Since 2018, the Farmers’ Children School in Al-Kawd, Abyan Governorate, has been struggling with overcrowded classrooms.
The school had to accommodate students from three neighboring villages—Al-Nash, Al-Qarna’a, and Al-Wadi—along with a large number of displaced students. Despite having limited classrooms, the school administration chose not to deny any child the right to education. As a result, they resorted to setting up makeshift classrooms inside a warehouse.
The students faced two major challenges. First, the overcrowding made it difficult for them to concentrate and understand lessons. Student Abdullah Abdul Rahman Abdullah shared his experience:
“We suffer from overcrowding and disturbances in the classrooms. We want to learn and listen to our lessons like other schools. There are about 40 to 50 students in one class, and sometimes the noise makes it hard to hear the teacher.”
The second challenge was the lack of proper seating. Students had to sit on the bare floor due to a shortage of desks, and the warehouse lacked ventilation and lighting. The poor learning conditions made it difficult for students to focus, and the extreme heat inside the warehouse even led to cases of fainting.
Many parents expressed their frustration to the school administration, complaining that their children were being deprived of a proper classroom like their peers. Some parents even withdrew their children from school, leaving the administration powerless to find a solution.
In 2022, Abyan Youth Foundation, with support from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund, launched the Emergency Response Project to provide students with a safe and healthy learning environment. The project included the construction of two new classrooms at the Farmers’ Children School, fully equipped with desks, whiteboards, and school kits for all students—ensuring a secure and supportive educational setting.
Expressing his happiness, teacher Gibran Khalil Gibran stated:
“When Abyan Youth Foundation came to implement the project, we were overjoyed, as were the parents and students. Today, after the project’s completion, our joy is complete. Now, students will learn in safe classrooms instead of sitting on the ground inside a warehouse. This initiative will help bring back dropouts and encourage parents to send their children back to school.”
