Our global achievements can be attributed, in large part, to our singular focus, commitment to scale and distinctive operational model – a model developed after assessing and learning from conventional models and continuously building on experience. EAC is committed to serving as a catalyst for making a difference in education by acting differently.

AA believes quality education is the most effective means of poverty reduction, generating economic growth, and creating peaceful and just societies. It is a fundamental right for all children and an essential condition to realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, our mandate supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” 

At present, EAC is the largest of the Foundation’s programmes. EAC’s mission is to enrol and retain more than 10 million out of school children in quality primary education. EAC and its partners strive to achieve individual and social outcomes for these children, their communities and a better, more sustainable world for us all.

Key to our distinctions are our partnership model and processes, which include:

• Focussing on barriers and not “naming and blaming”

• Utilising local knowledge and expertise

• Being non-prescriptive – partners provide solutions

• Taking solutions to scale

• Leveraging expertise and experience

• Insisting on sustainability

• Embedding strong monitoring components

• Keeping the number of OOSC as the primary data point

• Encouraging cross-sector solutions to support the SDGs: no poverty, zero hunger, health and wellbeing, and gender equality, for example

• Requiring 50 per cent co-funding for local ownership and investment

• Looking for innovation

• Sharing funding criteria from the start