Khilood Mohammed, 13, is a student in Martyr Taher al-Saifi School for girls in the capital city of Sana’a. She is experiencing two happy events in the new school year, which just started. The first, Khilood is transitioning from the elementary level to the preparatory level. But the important happy event is she is seeing her school in a new look that reflect new hope for a better future.
Al-Saifi School is a fountain of learning and a window into the future for more than 2000 students, who are enrolled in the school - in both the morning and evening shifts. The school is now like a beehive and the noise of the students resembles the sounds of humming bees - gradually fading out as the sunset approaches.
A Window into the Future
The intervention by the Public Works Project through the YECRP- funded by the World Bank and Administered by the UNDP- for the implementation of the school’s rehabilitation sub-project revived the dreams of 2000 female students for a better future, overcoming the feeling of despair and frustration that had prevailed before that.
The broken windows, doors and desks had left no choice for the students, but to sit on the bare floor. Blackboards had been battered over time and the much-needed restrooms have fallen into disrepair a long time ago.
A Better Situation
Nasim al-Ariqi, one of the students in the school, in talking about the newly renovated building, speaks with her eyes wide open, and a big smile by saying: “I now have a desk that I can sit on to listen to the teacher as she delivers the lesson of the day and a clean blackboard that makes things legible. There are windows that protects the students from the sun rays and the cold weather, and we have functional restrooms and a water tank that improves hygiene among the students - considering the wide-spread contagious diseases now a days, such as diarrhea and cholera.”
Incentives for Girls
Saleh al-Samawi, a member of the parent’s council in the school, praises PWP’s intervention to renovate this school - which is the only girl’s school in the neighborhood and nearby neighborhoods. He said the renovation of the school is an important factor that creates incentives for girls to go to school and continue their education. For one, it’s an all-girls school and this encourages parents to send their girls to complete their education to an advance level.
Al-Samawi confirms that the renovation of the school, under current conditions, gave the parents and students hopes that tomorrow would be better.