Story title: The Parents' Council of the Late Al-Siraji School contributes to
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atively affiliated to Al-Mashaleha sub-district, Al-Mukha
district and is located in the middle of many villages in the area. It is one of the schools that were
damaged by the missile bombing next to the school where armed men used to position themselves
during the war. The armed men still take place in the school until the second half of this year
because it is close to the main road. The school lacks all educational components and is open all
the time, making it accessible position for armed groups. The intervention of GWQ Organization in
the school with a number of activities, such as training parent's councils, played an important role in
activating their role in maintaining the school and providing it with some basic educational
materials.
Mohammed Hasan is a father of two children. He was present when the organization’s team visited
the school to speak about the school’s deteriorating situation saying: “I wanted my children to go to
school to study, but as you can see, the school’s situation as a result of the missile bombing where
doors and windows were damaged making it opened all the time, empty of chairs and blackboards
which led to the transfer it from a school to teach students to an deserted place where armed men
are positioned".
Mohammed Hasan added, "Day after day, my desire to educate my children fades during this
situation, and I feel helpless to make any change or repair the school."
Mohammed Hasan was present during the formation of the Parent's Council where he listened to
the intervention of the organization in the region, project activities and school selection standards
within the various project activities. He expresses his feeling at that time saying: I felt more
distressed when I found that school problems impeded the intervention of organizations, where
they avoid targeting schools where armed men are positioned. In addition, the amount of damage
in the school is great and all doors and windows are open and this will deprive the school from
chairs and blackboards that will be distributed, which made me even more frustrated about the
possibility of making any solutions to advance the school.
GWQ Organization has formed parent's councils in the targeted schools, and Mohammed Hasan
was among the members of the Parents’ Council in the school of the Late Al-Siraji. A training
course was organized for members of parent's councils in the 24 targeted schools in Al-Mukha
district, where a number of parents’ council members of the Late Al-Siraji school were invited to
attend the emergency education training course. Mohammed Hasan was one of the attendees at
the training course and was introduced to the role of the parent's council in education during
emergencies, the components of the parent's council, the various tasks and work principles, and
how to plan and accomplish tasks. This made it clear for what should be done.
Mohammed Hasan talks about the training, saying: (The training was very useful where I learned
about the importance of education in emergencies, the role and tasks of the Parents’ Council, and
how it works to communicate with the community and the various entities.”
He added, "The training lightened the way for me and increased my knowledge of the tasks that
must be done and how we can contribute with the community to solve the school's problems."
After completing the training, Mohammed Hasan contacted the school's parent's council members
to attend their first meeting. With the presence of the President of the Council, the Parents’ Council
was reformed based on the approved structure and the distribution of tasks to the various
committees of the Council, where Mohammed Hasan was selected to be the head of the Public
Relations Committee to communicate with the region’s leaders and members of the council to
collect a sum of money that will be used for the benefit of the school.
Mohammed Hasan saying: "The community understands the problem and has the ability to
contribute to solving it, but it lacks the initiative spirit and is ignorant of the way to contribute. So
when I contacted the community members to donate money to repair the school, everyone was
ready to do so and we collected a small amount because the economic situation is very difficult.
The collected money was allocated to repair the doors and windows of two of the school's
classrooms in order to be closed."
Mohammed Hasan adds: "Although the amount collected was small, it had a great impact in
protecting the school from the presence of armed groups, where closing the doors and windows of
the school's classrooms made the armed groups look for other places, and the school is now
completely empty of any presence of armed groups.
Mohammed Hasan added, "Closing the doors and windows allowed the organization to provide us
with 35 chairs and 2 whiteboards for the classrooms and school bags for all students. All this had a
great impact in motivating students to attend school regularly