold locally to generate further income for the school
Our corporate partner 8billion ideas commenced an incredible challenge event whereby they will complete eight marathons over the course of the next year, with seven taking place in the United Arab Emirates and the final one finishing in Tanzania This is to raise funds for a Future Skills Centre for Excellence media centre which would be the first of its kind at the school!
Additionally, our partner Echospace made an additional three-year commitment to running the Nursery Wing Another long-standing partner, Adiuvo, funded another year of primary education for the students who are now in Class P5B.
The school continues to meet demands for its ever-growing student population, but in recent months the teachers have started to feel the strain once again of overcrowded classrooms. Looking ahead, we plan to dedicate time to fundraising for new classrooms and more teachers as that is the main priority now We would also love to grow the once-vibrant volunteer programme started by KYGN UK, so if you are interested in volun
1000 Hills Community Helpers
1000 Hills Community Helpers continued to receive funding from GAGA UK throughout 2024/25, with the funding being reserved for the vitally important Baby Wellness Clinic. We extend a special thanks to the Souter Charitable Trust for providing one quarter’s worth of Clinic funding. The Clinic provides care to rural and disadvantaged mothers and their babies as well as offering educational workshops and outreach programmes This year the Baby Wellness Clinic saw 1,920 babies
The Centre continues to run their Baby Wellness Clinics each Tuesday morning, where they weigh and examine babies, discuss feeding and health with mothers, and assess the wellness of the baby and mother. They also provide infant essentials such as diaper cream, nappies, and formula The Baby Wellness Clinic is an extraordinary and vital aspect of the health of young mothers in the local impoverished rural community. This is a safe space where mothers can come weekly to access healthcare for their newborns free of charge The clinic truly provides a lifeline to those new mothers who have found it difficult to access the healthcare system and have fallen through the cracks.
Work is ongoing to raise funds for the Baby Clinic through online fundraising and applications to Trusts and Foundations.
Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust
Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust remained a trusted partner and the GAGA UK continued to contribute to the Othandweni Respite Unit where possible (contributing towards the costs for the 24-bed unit, helping with the unit’s running costs and helping to ensure that their vital services in helping those in the end stages of AIDS can continue) This unit remains the only facility of its kind in the area, providing free, high-quality palliative and respite care. We’re deeply grateful to the Kate Farrer Foundation for providing continued funding via GAGA UK for this vital service.
We have ambitions for significant growth, but of course, we can’t do it without our loyal community of supporters like you!
Up for a challenge: Take part in a sponsored event or challenge to raise money for GAGA UK! To find out more, contact olivia@gagauk org
Leave a legacy:
Whatever the size, when you include a gift to GAGA UK in your will, you are giving our future generations the opportunity to create a brighter future. Leaving a legacy is a way to ensure that your values of equality and opportunity can carry on. By making a bequest, you are investing in a world where vulnerable people living in marginalised communities can break out of the cycle of poverty. To learn more about how to leave a gift in your will, contact olivia@gaga-uk.org.
We thank you for your continued support and interest in our work!
1+44 (0)1789 414088
www.gaga-uk.org
info@gaga-uk org