Bena Charity for Human Development (BCFHD) organized a Kick-off Workshop for the project titled “Empowering Out of School Children (OOSC) and Children at Risk of Dropping Out (CRDO) through formal and non-formal education, child protection and psychosocial support (PSS) services in four districts of Taiz Governorate, Yemen”, The project is implemented by War Child in partnership with Bena Charity and funded by the European Union (ECHO).

The event was attended by Mr. Abdulwasie Shaddad, Director of the Education Office in Taiz Governorate, along with representatives from local authorities and education partners.

The two-day workshop aimed to strengthen coordination among educational entities and local partners to ensure the effective implementation of project activities and contribute to improving access to safe and inclusive education for children affected by the conflict in the targeted districts.

In his speech, Mr. Abdulwasie Shaddad praised the efforts of Bena Charity and War Child in supporting the education sector, noting that the project represents an important step toward revitalizing damaged schools and enabling children to continue their education in a safe environment. He also expressed appreciation for the European Union’s support of educational projects that help alleviate the suffering of conflict-affected families.

For his part, Eng. Zaid Al-Amiri, Education in Emergencies Project Manager at Bena Charity, explained that the project focuses on reintegrating out-of-school children, improving school infrastructure, and providing psychosocial and child protection support. He emphasized the organization’s commitment to reaching the most vulnerable children, including marginalized groups, children with disabilities, girls, and internally displaced persons affected by the conflict.

Meanwhile, Mr. Eyad Mohammed, Programs Manager at War Child, affirmed that education is the foundation of recovery and the key to building children’s futures. He highlighted that this project, implemented in partnership with Bena Charity and funded by the European Union, embodies an effective model of humanitarian collaboration and aims to sustain education services and provide a safe and inclusive learning environment.

The first day of the workshop included presentations and discussions on the roles of educational stakeholders and mechanisms for joint coordination to ensure the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. The second day focused on reviewing the project’s protection plan and discussing ways to integrate education and protection, leading to actionable recommendations to enhance the educational response in emergencies.

It is worth noting that the project aims to support damaged schools in Taiz Governorate by implementing remedial education programs for out-of-school children, improving learning environments through light rehabilitation and the provision of educational materials, offering psychosocial support, and strengthening the capacities of teachers and communities to better respond to educational crises.