Located in the Jebel Dar area in al-Sabrah District of the Governorate of Ibb, al-Salam school has suffered neglect, the weathering of time and the onslaught of termites on its roof - which became a lurking danger threatening the lives of students.

Residents and IDPs in the area have no choice but to use the school for their children’s education despite the eroding roof and the antiquated building. The nearest other school would be one-hour walk, but this means a hardship for the students who would have to walk the distance twice daily. This precarious situation has caused drop outs of tens of students from the school.

Continuing Education

Small splinters of wood have been falling on the heads of students during classes for some time now. This has raised concern among the students that the roof would crumple at any time. Instead of staying focused on what the teacher is explaining, the students constantly watch the ceilings with suspicion that it might fall over their heads at any moment, according to Salah al-Wafi, a teacher in the school’s elementary level. He adds: “this has created a negative impact on the learning process”.
Teacher al-Wafi asserts that: “the school has 564 students in six classrooms - and this is a large number that shows how important it is to renovate the school building.”

To the Rescue

The intervention by the PWP to renovate the school, using funds made available by USAID, is practically like infusing new life into a dying body, so weak and feeble waiting to be saved.

Samir al-Harish, a resident of the area, thinks that the intervention by PWP to renovate the school is a new lease on life. The school had been a school in name only. But in reality, the classrooms were no longer fit for storing animal fodder let alone the education of the generations of the future. However, the residents and IDPs have no other choice, it was the only school available to them.

Al-Harish points out that PWP’s intervention created a new reality. Renovated, the building now boasts elements of a real school. The students’ lives are no longer under threat from the crumpling wooden ceiling.

A Motivating Environment

Badran Yahouq, a six grader says: “We now have a school with classrooms that have actual windows, doors and desks. Unlike the past, when the school was so dilapidated and classrooms were  without windows, doors, and the ceiling was falling apart. Today, the situation is much better and the school has changed after renovation and after a fence was built around it. By building a rainwater harvesting reservoir, the school also has water for better personal hygiene.”