Bread and Water for Africa®

What it reported doing in 2024

Health - general and rehabilitative: the 2020 pandemic has exposed significant weaknesses in africa's emergency health management, revealing various deficiencies within the healthcare system. These include a lack of life-saving equipment, essential medical supplies, and adequate medications, as well as inequalities in the provision of quality medical services. To address these challenges, in fy25, bwa continued to provide cash grants for the operational costs of remote village health centers. Additionally, we offered in-kind support, which included medicines, medical supplies, equipment, mobility AIDS, and micronutrient supplements (prenatal vitamins).(see schedule o for continuation)in fy25, the bwa healthcare program successfully served more than 114,000 individuals across 70 health facilities, with a focus on addressing key healthcare challenges. The program placed significant emphasis on reducing high maternal and child mortality rates by providing micronutrient supplements (prenatal vitamins) to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Many women in sub-saharan africa face deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folic acid, and calcium, due to limited access to nutrient-rich foods. Micronutrient supplements (prenatal vitamins) play a crucial role in addressing these deficiencies, thereby lowering the risk of complications such as anemia, neural tube defects, and preeclampsia. By addressing micronutrient deficiencies and reducing risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, these supplements are vital components of public health strategies aimed at lowering maternal and infant mortality rates in the region.bwa provided a total of $91,814 in cash grants, along with a gift-in-kind valued at $24,703,199. This included donations of medicines, medical supplies, equipment, mobility AIDS, micronutrient supplements (such as prenatal vitamins), and personal protective equipment (ppe). Our in-kind support aligns with our long-term mission to improve health conditions in underserved regions of africa. We are committed to ensuring that the health facilities we built and the hospitals and health centers we support operate effectively and efficiently in sierra leone, cameroon, kenya, ethiopia, the democratic republic of the congo, and malawi.sierra leone is home to four non-governmental organizations (ngos) with healthcare projects, health centers, and hospitals supported by bwa: united methodist church of sierra leone ("umcsl"), faith healing development organization ("fhdo"), sierra leone mission and development ("smd"), and rural youth development organization-sierra leone ("rydo-sl"). Combined, these ngos provide care to over 65,000 people annually, with a focus on general healthcare for pregnant women, lactating women, and children under five. (sierra leone has among the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world.)fhdo operates three health centers in kenema, freetown, and bunumbu. In addition to basic healthcare services, fhdo operates a food program for pregnant women and lactating mothers to improve their nutritional levels and overall health. Umcsl has four member hospitals and five health centers across sierra leone with the mission of providing quality medical care to all patients and ministering to their physical and spiritual needs. In addition to providing inpatient care, surgery, obstetric delivery, and newborn care, the hospitals offer a range of diagnostic services, including laboratories, ultrasound, and x-ray facilities. Full-service outpatient clinics operate six days a week, along with a comprehensive malnutrition program in the area. This year, umcsl received medical supplies and medicine to serve thousands of people at nine hospitals and health centers. Since 2020, bwa has partnered with rydo-sl to transform communities by enhancing capacities and promoting socio-economic development. Bwa has provided medicines, medical supplies, micronutrient supplements (prenatal vitamins), mob

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 99.4%; rating input score 99
• Fundraising efficiency: $248.36 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Pass
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.5%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings