We strongly believe that education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle of struggling societies – beyond providing a well spring of knowledge – brings with it the best chance of defeating poverty, better parenting, better health, better nutrition, greater opportunity and a direct line to economic growth.

A-CET’s current support for rural community elermentary schools is in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. All village schools are the natural hub of the community and the vehicle through which information and a variety of support can be channeled.

Since we started operating in Ethiopia in the mid 1990’s, national attendance at Elementary Schools has risen from 25% to a staggering 90%+, an incredible achievement by any standards and with a fast increasing population, even more so. Unlike so many other charities all our schools offer free education and NO fees are charged.

This has to a large extent been achieved by the village communities being encouraged to build their own schools with the Government assuring trained teachers.

This has left many of these new schools very basic and poorly equipped – often just walls and a roof with the children sitting on stones.

The corner stone of A-CET’s project work in Ethiopia has been the upgrading of these village community built schools. Throughout all our support work we work with the local education authorities and the communities. Our work is to enable these communities to complete and upgrade their schools.

These communities are comprised of largely uneducated peasant farmers living on the extreme margins of existence, but are aware of the value of education.

Supporting these schools has a very positive effect on all villages and has the potential to change lives for hundreds of youngsters for many decades to come.