NEWS RELEASE
|
LONDON’S Green MEP Jean Lambert pays tribute to a Westminster-based charity tomorrow when she will visit the African Educational Trust (AET), an organisation assisting African students and refugees.
“I am enormously impressed by what this project is doing to help the African community, both in the UK and abroad,” said Mrs Lambert.
Internationally, AET operates in regions of Africa where formal structures for education are absent, or have been broken down by conflict and civil war. In areas of conflict, schools and higher education institutions have often been bombed, shelled and burnt down, leaving many communities of children and young people without a place to learn. AET works hard to improve this situation by providing developmental aid for locally appropriate educational systems to be set in place.
In the UK, AET offers advice on education and training for African students and refugees, as well as providing emergency grants and scholarships. It also carries out and supports research studies into the needs of African refugees and students, and helps to lobby the Government, the European Commission and other agencies on behalf of the people it supports.
During the visit, Mrs Lambert will say: “Education is the key component for the rehabilitation of Africa and its people. Communities cannot improve their situation before first learning how to, and given the means of progression, that is, knowledge and learning.”
Mrs Lambert will be given a tour of the organisation’s facilities and learn more about the projects being undertaken.
“Given my interest, and the growing role of the European Union, in the question of Social Inclusion, listening to the voices of communities and practitioners is essential. I am looking forward to this opportunity to hear first hand from those working to improve education and training for African students and refugees, both in London and abroad,” she added.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
1) Jean Lambert MEP's series of visits to local projects includes:
8th September: Finsbury Park Homeless Families Project: Finsbury Park-Nth London
26th September: African Educational Trust: Westminster
26th September: PhotoVoice: Hackney
3rd October: Find Your Feet: Lambeth
3rd October: GHARWEG: Southwark
For more information please contact Jaime Eastham on 07986 106 802 or london@greenmeps.org.uk