The Baring Foundation grant to Education Action International 2001-2004

In September 2000, EAI was granted £198,636 over 3 years from the Baring International Programme to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of EAI and partner organisations 10 deliver education programmes and advocate for adults and children whose access to quality education is affected by conflict.

The purpose of the grant was to empower southern partners in Africa and Peru as well as EAI with the skills and resources to take advantage of their collectively wide experience and increase their capacity to use information and communication technology. A major objective for all organisations involved was also to make effective use of targeted training for personal and organisational development.

Over the life of the grant two main outcomes were anticipated:

• Enhanced capacity of EAI (UK) to support Southern NGO (SNGO) organisational development teacher training and advocacy awareness raising activities

• Strengthened SNGO effectiveness in reaching their beneficiaries

The activities planned to achieve these outcomes in the original application to Baring included:

1. Establishing a grants mechanism to support strategically planned networking, staff training and purchase of ICT equipment.

2. Arranging international exchange visits to share experience and expertise in specific education projects.

3. Training EM staff in key areas of conflict resolution and mediation skills, working with child soldiers and traumatised children and adults in education.

4. Consolidating, documenting and further developing EAI training materials and resources into workshop modules.

5. Workshops for partner staff in organisational development, advocacy awareness and initial and in-service teacher training.

During 2003 the Baring Foundation approved a proposal to rebalance the core grant budget (activities 4 and 5) with a view to allowing EAI to advance its key funding and focus issues. it was agreed jointly between Baring International and Education Action that the grant should be refocused to enable EAI to develop as an organisation and strengthen its capacity to deliver on its mission¹.

Organisational development and education support to partners

One of the EAI partner organisations that has benefited from the support of the Baring Foundation is the New Sudan Education Association (NSEA)². NSEA are a membership organisation formed by volunteer Southern Sudanese educationists representing individuals. NGOs, church groups and the main political factions which share an interest in the development of an education system that serves the people of Southern Sudan. NSEA were registered in Kenya in 2000 with temporary headquarters in Nairobi. ‘The Baring Foundation capacity building grant contributed towards the establishment of headquarters in Southern Sudan, stall capacity building and the purchase of CT equipment. Joseph Lasuru. NSEA’s Human Resources Officer will be speaking about his organisation’s grant during the Baring Foundation International Programme Seminar,

1 An external Evaluation of the use of the grant has recently been completed.

2 NSEA have now changed their organisational name to Needs Service Education Agency”.