Supporting girls’ education in the Raymah mountains

Yemen | 2024 | CBPF

Yemen, Raymah Mountains. Naama village is high in the Raymah mountains of western Yemen. Here, Al-Siddiq school needed repairs – but getting those repairs done was no simple matter.

Now in its tenth year of conflict, Yemen faces a severe protection and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by recurring economic shocks, weakened basic services, climate hazards, regional conflict, and chronic underfunding.

Access to basic services—healthcare, schools and water supply systems—continues to deteriorate. Disease outbreaks are expected to surge, while 3.2 million children (6-17 years old) remain out of school – and two-thirds of them live in parts of the country that are hard-to-reach due to conflict or geography.

The All Girls Foundation for Development (AGF) launched a bold initiative to reach some of the most remote communities in the country. With support from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund,AGF rehabilitated and expanded four public schools in Al-Jafariyah, a district perched among the highest peaks of Raymah Governorate – including Al-Siddiq school.

The project repaired some existing classrooms and constructed new ones – improving access to school for over 1,000 young students. The project also improved the school bathrooms and solar-powered water tanks. Students themselves received textbooks and other supplies, and teacher incentives put in place.

The construction effort was monumental. In Naama village, for instance, building materials arrived in three stages: trucked from Hodeida, transferred onto smaller vehicles to navigate the steep terrain, then finally carried by hand or loaded onto donkeys for the final ascent.

At times, heavy rains and rockslides blocked roads entirely, forcing workers to hike materials over four kilometres on foot.

The project reflects AGF’s long-standing commitment to reaching underserved communities with practical, locally driven solutions. Since 2003, the organization has worked to expand safe and equitable access to education across Yemen, with a focus on empowering women and youth. The work in Raymah highlights what is possible when local knowledge, persistence, and community solidarity come together—even in the most challenging environments.

Posted May 2025.

This story is posted in memory of Saddam Cairo, a local driver whose leadership was essential, but who died in a road accident during the project.

Pooled Fund impact stories

For more information on the Yemen Humanitarian Fund.

Based on an original story from OCHA Yemen.