Statement by Merlin Young, Chair of the Moxafrica Charity about Moxafrica Japan

 

 

Moxafrica Japan (www.moxafrica-japan.com) is a subsidiary body supporting the Moxafrica charity which is itself registered in the UK. The Moxafrica charity’s financial affairs are reported to the UK Charity Commission on an annual basis as required by UK charity law.

 

Moxafrica Japan’s activities support the aims and objectives of the UK charity: to systematically investigate whether small cone direct moxibustion might help combat the threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

 

In this respect, Moxafrica Japan’s activities have consistently focused on promoting awareness of Moxafrica’s activities in Africa and Asia, as well as on raising funds and recruiting support for the charity in Japan.

 

Moxafrica UK has always been keen to both awaken and excite the interest of Japanese acumoxa practitioners in the therapy’s potential for supporting global public health for the benefit of mankind, believing that direct moxa is a Japanese cultural treasure whose value and relevance for the modern world is under-estimated in its homeland.

 

As such the activities of the team involved in Moxafrica Japan have been immensely valued by the UK charity’s trustees, most particularly because of the positive results of all their hard work and the dedication of the Japanese team (which is completely unpaid).

 

Moxafrica Japan began some activity in Japan in 2014 by spreading awareness of the work we do, and by raising money from personal donations and talks. Initially, the money raised was envisaged to be used for buying quality moxa in Japan, and as such all of it was reserved in an account in Japan (to avoid costs of currency transfer). This situation has persisted since.

 

Since 2014 Moxafrica has benefited significantly from the generosity of some moxa producers and Japanese acupuncture schools which have donated significant amounts of moxa for the charity’s use.

 

As such no purchase of moxa has been required, and the money that had been raised has therefore stayed in the Japanese account kept in reserve waiting to be used for more direct activities (the charity itself using its own UK-held funds to support its activities reported annually to the UK Charity Commission).

 

There was some concern as to the official status of the Japanese account holding this money and in 2016, the trustees consulted an accountant in Tokyo who advised that it would be economically optimal (and quite legal) to keep Moxafrica Japan as a ‘self-regulated body’ for the present. As such, there has been no legal requirement for financial reporting as would otherwise be required if Moxafrica Japan were a registered non-profit organization with a larger income and expenditure.

 

Current new research opportunities mean that this money that has been held in Japan is now being incrementally drawn into the UK charity’s account as it is needed. We wish to assure all of our donors (to whom we are immensely grateful) that we operate the charity’s activities with the greatest of care, particularly in respect of not wasting the charity’s precious funds. Furthermore, the trustees of the UK charity wish to take this opportunity to express our immense appreciation for the warmth and generosity of the Japanese people in the last few years.

 

 

Link to The Charity Commission’s website with the details of the legally required annual reporting for Moxafrica:

http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1128408