海角大神

Seventeen-year-old Fatima Mujib sits on a worn wooden chair in a narrow, makeshift classroom. Bundled up to keep warm in the rundown stone building, she quietly listens as teacher Munia Saeed presents the day鈥檚 lesson.

Fatima is interested and engaged, even in the drab setting and even though sufficient heating, textbooks, and school supplies are hard to come by. As a ruinous civil war roils Yemen, this classroom in the southwestern city of Taiz is Fatima鈥檚 refuge. And Ms. Saeed and the other volunteer teachers are more than educators.

鈥淭hey are like older sisters and mothers to us,鈥� Fatima says. 鈥淢y teacher treats me with kindness and respect, following up with me on my lessons every day.鈥�

Children鈥檚 education has been a casualty of the war, which erupted in 2014 and quickly led to the toppling of Yemen鈥檚 internationally recognized government by an Iran-backed group known as Houthis. Airstrikes by a coalition of Arab states, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have been unable to restore the exiled government. And a 2022 truce brokered by the United Nations has brought a reduction in hostilities but hasn鈥檛 ended the conflict.

(On March 15, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, citing attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed an 鈥渦nrelenting鈥� campaign until the group ceases such actions.)

Like many public-sector employees in Yemen, thousands of teachers haven鈥檛 received regular salaries for several years and aren鈥檛 showing up for work. Many school buildings have been damaged or closed.

Educators in Taiz officially went on strike late last year, halting all formal schooling there. Ms. Saeed is among the hundreds of university graduates, who are volunteering their time to bridge the gap by teaching children. Beyond lessons, volunteers offer support and compassion to ensure that the next generation doesn鈥檛 lose hope during one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

Mohamed Al-Hammadi

Volunteer teacher Omar Ali Ayad (left) leads a meeting in Al-Torba township, Yemen, with a group of female volunteers.

鈥淲e knew we couldn鈥檛 stop鈥�

Since the conflict began, about 4.5 million Yemenis have been displaced, including around 300,000 from Taiz, the third-largest city. An estimated 40% of children between 5 and 17 years old 鈥� about 4.5 million kids 鈥� have dropped out, according to UNICEF. Many have been forced to work alongside their parents or to beg on the streets.

In 2015, Ms. Saeed, a social worker displaced from the port city of Aden, and other university graduates saw the need for an intervention. So they launched a grassroots teaching initiative starting at a school in Taiz鈥檚 Al-Shamayatayn District. The idea spread quickly to nearby villages.

鈥淪oon we were teaching thousands of children,鈥� Ms. Saeed says. 鈥淭he demand was overwhelming, and we knew we couldn鈥檛 stop.鈥�

Each week, Ms. Saeed and other volunteers travel to rural areas within the Taiz governorate, often under difficult conditions, to meet with students. Many children have not had formal schooling for years. 鈥淲e aim to fill the gap in education left by the lack of official teachers, while also providing opportunities for young graduates to contribute to rebuilding the country,鈥� Ms. Saeed says.

鈥淭hey love teaching us鈥�

According to the United Nations Development Programme, about 83% of Yemen鈥檚 population of approximately 34 million people lives in multidimensional poverty, racked by multiple deprivations, including a lack of education and sanitation services. These factors are exacerbated by rising hunger, malnutrition, and unemployment. Amid the overwhelming challenges, the volunteers are bringing passion back into education.

鈥淭hey love teaching us,鈥� says Hamid Ali, an 11th grader at Al Muqarmah Al Jadida School. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 get bored.鈥�

UNICEF鈥檚 Restoring Education and Learning project, financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education, has contributed some funding.

Mohamed Al-Hammadi

Third grader Taif Muhammed learns at her desk in Al-Torba township, Yemen.

鈥淭he initiative has encouraged families to send their children to school despite the hardships,鈥� says Reman Hamid Ali Othman, a researcher contracted with UNICEF. 鈥淭here has also been a surge in girls鈥� interest in education.鈥�

In the Taiz governorate, the impact has been especially profound. Al-Shamayatayn District, for example, has 758 volunteers educating 64,000 students in rural areas. 鈥淭heir efforts have been crucial in keeping education alive,鈥� says Adnan Al-Sharjabi, the director of the district鈥檚 education office.

The model has also worked in other areas of Yemen, including the northern Marib governorate. 鈥淓ducation in Marib is in the best condition it has been in years, thanks to the support of local authorities, the education office, and our volunteers,鈥� says Mohammed Al-Baqes, a volunteer teacher.

Preparing future leaders

Despite the success that volunteer teachers have had, a lack of supplies makes their mission difficult. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the tools to teach [students] properly,鈥� says Hadeel Abdul Rahim, a volunteer at Khawla Bint Al Azwar School in rural Taiz.

Funding is perhaps the most pressing issue. With only a small stipend given from UNICEF, volunteers often struggle to make ends meet, especially as prices rise in the country and poverty deepens.

Samia Khaishan, a volunteer teacher in the southern Shabwa governorate, says that traveling to the schools takes a long time. She and three of her fellow volunteers split a combined stipend of 80,000 rials (about $325) per month. Her share is a far cry from the monthly prewar teacher salary of 49,000 rials, but Ms. Khaishan remains dedicated.

鈥淲e know we are contributing to building the nation and educating the children who will lead it,鈥� she says.

Volunteers like Ms. Saeed are committed to helping for as long as necessary. She hopes to earn a teaching degree and keep working as an educator after the war ends.

鈥淯ntil then,鈥� she says, 鈥渨e will be here for our students.鈥�

This article was published in collaboration with Egab.