Education Partnerships Africa

What Education Partnerships Africa does

Education Partnerships Africa (EPAfrica) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number 1104888) founded in 1990 that delivers educational investment programmes to rural secondary schools in western Kenya (Kisii and Kakamega) and western Uganda (Mbarara). The organisation recruits young people from UK universities to serve as Project Associates in 10-week summer placements, deploying groups of 2–3 volunteers to partner schools to design and deliver tailored investments in libraries, laboratories, water, sanitation, and electricity. Each partner school receives a School Investment Grant of £1,800 (Kenya) or £2,700 (Uganda) and commits to a minimum two-year partnership, with alumni schools continuing in an ongoing network. EPAfrica funds complementary initiatives through an Innovation Seed Fund (up to £200 per project) and themed Central Pot funds, while deploying RACHEL offline learning technology (via World Possible) to provide Khan Academy, Wikipedia, and health encyclopaedia content in schools without reliable internet.

The organisation is entirely volunteer-run, with a London headquarters (86-90 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE) and a committee structure comprising Trustees, a Management Committee, and Delivery Leads, most of whom are past Project Workers. There are no paid staff; the 56 listed operational roles are volunteers spanning UK functions (Communications, IT, Training, Recruitment) and in-country summer teams (Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Project Associates). Local carpenters, contractors, and suppliers are engaged in-country for project execution, ensuring community ownership and skill circulation.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, corporate sponsorship, and volunteer fundraising. Project Associates are required to fundraise approximately £1,600, of which £900 is invested directly in partner schools and the remainder covers personal deployment costs (flights, vaccinations, insurance). Additional donation channels include the GlobalGiving platform (one-off and monthly gifts with gift-aid) and Easy Fundraising (passive consumer shopping referrals across 7,000+ brands). The volunteer-run structure keeps overheads low, which EPAfrica emphasises as a value-for-money proposition to donors. Marketing is community-led, relying on the website, Facebook, Instagram, alumni referrals, and case-study content to recruit volunteers and supporters.

Name

Education Partnerships Africa

Legal name

Education Partnerships Africa

Website

https://epafrica.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Education Partnerships Africa is a UK-registered charity (founded 1990) that recruits UK university volunteers to deliver 10-week summer investment programmes and direct grants (£1,800–£2,700 per school) to rural secondary schools in western Kenya and Uganda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• International education programs
• School partnership programs
• Volunteer education programmes
• Charitable education funding
• Rural school development

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: EPAfrica receives donations from individuals through one-off or monthly online donations via platforms like GlobalGiving and Easy Fundraising. Donations are used to fund school investment programmes, volunteer expenses, and operational costs. The use of volunteers keeps overheads very low.
2. Volunteer Fundraising: Project Associates are required to fundraise approximately £1,600, of which £900 is invested directly in their partner school. Additional costs for flights, vaccinations, and travel insurance (~£900) are also fundraised. This creates a dual revenue stream where volunteer fundraising directly funds school programmes.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: EPAfrica partners with private businesses to sponsor specific initiatives such as water and electricity projects. Companies can sponsor these themed funds as part of the Central Pot funding mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Education Partnerships Africa is a volunteer-run UK charity that partners with rural secondary schools in western Kenya (Kisii, Kakamega) and Uganda (Mbarara) to deliver sustainable educational investments. Trained UK university volunteers (Project Associates) are deployed for 10-week summer placements to assess school needs and direct funding toward libraries, laboratories, water, sanitation, electricity, and educational resources, supported by School Investment Grants (£1,800 Kenya / £2,700 Uganda), an Innovation Seed Fund, and themed WASH and Electricity initiatives. The organisation has been operating since 1990 and is funded entirely through donations, volunteer fundraising, and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

EPAfrica is a volunteer-run non-profit organization (registered charity 1104888) that operates a structured program of educational investment partnerships with rural secondary schools in Kenya and Uganda. The core offering consists of the Project Associate Program deploying trained UK university volunteers to partner schools for 10-week summer placements, supported by an in-country Summer Team (Project Coordinators and Project Manager). School partnerships receive direct investment through the School Investment Grant (£2,700 Uganda / £1,800 Kenya) for educational improvements. Additional funding themes include the Innovation Seed Fund (up to £200 for novel projects), Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH) Initiative, and Electricity Initiative. UK operations are managed entirely by volunteers through a committee structure (Trustees, Management Committee, Delivery Leads) handling fundraising, communications, and governance. The organization has been working in East Africa since 1990, with schools in Kisii and Kakamega (Kenya) and Mbarara (Uganda).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Associate Program A 10-week summer volunteer programme in which groups of 2-3 Project Associates are placed at rural East African secondary schools to design and deliver tailored investment programmes focused on educational resources, infrastructure, and student welfare. Project Associates are recruited from UK universities and trained for 9 months before deployment.
• Summer Team Program The in-country management team for EPAfrica's summer operations, comprising Project Coordinators and a Project Manager who support Project Associates, oversee school partnerships, and manage delivery across Kenya and Uganda sites.
• School Partnership Program A collaborative partnership with rural secondary schools in Kisii and Kakamega (western Kenya) and Mbarara (western Uganda) to deliver sustainable educational investments over a minimum two-year partnership, with the potential for ongoing collaboration through the school alumni network.
• School Investment Grant A direct financial investment programme providing £2,700 (Uganda) or £1,800 (Kenya) grants to partner schools for educational improvements including libraries, laboratories, infrastructure, water, and electricity projects.
• Innovation Seed Fund An additional funding initiative providing up to £200 for novel project ideas that are new to EPAfrica, pilots for potential future practice, or experiments in new school environments, encouraging creative solutions and continuous programme improvement.
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Initiative A Central Pot funding theme supporting water projects and sanitation improvements at partner schools, including water tanks, handwashing stations, and girl-friendly toilet facilities.
• Electricity Initiative A Central Pot funding theme supporting solar panel installations and electrical upgrades at partner schools to address power cuts and reduce electricity costs for boarding schools.
• Alumni Network and Mentoring Scheme A post-partnership community offering social events, the Alumni Mentoring Scheme, and central charity volunteer roles for former Project Workers, alongside ongoing collaboration opportunities for partner schools that have completed their initial partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Student MSS (KCSE exam performance) doubled and held steady for 3 years at partner school
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SIMNet (Solar Installation)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSIMNet, led by Hassan, was selected as the solar panel installation provider for St Elizabeth Bumia Secondary School. Hassan was chosen for his expertise and experience, demonstrated by his ability to advise other installers during the installation process.
• Easy FundraisingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEasy Fundraising enables EPAfrica supporters to raise money when shopping online with over 7,000 brands. This has raised over £2,000 for the charity to date, at no cost to supporters.
• GlobalGivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobalGiving is used as EPAfrica's donation processing platform, enabling easy one-off or monthly online donations. The platform allows EPAfrica to claim gift-aid on donations.
• Kenya Government's Total Transition from Primary to Secondary School ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmanyinya Secondary School secured government funding for a new library building through this programme, but the funding did not cover furnishing. EPAfrica supported the school with shelving and furniture through a crowdfunding microproject on GlobalGiving.
• Local Carpenters and ContractorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEPAfrica hires local carpenters for building work (shelving, renovations) and employs local contractors for construction projects. This ensures projects are community-owned and sustainable, avoiding voluntourism by using local skilled labour.
• Local SuppliersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEPAfrica purchases resources (textbooks, equipment, building materials) from local suppliers to support local economies and ensure sustainability of investments.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• African Schools Foundation: Smaller, education-focused non-profit supporting school infrastructure and resource provision in rural Africa. Similar to EPAfrica in scale and focus on direct school-level investment funded by individual donations and corporate partnerships.

Direct peers

• Camfed (Campaign for Female Education): International non-profit focused on girls' education across sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. Comparable in targeting rural African secondary school girls, donor-funded UK charity structure, and emphasis on multi-year community partnerships.
• Project Trust: UK-based charity sending gap-year volunteers overseas to teach and support community projects, including in East Africa. Shares EPAfrica's model of recruiting UK young people for international service placements linked to education outcomes, and operates a similar volunteer-run ethos.
• Raleigh International: UK charity running youth volunteering expeditions focused on community development, including WASH and education programmes in East Africa and beyond. Comparable to EPAfrica in its UK-volunteer-driven model, community-led GTM, and donor-funded revenue structure.
• buildOn: US-headquartered non-profit that builds schools and runs adult literacy programmes in developing countries including in Africa. Comparable as a donor-funded education infrastructure charity working with rural school partners and deploying volunteers internationally.
• Restless Development: Youth-led development agency headquartered in the UK with programmes across Africa and Asia. Directly comparable in deploying young volunteers into education and livelihoods programmes, with similar dual-impact positioning aimed at UK donors and corporate partners.
• PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools): UK-registered charity running a network of low-cost secondary schools across Uganda and Zambia. PEAS is the closest direct peer — both organisations are UK-headquartered, support rural East African secondary schools with multi-year partnerships, and combine donor funding with on-the-ground educational investment.
• Ubuntu Education Fund: UK/US-based non-profit focused on education and health for children in underserved African communities. Operates a comparable donor-funded model with measurable school-level outcomes and minimum multi-year commitments to partner schools.

Others

• Easyfundraising: UK-based fundraising platform enabling charities to receive donations when supporters shop online with partnered brands. Listed as an existing channel partner for EPAfrica (raising £2,000+ to date), it functions as enabling infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas): One of the largest UK-based international volunteering charities, placing skilled professionals into education and health programmes across the developing world. Larger and broader in scope than EPAfrica but operates the same fundamental UK-volunteer-to-overseas-project model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EPAfrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/ep_africa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-partnerships-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Education Partnerships Africa