Recruiting an Honorary Treasurer to the Board of Trustees

Friends of Ibba Girls’ School (FIGS) is looking for a Trustee & Honorary Treasurer to join the board of this ground-breaking educational charity.

FIGS is a UK charity which exists to support the development of a community residential school for girls in South Sudan – Ibba Girls’ Boarding School (IGBS). South Sudan is one of the toughest places in the world for a girl to go to school. Few girls complete primary education, let alone secondary, and it is sad reality that a South Sudanese woman is more likely to die in childbirth than to complete her education. IGBS provides both primary and secondary education for girls, regardless of their family background or income, with a catchment area that covers the whole of the country’s Western Equatoria State. It aims to educate girls to become leaders in their families, communities, and the nation. The school has attracted interest across South Sudan as a beacon of what can be achieved in the provision of high-quality education, and it acts as a hub for local economic and social development. Its impact therefore is not only in providing education for 360 girl students, but also in shaping ideas about how education can be spread and uplifted in South Sudan.

The aims of FIGS are to fundraise to support IGBS and to work towards the school’s sustainability within South Sudan in the longer term. UK trustees provide professional support and advice to the school’s South Sudanese leadership, governors, and trustees through a collaborative partnership approach to working in support of the vision and principles of the school. This includes:

• raising the funds needed to run the school and complete the construction of the school campus;
• helping to improve the quality of teaching and learning;
• helping to strengthen the school’s governance and leadership, in order to take more responsibility for developing funding streams within South Sudan, becoming self-sufficient in the long-term.

We are looking for a Trustee & Honorary Treasurer to join the board of trustees and oversee our finances. The current Treasurer is stepping down after eight years in the role, and so FIGS seeks someone with excellent financial/accounting experience who can work with finance across two countries and in three currencies. The current Treasurer has also handled book-keeping, though FIGS is open to the appointment of a bookkeeper if the new Trustee would find this helpful.

For a detailed breakdown of responsibilities and desirable qualities, please see the Prospective Treasurer Information Pack below.

We are keen to recruit trustees from diverse backgrounds, including from the South Sudanese diaspora or those with a South Sudanese heritage. We ask that candidates demonstrate an understanding and alignment to the values and charitable objectives of FIGS and can work effectively as part of a wider team, including a diverse range of stakeholders.

FIGS Trustees meet online and sometimes face-to-face (often in London) between 4 and 6 times a year to assess fundraising, progress at the school and to monitor the strategic plan.

If you are interested in finding out more, let us know by email to [email protected] and we can arrange an initial, informal discussion. If you're ready to apply, please submit your CV to the same address.

Thank you!