Our impact
What changes when communities lead
We measure our work so we can learn from it and be accountable for it. Here is what our programmes have achieved so far, and where to find the evidence.
Education
Children back in learning
Through the Grassroots Accelerated Education Fund, community educators in Plateau State run catch-up classes in reading and maths for children who are out of school or falling behind. GAEF supported grant cohorts in 2024 and 2025, and the next is planned for 2027.
How GAEF worksCreative Futures
Young creatives finding a platform
We have run 42 creative events since 2016, from open mics to film screenings. In 2024 and 2025, 108 creatives took part in two international advocacy campaigns, and women made up 41% of attendees at our tracked events from 2023 to 2025.
Explore Creative FuturesMilestones
Ten years of creative work
COAL has been active every year since 2015.
- 2015 to 2020
Building a creative scene in Jos
26 events: open mics, poetry slams, author readings and film screenings.
- 2021 to 2023
Moving online
COVID-19 moved much of our activity online.
- 2024 to 2025
Growth and regional reach
Virtual Open Mics, two international campaigns, the first two GAEF grant cohorts and the anthology Held Too Briefly.
In their words
I love learning, and I will invite my friends to class.
A seven-year-old learner in a GAEF-supported class, Bassa LGA, Plateau State
The evidence
Read our annual reports
Our annual reports, audited accounts and strategic plans are published in full.
- 20252025 Annual ReportRead (PDF)
- 20242024 Annual ReportRead (PDF)
- 20232023 Annual ReportRead (PDF)