AET is a small international charity which delivers high quality, cost effective education programmes in some of the most conflict-affected countries in the world. The ±«Óãtv Radio 4 Appeal raised £8,140 for AET essentially contributing to our unrestricted funds. Currently 99% of our funding comes from large institutional donors and is restricted to the programme activities agreed with the donor.
This leaves no margin for AET to develop new initiatives, undertake research into our host communities’ needs or fund emergencies such as when our offices in Mogadishu were destroyed by a bomb last year. Like most charities AET depends on unrestricted income, such as that provided by the Radio 4 appeal to meet these costs.
Unrestricted income also allows us to apply for funds that either have a matched funding component or where the donor will withhold a proportion of the funds until the project is completed (AET has to meet the full cost of the project in the interim). Such a project is our ‘Learning for Livelihoods’ programme funded by UKAID. This provides basic literacy, numeracy and business skills training followed by vocational training and a micro-loan to start a small business for over 3000 women in Somalia. A condition of the grant was the requirement for 25% matched funding.
Unrestricted funds enable AET to apply for and deliver projects without which we would be unable to bring education to some of the neediest people in Africa.
You can find out more about the charity .