Southern African Refugee Education Project (SAREP)
1976 – 1981
Between 1976 and 1981, AAI administered the Southern African Refugee Education Project (SAREP), which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Following the success of its predecessor programs the East African Refugee Program (1962—1971) and the Southern African Training Program (1971—1976), AAI continued to remain responsive to the training needs of Southern African refugees under SAREP. While continuing EARP’s emphasis on training manpower in anticipation of independence, the short-term objective of SAREP was primarily to prepare refugees from Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe for employment in their countries of asylum with a later focus on the repatriation of trainees.
AAI activities included participant screening and placement, orientation, and academic counseling for students in long-term degree and short-term vocational training programs. Areas of study included agriculture, business, economics, education, geography, nursing, secretarial sciences, and social administration. Under EARP and SAREP, over 1,450 students from Southern Africa received scholarships, returning to their countries of asylum and countries of origin to contribute to development efforts.
Total number of EARP and SAREP participants: 1,450 +