In the city of Al-Fashir, North Darfur, amidst the western Sudanese landscape, Fatima Saleh, along with her family, resides in a shelter for displaced people after fleeing from their home due to the war. Despite the turmoil, Fatima has not lost hope and determination to continue learning.
Every morning, 10-year-old Fatima straps a bag over her shoulder filled with books to attend a small lesson taught by one of her volunteer teachers in a house in the city center. This marks the start of her educational journey, learning reading, writing, and mathematics under challenging living conditions and limited educational resources.
Fatima succinctly sums up her homeschooling journey with a simple phrase: "Learning in childhood is like engraving on stone; if you are not a book that benefits others, be a reader that benefits yourself," never losing her composure as she strives to fulfill her dream.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Fatima says, "I was born and raised in Al-Fashir to a simple family of six members. As soon as I began climbing the ladder of education, the cursed war erupted, destroying everything. After being forced to leave the government school due to the war, I joined the Mashael Institute for Home Education, where I've learned much about reading, writing, and mathematics, and also managed to memorize verses from the Holy Quran and master their recitation."
Eight months into the war, the infrastructure of Sudan's education sector has been devastated (Al Jazeera)
Disrupted Lives
For over eight months since the outbreak of war, all aspects of life in Sudan have been suspended, including the education system. The infrastructure of schools in several areas has crumbled, affecting thousands of students and teachers who have been forced to flee their homes, abandoning their classes and schools. Many schools have suffered significant damage, some destroyed entirely, while others have become shelters for the displaced and homeless or even military barracks.
Nonetheless, Fatima appears content and satisfied with her efforts to obtain a home education that is now both safe and close to her family in the city's shelter.
Mohamed Abd Al-Rahman "Mashael," the owner of a family school concept at his home in Al-Fashir, says that due to the war's repercussions, education was disrupted for more than eight months, and schools in the city turned into places of suffering and displacement, making access to education difficult for students.
He launched his voluntary initiative to convert a part of his house into a girls' school, enabling them to continue their education and develop their skills in various subjects.
"Mashael," in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, shared that his initiative might be a temporary solution given the country's harsh circumstances but hopes it will continue in the future. The number of girl students exceeded 70, and establishing the school faced challenges, such as providing suitable furnishings, chalkboards, and other educational tools.
An official in the Ministry of Education in North Darfur states that the state has completely halted education in all regions (Al Jazeera)
Significant Damage
The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Darfur region, Tawhida Abd Al-Rahman Yusuf, tells Al Jazeera Net that the educational process has been affected by the war, just like other life sectors.
She noted that the war displaced educational directors, teachers, and students, and some were killed. The minister emphasized that the current priority is to halt the war, provide humanitarian aid including food, medicine, shelter, evacuate educational facilities by finding alternatives for displaced persons' centers, and focus on inventorying institutions, rebuilding structures, and providing necessary educational aid.
The damage and destruction resulting from looting, theft, and arson that affected many educational facilities in the country were also highlighted by the minister.
Ahmed Haroun Mastour, the educational expert and General Director of the Ministry of Education in North Darfur, states that the state has completely ceased education in all regions with significant damage to infrastructure, particularly in localities such as Al-Fashir, Tuweila, Kutum, Kabkabiya, and Malit.
His vision for resuming the educational process was submitted to the relevant authorities at the state and central levels, with the principal focus being on ending the war and rehabilitating facilities. He pointed to the disappointment among local communities regarding the future of their children's education, with some having migrated or moved within Sudan.
The success of the home school experiment in homes and mosques in the Salihah area of Omdurman is confirmed (Al Jazeera)
Continuing Education
Jamal Bakheet, an education leader in Darfur, confirms that the war has put thousands of students and teachers at risk, as salaries have not been paid for over eight months, leading many professionals to emigrate.
He mentioned the unlikely return of emigrated individuals due to better conditions abroad and stressed the importance of families focusing on their children's education through home schools despite the ongoing war.
Journalist and political analyst Abdullah Ishaq from Omdurman, in his conversation with Al Jazeera Net, confirmed the success of the home school experiment in the Salihah area, which began with the enthusiasm of students but quickly ceased due to intensified fighting in the region. He appeals to everyone to work towards ending the war in Sudan.
