Education in Yemen: struggling to achieve dreams

Nearly 8.1 million school-age girls and boys need Education in Emergencies (EiE) assistance across Yemen. Only two-thirds of all schools across the country are operational. A total of 2,507 schools were destroyed, damaged and/or utilized for non-educational purposes, leaving more than 2 million school-age girls and boys out of school.

50-year-old Khaled, the principal of Al Hamdi school and one of its former students, says: “We have been suffering for many years. Many parents prevent their children from going to school because they are afraid that the roof will fall on their children. On rainy days, students don’t study because the school is full of rainwater, and this affects students’ education because they miss many classes during the year.” A few months ago, Khaled fell from the roof of the school while he was fixing it and broke his arm.

In addition to the dilapidated building, the school doesn’t have bathrooms so students have to relieve themselves in the open or wait long hours until they go home, which affects their health. “Sometimes I feel pain because I have to wait until I go home to use the bathroom,” says Wafa.

With funding from UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), CARE helped 1000 residents in Ash Shamayatayn district with unconditional cash transfers and cash-for-work activities. Through the intervention, CARE supported residents to build new classrooms and bathrooms in Al Hamdi school and earn much-needed income to buy food, medicine and other needs.

Both students and teachers of Al Hamdi school are grateful for rehabilitating the school. Now they never worry about insects or rainfall. “I’m so happy,” says Wafa. “Our school is beautiful and safe now. I hope to be a teacher so I can teach children in my village and fulfil my mother’s dream.”