a cet
A-CET is a UK-registered independent charity that funds long-term scholarships for vulnerable Ethiopian children and builds rural elementary schools in the Tigray Region, delivering all programs through local partner NGO EYES and relying entirely on private voluntary donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What a cet does
A-CET (African Children's Educational Trust) is a UK-registered independent charity founded in 1997 (Charity Reg. No 1066869) that funds long-term scholarships (10–15 years) for vulnerable Ethiopian children and builds rural community elementary schools in the Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia. The organization is run entirely by experienced volunteers, has no statutory funding, and is entirely dependent on private voluntary donations received via the Charities Aid Foundation, PayPal, Just Giving, and Virgin Giving platforms. All in-country program delivery is executed through the local Ethiopian NGO EYES (Ethiopian Youth Educational Support), which is managed by A-CET-trained ex-students and works in coordination with the Tigray Bureau of Education.
The charity operates two core programs: a Scholarship Funding Program under which over 500 students have graduated with college/university degrees and entered full-time employment, and a School Building and Upgrading Program under which 12 schools have been constructed and furnished over 15 years using local labour and materials. Scholarship amounts range from £15–25 per month for basic scholarships up to £50 per month for disabled students or those renting rooms, and payments are distributed directly to families in Mekelle City or via bank transfer. Operations are governed by a volunteer board led by Founding Chairman and Administrator Dr David G Stables, with patrons including Dame Dr Claire Berschinger. The charity maintains GDPR compliance and is a member of the Fundraising Standards Board.
The current strategic priority is the Tigray Appeal: Return to School Campaign, which seeks donations to help children resume education after nearly three years of conflict-driven interruption. The charity maintains a strict apolitical stance and only accepts school projects on recommendation from EYES after recommendation by the local Bureau of Education, embedding program selection within local governance and partner verification. There are no products or services sold, no technology platform, no headcount disclosure beyond volunteer operations, and no disclosed revenue figures.
a cet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- a cet
- Legal name
- African Children's Educational Trust
- Website
- https://a-cet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- A-CET is a UK-registered independent charity that funds long-term scholarships for vulnerable Ethiopian children and builds rural elementary schools in the Tigray Region, delivering all programs through local partner NGO EYES and relying entirely on private voluntary donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
a cet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Charity Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)
Keywords
Where a cet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
a cet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Private Donations and Sponsorship: A-CET is entirely dependent on private voluntary support with no statutory funding or grants. Revenue comes from individual donations, student sponsorship programs, and fundraising activities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
a cet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A-CET funds long-term scholarships (10-15 years) for locally selected vulnerable Ethiopian youngsters who could not otherwise attend full-time education, and builds and upgrades rural community elementary schools in Northern Ethiopia (Tigray) using local labour and materials. Both programs are delivered on the ground through the local NGO partner EYES (Ethiopian Youth Educational Support), managed by trained ex-A-CET students, and supported entirely by private voluntary donations.
Product overview
A-CET operates as a charitable organization offering two core programs: scholarship funding and school construction. The Scholarship Funding Program provides long-term support (10-15 years) for vulnerable Ethiopian youngsters, enabling them to complete education through college/university level. The School Building Program constructs and upgrades rural community elementary schools in Northern Ethiopia using local resources. Donations are accepted through CAF (with GiftAID capability) and PayPal platforms. The organization partners with local NGO EYES (Ethiopian Youth Educational Support) to deliver programs on the ground.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scholarship Funding Program Long-term scholarship funding (10-15 years) for vulnerable Ethiopian youngsters who could not otherwise attend full-time education, covering books, shoes, uniforms, transport, and room rental. Over 500 students have graduated with a college/university degree and are in full-time employment through this program.
- School Building and Upgrading Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500 students have graduated with college/university degrees and found full-time employment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use a cet
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
a cet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
a cet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EYES (Ethiopian Youth Educational Support)coreA-CET funds all educational support programmes within Ethiopia through the local NGO EYES, which is managed by trained and experienced ex-students. EYES works with the newly established administration to offer humanitarian and educational assistance in Tigray.
- CAF (Charities Aid Foundation)coreCAF donation platform enables A-CET to receive GiftAID donations from UK taxpayers, allowing additional tax recovery on donations.
- Just GivingminorThird-party fundraising platform where supporters can set up fundraising events for A-CET.
- Virgin GivingminorThird-party fundraising platform where supporters can set up fundraising events for A-CET.
- BT MyDonateminorThird-party fundraising platform (now discontinued) where supporters previously set up fundraising events for A-CET.
- UK Charity CommissionminorUK regulatory body for charities; A-CET's annual reports and accounts are filed with and accessible via the Charity Commission.
- Local Bureau of Education (BoE)coreA-CET works in fully integrated manner with the local Bureau of Education. All school projects are only accepted on recommendations by EYES after recommendation by the BoE.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
a cet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): UK- and Africa-based charity that funds long-term scholarships for vulnerable African students through secondary and tertiary education, mirroring A-CET's long-duration student sponsorship model.
- BuildOn: International non-profit that builds schools in low-income communities using local labour and materials; directly comparable to A-CET's rural school construction program in Northern Ethiopia.
- Room to Read: Global non-profit combining school construction with long-term scholarships for girls, with active programs across Africa — overlapping A-CET's twin pillars of infrastructure and individual student support.
- Pencils of Promise: Non-profit that builds schools and supports education access in developing countries, including Africa, with a donor-driven model closely aligned to A-CET's private-voluntary-support approach.
- Mary's Meals: UK-rooted charity providing school feeding programs in some of the world's poorest communities, including Ethiopia, with a low-overhead volunteer-supported operating model similar to A-CET.
- VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas): UK-based international development charity placing education volunteers in Africa and Asia; comparable to A-CET in its volunteer-driven, education-focused, UK-headquartered operating model.
- Farm Africa: UK charity focused on rural livelihoods and education in Ethiopia and East Africa, sharing A-CET's geography, rural community focus, and small-scale targeted project philosophy.
- Send a Cow: UK-based charity working on rural development in Ethiopia; comparable in geography, target beneficiary profile, and small targeted community projects, though focused on livelihoods rather than education.
Broad incumbents
- Save the Children: Large global INGO running education programs in Ethiopia; comparable mission space but operates at vastly greater scale with institutional and government funding rather than A-CET's volunteer/donation model.
- Plan International UK: Established UK children's rights and education charity with active Ethiopia programming; overlaps A-CET's vulnerable-children scholarship mission but at significantly larger scale and institutional sophistication.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
a cet social profiles
Digital presencea cet compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
a cet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
a cet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
a cet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
a cet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about a cet
What does a cet do?
A-CET funds long-term scholarships (10-15 years) for locally selected vulnerable Ethiopian youngsters who could not otherwise attend full-time education, and builds and upgrades rural community elementary schools in Northern Ethiopia (Tigray) using local labour and materials. Both programs are delivered on the ground through the local NGO partner EYES (Ethiopian Youth Educational Support), managed by trained ex-A-CET students, and supported entirely by private voluntary donations.
Is a cet a public or private company?
a cet is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was a cet founded?
a cet was founded in 1997.
Where is a cet based?
a cet is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does a cet make money?
One revenue line is on record: private Donations and Sponsorship.
Who are a cet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), BuildOn, Room to Read, Pencils of Promise, Mary's Meals, VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), Farm Africa and Send a Cow. Broad incumbents are Save the Children and Plan International UK.
Does a cet have an API?
No public API is recorded for a cet.
What industry is a cet in?
a cet's product category is Education Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAOAH, Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.