Africa Educational Trust


	To keep our UK work going, AET needs donations! If you would like to contribute to the funding of our work in the UK please go to our donations page. We have separate 'money pots' for Africa and UK work. Thank you. Please read on to find out how your money could be spent, with details of our current UK projects, which make up around 25% of AET's work.


	In the UK, AET offers support for students and refugees of African descent
	African Refugee Women's project The African Refugee Women's project has been running since 1996 and provides free educational and vocational training advice for unemployed African women refugees and asylum seekers. The project provides advice on how the new legislation on the Immigration and Asylum Act affects refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, particularly changes in education and training entitlements. We have established a computer information database with details of courses and programmes in the London area that offer special incentives for women. The courses and programmes provide funding or facilities for disability, childminding, nursery, crèche and travel costs which could specifically help refugee women. Colleges in the London area were visited in order to identify the courses and facilities available. Most of the courses are free and designed specifically for unemployed women to improve their job-related skills and employment prospects. The bulletin is updated on a termly basis and distributed to community and refugee groups throughout London. You can visit the website for further details www.aet.refugeewomen.care4free.net Back to top

	INFORM (Information Forum and Refugee Monitoring) project Our INFORM project was set up in 1999 in conjunction with over 40 refugee community organisations in London. The project helps young refugees and asylum seekers access information about education and training, and assists them in gaining work experience and skills. We disseminate information on services provided. The Project is developing a one-to-one mentoring scheme to motivate and support young refugees and asylum seekers into work and education. All participating volunteers will receive training in research and interviewing skills, newsletter production, web site creation and management. Skills acquired by participating volunteers may be accredited through the London Open College Network (LOCN). The '16+Finder' is the newsletter of the INFORM Project, from the Africa Educational Trust. Its aim is to assist young unemployed refugees and asylum seekers access sources of information on where they can find education, training and employment services in London. It is produced in-house by volunteers under the supervision of the Project Co-ordinator. You can visit the website for further details www.aet.inform.care4free.net Back to top

	Emergency Small Grants Programme This provides emergency small grants to students who have come from Africa to study in the UK but run into unexpected financial difficulties in their last few months of study. It is not intended for refugees or asylum seekers but for students who are studying on a student's visa. Recipients have to be in the final two or three months of completing their research or degree courses, which has lasted three or four years, and are in danger of having to return home without finishing. This could be because their own government had failed to send their grant, or because devaluation of their local currency has meant that their savings did not stretch to cover the remainder of their course. Each year about 50 people receive small grants valued around £450 each. This may seem a small amount but it is invaluable to these students so close to the end of their education and desperate to finish it. AET have helped students from almost every country in Africa to complete their studies and return home with new skills to aid the rehabilitation of Africa. Emphasis is placed on subjects that are directly related to development and priority is given to students who can show a clear commitment to returning and using their qualifications and skills in Africa. The scheme is open to students from any African country and most awards are made to students studying at post-graduate or doctoral level. Back to top

	Lobbying and Advocacy work AET works with other organisations to represent the views and concerns of refugees and asylum seekers especially as they relate to education, training and employment. Every day, AET work with, interview and listen to refugees and asylum seekers as they come for advice about the difficulties and problems they encounter in accessing education, training and employment. It is a growing part of the Trust's work to ensure that these genuine needs of refugees and asylum seekers receive a fair hearing from the government, local authorities and college administrators. If you would like to contribute to the funding of our work in the UK please go to our donations page. AET needs donations! Thank you. Back to top

	Memorial Scholarships AET manages a number of memorial scholarships that have been set up in honour of former academics, publishers and others who wish to help African people through education. AET holds and distributes the funds in memory of the donors. The Michael Scott Fund Established in honour of the Reverend Michael Scott, founder of the AET. Over the past seven years the funds have been used to provide books to schools, libraries and universities in South Africa and Namibia. The fund is used to support the Michael Scott Memorial Lecture. Back to top The Andrzejewski Memorial Fund Established in 1995 in honour of the noted linguist, this fund supports language research and development, journalism, broadcasting and education in the Horn of Africa. In the past it has supported PhD students studying Somali poetry and theatre, minority languages in Ethiopia and Eritrea. This year the grant was made to support the publication of a book of Oromo folk stories. Back to top The Rex Collings Memorial Fund Set up in 1997 in honour of the former trustee of AET, the Rex Collins fund provides grants to support writing and publishing in Africa. Over the past few years it has supported people on publishing courses in South Africa, the training of illustrators in Somaliland and the supply of reference books for text book writers in Southern Sudan. Back to top The Kenneth Kirkwood Fund Kenneth Kirkwood was the first Professor of Race Relations at Oxford and Chairman of AET from 1987-1994. His memorial fund provides support for students from Southern Africa who encounter financial problems. First priority for this grant goes to students at St Antony's College. So far, two students at St Antony's have been assisted. Back to top The Colonel Johnson Fund Provides grants to school children and students in Swaziland. AET provides approximately £8,000 worth of grants each year. Through these funds around sixty pupils are assisted each year with fees, book and uniform costs. Back to top The Emma Hamilton-Brown Fund This is a relatively new fund. Ms Emma Hamilton-Brown died in November 2000. The award has enabled a Ghanian student to come to the UK to commence a one-year masters in Haematology. Back to top If you are interested in setting up a memorial fund or would like to make a contribution towards any of the funds already in place, please contact us. Thank you.