UNICEF Yemen: Transformation of School, From a neglected place to a place where dreams can be made true

Two years ago, 12-year-old Qamar dropped out of Al-Saadah School because the school was two hours far on foot. The nearest school from her, Aisha School, had been abandoned since 2014 because of the armed conflict in Yemen.

During all this time she has hoped that she could go back to school one day.

"I stopped going to school because it was too far away," says Qamar. "Every day, I miss going to school. I want to study, meet my teachers, attend classes and meet my colleagues.

In Yemen, an estimated 3.7 million school-age children remain out of school,[1] with the education infrastructure severely damaged and teachers unpaid since 2016, leading to a debilitating teacher exodus. The education disruption not only hampers children’s academic progress but also threatens their cognitive and emotional development.

While she was not in school, Qamar had nothing to do during this time but to stay at home and help her mother at home. She always wondered when she would go back to school. 

Limited and unsuitable options for children

Badriya Ahmed, Aisha School Principal said that the only option available to children who wanted to go to school was to walk for long hours under the sun to reach the nearest school. Others just dropped out of school.

“When Aisha School was destroyed, many students dropped out of the school. Some children went for work as shepherds, some girls were married off, and other students moved to other schools far from their homes,” said Badriya.

Badriya explained that the long distance was an issue for the children, especially girls. Many of them would fall sick due to walking under the scorching noon sun for a long time. She added that “families are poor and cannot afford transportation fees for their children”.

Hope is restored

To help more than 500,000 students in Yemen go back to learning, UNICEF works to support the education system through rehabilitation of schools, training teachers, providing learning kits for schools and school items to children. Luckily, in 2024, Aisha School was among 1,171 schools that received minor or major rehabilitation.

Aisha School in Al-Jawf, has received major rehabilitation in 2024 thanks to support from UNICEF and funding from the German Federal Government through KfW Development Bank.

The transformation of the school from negligence to a clean, neat and bright place is the first step to make dreams come true.

The rehabilitation of Aisha school made Qamar happy and eager to look forward to a bright future. She is 12 today and is excited that she finally will go back to school!

"I hope we achieve my dreams, excel and become top students. I hope to major in medicine at university."

[1] UNICEF, 2024 MICS-EAGLE Yemen Education Fact Sheets, 2024.