Mr Rory Stewart, on attachment from the British Foreign office to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Al Amarah (Maysan province – southern Iraq) recently paid a visit to Al Khala Secondary school, a small town situated 14 kms outside Al Amarah, where he reviewed our most recent school project.
During his visit Mr Stewart spoke to local construction contractors who had been employed to renovate the school and informed the local community leaders that he was pleased to see The Salvation Army doing much-needed rebuilding work in the heartland of the Arab marshlands, where education is desperately needed.
Since his visit, the school refurbishment has been completed and was officially reopened at the beginning of April. As a result, 150 teenage boys and girls drawn from the Al Khala marshland villages have returned to full-time education.
With funding provided by the CPA and civil affairs teams The Salvation Army has undertaken the refurbishment or rebuilding of almost 50 out of the 460 schools in the Maysan province, returning these to full use. There is also a strong desire to get teachers back into employment and The Salvation Army has worked with the local director of education to create an adult education programme, providing daily lessons for 1,500 pupils and employment for 100 previously unemployed teachers. (More…)
Donor funding has also been provided to facilitate the refurbishment of playgrounds and the installation of technical equipment to teach vocational sewing programmes and computing classes. However, few schools possess adequate technical equipment to provide lessons in vocational skills and additional funding is being sought to address this need.
Team Leader – Iraq recovery programme
