Rebuilding schools, restoring learning

Children deserve the best. In the conflict-affected Amhara region, UNICEF, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is rehabilitating schools to help children return to safe learning environments. New classroom blocks, boys' and girls' latrines, and girls' safe spaces are giving children the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

Sitting in her newly rehabilitated classroom at Bistima Primary School, 12-year-old Hania Oumer appreciates the difference it has made to her learning. “It is comfortable to learn in this classroom. It is neat and bright,” she says.

As the academic year draws to a close, Hania stands before her classmates leading a mathematics revision session, confidently guiding them through model exam questions.

“I love mathematics because of my elder sister. She helps me at home, and I am good at it,” says Hania.

Like Hania, Hayat Endirs is thriving in a newly rehabilitated school environment. Studying at Harbu Primary School, many kilometres away from Bistima, she says her new classroom has transformed the way she experiences school.

“The new classrooms help us learn better,” says Hayat. She remembers studying in overcrowded mud-built classrooms, a stark contrast to the bright and comfortable spaces where she and her classmates learn today.

The conflict in northern Ethiopia left many schools across the Amhara region damaged or occupied as shelters for displaced families, interrupting children's education. With support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and matching funding from the Global Partnership for Education, UNICEF has been rehabilitating schools, restoring classrooms and providing desks so children can safely return to learning.

To date, 13 schools across the region have been rehabilitated. New classroom blocks, boys' and girls' latrines, girls' safe spaces and other essential facilities are helping create safer, more inclusive environments where children can learn and thrive.

Education is more than a pathway to the future. For children affected by conflict, it restores a sense of normalcy, hope and stability, helping them rebuild their lives one lesson at a time.