Back to school with a dream (Culture)

Fairuz Mohammad* 23* first came to Sana'a with her family from Dhamar when she was three months old. By the age of eight* she was married off by her father. She escaped after one day* and eventually was divorced. "We girls can't say anything*" she said. "When the groom comes* that's it."When she was thirteen* she was married again to a man in his seventies with whom she had three children* the oldest of which is now ten. When she divorced him four years later* she had missed out on four years of school. Today* she sits confidently in the office of the Yemen Education Relief Organization (YERO) in Sana'a telling her story. She is starting her last year of secondary school after Ramadan."I wanted to study*" Fairuz said* explaining that she sought out the organization on her own. "I was ambitious and [Nouria] helped."Nouria Nagi first established YERO in 2003* to help children like Fairuz* often from very poor families* to go to school. What was once a pilot project now financially supports 400 children through school* said Nagi. When Fairuz first arrived at the organization* her hands were very shaky* says Nagi. It took her over a year and a half to recover* but now she is an accomplished artist and hopes one day to become a radio presenter too."She's a fighter determined to make something out of life*" said Nagi."I want minimum age for marriage to be 20 years old* when a girl is mature* understands and is clever*" she added. "When she marries* it should be on her own with her husband* not with a big family."A law was passed earlier this year to set 17 as the minimum age for marriage in Yemen* but was revoked and remains under discussion. Until such a law is passed* there remains no legal minimum age for marriage in the country.Fourteen percent of married women in Yemen were married before they were 15* and over a half were married by the age of 18* found a 2006 United Nations? Children?s Fund (UNICEF) survey.Studies have often pointed to poverty as one of the main factors for the persistence of early marriage* which causes young girls to drop out of school before they have completed their education to start a family.But education is a vital pre-requisite for combating poverty* says UNICEF.Brand-new school bagsInside a small classroom at YERO* several dozens of beige backpacks are neatly lined up across the rows of desks waiting for the next school year. Each is individually labeled and contains a new specially-tailored uniform* books and pens. Boxes of brand-new sports shoes pile up against the classroom's windows. In a second room* some of the bags are pink for girls* but their contents are the same* with the exception of the color and shape of the uniform.The uniforms are good quality so that they last longer* said Nagi* holding out a long dark green tunic* a school uniform for girls in Sana'a. The uniform from the previous school year is usually in good condition* she explained. The school uniforms help children from families where clothes and school supplies are a luxury after food and rent* to ensure that they receive an education. Hana Al-Hamudi* 16* from Taiz* is another girl who has been supported through school by the center. She has three brothers and three sisters. After her father had to close down his cassette shop because of debts* he struggled to find his current job in the army which earns him YR 20*000 a month."We pay YR 15*000 for rent*" explained Hana. "That leaves us with YR 5*000. What are we supposed to do with YR 5*000? Now they want to put up the rent to YR 18*000 so we are looking for another place."Some days meals at home are bread and sweet tea* Al-Hamudi explained* and sometimes she doesn't eat at home so her siblings can."Most people come from the village thinking they will have a better life* but are shocked by the rent*" said Nagi* explaining that in the village at least some of these families had land and income.When Hana finishes school in five years time* she hopes to become a journalist to defend women's and girl's rights* but stresses that although her life is hard at the moment* she is free."I have my freedom* despite the difficult conditions*" she said. Micro-loans for the mothersIn Yemen* 15 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. For the country?s poorest families* school fees and the cost a uniform are not only too steep* but they may also rely on their children for an income.Nineteen-year-old Hanaj Al-Matari has been at YERO for eight years. One of the first girls that Nagi took under her wing* she has finished secondary school and now studies political sciences at university in her second year. Before she learned about the organization through her brother* her little brothers Ahmad and Hamza* then aged 10 and 11* worked to support the family. The smallest washed cars* while the other worked in a small shop. They are both now in their last years in school* said Al-Matari.To support her family* their mother has taken out a loan from YERO to open up a small shop* selling chips* tea and juices* said Nagi. The interest-free loan YR 15*000 and she can pay back the money whenever she can."The idea is to make them stand on their own feet*" said Nagi* who explained that so far three mothers have taken out loans to start up their own businesses.The 400 or so children that the organization supports are going to school* but not all is rosy* said Nagi. Some still also work to support their families* especially in the summer.And children who come to the association have been given breakfast* said Nagi* since a 7-year-old fainted one morning because he hadn't eaten for several days.Long term* the solution is not only to help mothers support their families through selling handicrafts or setting up their own small businesses* but also to empower the children so that they have the courage to go out and change things* said Nagi."Everyone has a dream and we are there to make them reach that dream*" she said* recalling a little boy who first came to the association dreaming to be president* but now has changed his mind and wants to be in the army.More sponsors neededAlthough the organization currently supports around 400 children* only 250 have outside sponsors and the organization has to pay for rest* said Nagi. The organization is looking for more sponsors* especially for boys."Educate the boy and he will take care of the family and give freedom to the girls to study*" she said. "He will be the brother* the husband and the father.""We live in a men's society. If we don't educate the boy to be a good man in society* we are not doing anything to change society."Without a man's support it is hard for a girl to pursue an education* she said* recalling an incident in which a girl at the center suddenly left because she was married off by her father. Nagi's efforts to persuade him let his daughter finish school were in vain because he was illiterate and saw no value to education.If the opportunity arose to expand the organization* Nagi would introduce literacy classes for the older children* who are usually embarrassed to learn the alphabet with 6-year-olds. She would also like to set up training to teach them a skill. Until then* the determined children at the center look forward to finishing their studies and perhaps going to university."I want to get good marks so that I can choose what I want to study at university*" said Fairuz* who dreams of being financially independent so that her three children can come and live with her permanently....

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