Background

PEMA Kenya is a human-rights Community Based Organization that works to champion the inclusion of gender and sexual minorities (GSMs) by providing space for advocacy, networking, and capacity building for GSMs, as well as providing society in general with needed tools and information. We do this through: reviewing policies and participating in advocacy campaigns, health promotion, security response, legal redress and economic and social empowerment.

PEMA Kenya invites tenders from reputable consulting firms for the provision of external audit services for the financial years between 2020 to 2022.

• The Need, Objectives and Scope of The Audit
• The required service of external audit will be rendered at PEMA Kenya’s offices as situated in Nyali.

The objective is to audit the financial report for the period 1^st June to 31st May of each financial year and to express an audit opinion according to ISA 800/805 on whether the financial report represent a true and fair view.

Terms of Reference

• The audit assignments shall be carried out in accordance with International Standards of Auditing (ISA) issued by the International Audit and Assurance Standards Board and adopted by International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
• Plan and organize the audit on the basis of risk assessment to provide satisfactory assurance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement due to fraud and errors.
• Ascertain that funds received by the organization have been applied for the intended purpose and have been accounted for in accordance with funding agreement.
• Verify that funds received, have been acknowledged and reflected in the financial reports/statements submitted to the users/donors.
• Verify and report on whether or not funds have been re-granted by the organization. In case of re-grant follow up to ascertain that funds have been reported and audited to assure that these have been applied for the intended purpose.

Reporting

• The reporting shall contain an assurance that the audit was performed in accordance with applicable International Auditing Standards and by a qualified auditor.
• The reporting shall contain the responsible auditor’s signature (not just the audit firm) and title.
• The reporting shall contain details regarding used audit methodology and the scope of the audit.
• The auditor shall submit a statement of how each of the audit requirements detailed in the Terms of Reference was achieved during the audit process.
• The auditor shall submit an audit memorandum/management letter, which shall contain the audit findings made during the audit process. It shall state the measures that have been adequate to deal with reported shortcomings.
• The auditor shall make recommendations to address any weakness identified. The recommendations should be presented in priority.

The Auditor will produce the following reports

• Audited financial report with an opinion
• Management letter report with responses

Mandatory Requirements

• Eligible firms should not have conducted audit relating to PEMA KENYA for the last 5 years.
• The Partner(s) of the audit firm should be practicing member(s) of Institute of certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), in good standing.
• The firm should give a written undertaking that it has been in operation for at 5 five years continuously backwards from 2019.
• The partners of the firm should have professional indemnity. A copy of the current certificate should be attached.
• The firm should have a valid practicing certificate.
• Any possible conflict of interest should be clearly indicated in details for guidance in decision making.

The Capability of the Audit Firm

• The audit firm should provide a brief capability statement justifying it’s suitability for the assignment. Global network or international affiliation advantages if any should be disclosed.
• The audit firm should state its understanding of the terms of Reference, operations and the services of the organization.
• The audit firm should provide a profile of the proposed team, covering the partner, Audit Manager and support staff.
• The audit firm should a profile of three (3) major clients with operations comparable to those being required under the terms of reference.
• The firm state its experience in providing audit services to clients with operations in Kenya.
• The audit firm should provide their most current audited financial accounts for the last two years.

Audit Methodology

• The firm should state the methodology that will be applied to carry out the audit assignments including the estimated audit completion time.

Financial Proposal

• The audit firm should state the charging rates proposed for these Terms of reference. Note that the award will not solely be determined on grounds of cost indicated.

Scope of Tenure

The proposed engagement covers the areas specified in the terms of reference and will be for five years with annual appraisal of performance with the prospect of renewal pegged to satisfactory performance.

Audit Deliverables

The qualified auditor shall issue an audit certificate/report in respect of reviewing the implementation of the agreement. The purpose of the audit certificate is to verify and recommend approval of the financial report. The audit certificate shall contain the following:

• an opinion according to ISA 805 whether the submitted financial report is in accordance with the accounting records
• a reference to the reports that the audit certificate refers to (copies of which is to be included in deliverables)
• a statement that the audit has been performed in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and in accordance with these special instructions
• a statement whether the report has been drawn up in accordance with the agreement
• a statement on whether the auditor proposes that the report be approved or not

The qualified auditor shall issue a management letter/audit memorandum. The purpose of the management letter/audit memorandum is to review the internal control. The management letter/audit memorandum shall contain the following:

• the content and scope of the audit
• significant observations on the activity covered by the report
• Measures taken as a result of previous audits and whether the measures have been adequate to deal with the reported shortcomings.

Requirements for the audited organization

• The organization shall produce a management response including an action plan to be submitted to the PEMA KENYA.

How to Apply

PEMA Kenya believes in non-discrimination and therefore provides equal opportunity regardless of one’s ethnicity, faith, sexuality, gender identities, skin color, ability and disabilities.

Application to be send to email address pema@pemakenya.org copied to board@pemakenya.org or to the address below by 10^th August, 2020.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR

PEMA KENYA

P.O Box 41562-80100

MOMBASA, Kenya

PEMA-Kenya Trust is a charitable membership-based organization founded in 2008 as a Community Based Organization and in 2019 officially transitioned to a Charitable trust, whose work is premised upon creating an enabling environment for its members and the general population to thrive. We are a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ)-led organization that works with LGBTIQ (Sexual and Gender minorities) individuals and communities as well as stakeholders seeking to bridge the gap that exists between the general population and gender and sexual minorities (GSM).PEMA Kenya is located in the Coastal town of Kenya, Mombasa.

PEMA Kenya seeks to recruit additional Board members to the membership governing board.

The Board of PEMA Kenya comprises of three elected members from the membership and in addition two more members from individuals with expertise in our area of our strategic objectives;

• Health
• Economic and Social Empowerment; and
• Institutional Strengthening
• Policy and Advocacy.

Professional background of our interest.

We are looking for individuals who are dedicated to enhancing the lives of the Sexual and Gender minorities through their areas of expertise ranging from Faith, Organizational Development, Medical, Legal, Media, Human Rights, Finance, etc

Position

Governing Board member

Experience

Interested applicant must have the following experience.

• Working with Sexual and Gender minorities,
• Governance knowledge,
• Have no history of endangering the lives of Sexual and Gender minorities,
• Have areas of expertise they bring on Board,
• Believe and support promotion of women rights,
• Not working with organization with the same interests and objectives of PEMA Kenya.

 

Job Function

1. Determining the Organization’s Mission and Purpose
2. Select and Support the Executive Director, and Review their Performance Periodically.
3. Undertake Strategic Planning
4. Ensure Adequate Resources
5. Advocate for Those the Organization Serves
6. Understand and Support the Organization’s Programs and Services
7. Carefully Select and Induct the New Board Members
8. Organize itself so that the board operates efficiently
9. Ensure Effective Financial Management
10. Ensure Sound Risk Management
11. Evaluates Its Own Performance

Term of Service

 

Board members shall serve for a maximum duration of 2 three years terms (Total of six years)

Job Description

The Pema Kenya Board of Directors comprises of leaders from the membership of Pema Kenya and external experts working within our focus areas and objectives in compliance to Pema Kenya’s Mission statement in realizing Its Vision for a society that embraces Justice and Diversity.  To serve in the Pema Kenya Board of Governance is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about strengthening leadership and governance in the non-profit sector.

Board members are expected to have experience in any but not limited to finance, Organizational development, Human rights, Women empowerment, Gender and Sexuality, Progressive Faiths, Governance, Fundraising etc.

Board members are expected to attend four board meetings per year. They are expected to read board materials in advance of board meetings and to come prepared to ask questions and participate in discussions.

Board members are expected to serve on one or more committees of the board and to actively participate in committee work.

Board members are expected to play an active role in securing the financial resources necessary for PEMA Kenya to achieve its mission. Board members are expected to leverage personal relationships and connections to help the development committee and staff identify and solicit potential funders and personal contribution.

Board members are expected to responsibly represent PEMA Kenya to their respective communities and to advocate for PEMA Kenya’s mission, programs, and services as appropriate.

Board terms last for three years and board members can serve for up to two consecutive terms.

Board members are expected to prepare, organize and take lead in the organizational governance events such General members meetings.

PEMA Kenya believes in non-discrimination and therefore provides equal opportunity regardless of one’s ethnicity, faith, sexuality, gender identities, skin color, ability and disabilities.

Application to be send to email address pema@pemakenya.org copied to board@pemakenya.org by 30^th July 2020.

By Henry Ominde.

You can connect with him on; Facebook Page: @WholenessEffect, Twitter: @wholenesseffect and Instagram: @h.ominde

THE WHOLENESS EFFECT

The mention of sex somehow seems to always stir up some kind of awkwardness.

Last friday my aunt calls me up to check up on me. The conversation is off to a great start – the usual how are you doing, whats new – that kind of stuff. But then she mentions that she had a terrible nightmare concerning me the previous night. She seems very hesitant to tell me about it so i probe her into it and finally she does.

So the dream was that we had gone on some sort of outdoor getaway and then she is informed that there’s people having sex somewhere near where we were supposed to pitch camp. So she follows the guide and when she arrived there it was me. Ouch!!

I follow up with a silly question and ask ‘ So was it with a man or a woman?’. I notice her giggle in shyness as he responded lets not talk about this I realize this was really awkward and that she wasn’t about to go down that road.

Well, her and i are super close. I’m basically her son, brother and friend. She is aware of my sexuality and has always supported me and been that person that I can talk to about anything including my failed relationships (yes exes she knows all about you.lol). However talking about sex-in this context i mean the act- was very awkward.

This got me thinking about a lot of things. About sex education/awareness, why people don’t necessarily talk about sex freely, who should talk about sex, why and when should we talk about sex and, how culture greatly affects this.

Let’s begin with Sex education/awareness, this is basically education about human sexual anatomy, reproduction, intercourse and human sexual behavior. So where do we get this? Basically everywhere, with the internet , television and social media its easy for anyone to get all sorts of information regarding sex. Not forgetting peers also have a great role in this as well.

But then with all this options, its important to identify where exactly to seek proper, accurate information regarding sex. I mean scandalous behavior, lustful desires, misleading information is instantly and graphically accessible to everyone including young children resulting to an influx of cases of sexual nature among minors leading to sexual misconduct. Lets also not forget the health risks that come with practicing unsafe sex.

Now, when and why should we talk about sex? I believe the earlier the better. For instance, cases of sexual misconduct are on the rise of late, with many cases going unreported. Its shocking that children as young as eight and thirteen are involded in sexual offences such as rape and oral sex. Statutory Rape(non-forcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent) , date rape(acquintance rape, drug facilitated rape), gang rape, spousal rape, corrective rape, perpetrators rape, custodial rape, war rape, serial rape, payback rape all of this come as a result of lacking knowledge or simply being arrogant to the fact that consent is vital. Partner based violence is on the rise because some think their partners should always do as they say in matters sex and have no regards whatsoever to their wellbeing. Let’s not forget the health, mental health effects and unwanted pregnancies that follow. People also need to know about their rights, what consent means, options when it comes to safe sex and why sex is best practiced responsibly.

Proper guidance on sexuality is urgent and indispensable to everyone and the earlier the better.

So who should talk about sex? In my opinion everyone should be have the right information and feel free to hold discussions, ask questions about sex. In Mombasa county, organizations including HAPA Kenya, PEMA KENYA, INEND, WACHA HEALTH, PTI, CMRSL, NKOKO IJU AFRICA, CWW & RWOK  are taking great responsibility in sensitizing the community on sexual Reproductive Health, Human Rights advocacy as well as providing mental health support for persons and victims of sexual abuse. These wonderful organizations are effectively serving the community and are a reliable source of information and provide necessary linkages to other organizations that may be resourceful(I invite you to visit their websites for more information). Therefore, basically everyone ought to have conversations about sex.

Now, our cultural diversities do affect how we approach the issue of sex. Religious, traditional and western cultures all have different approaches towards this and some may be misinterpreted, inaccurate, bias or may not be relevant to certain realities but in one way or another they have been useful. I think that integrating relevant accurate information with our cultural diversities will come in handy.

So, what am I saying? I am saying that we need to talk about sex as it is part of being human. I am saying that there’s nothing shameful about opening up about sex, seeking information about sex, knowing your rights in the context of sex and the earlier we do this the better. I am saying it is our responsibility to seek the right information regarding sex and have free open conversations about it within our safe spaces and with those we are comfortable. There’s nothing awkward about it. I am saying that sex needs to be spoken about for various reasons.

Therefore, lets do this, lets talk about sex.

#LETSTALKABOUTSEX.

#TheWholenessEffect.

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