New school development to enhance education in Iraq

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an estimated 750 million adults lack basic reading and writing skills. Of the adults estimated to be illiterate, an estimated 496 million of these are women. 

There are now more illiterate people in the world, than there are people in the European Union, which has an estimated 747 million inhabitants. There are also more illiterate women in the world, than there are people living in the USA. 

Education is a powerful tool that can help to alleviate poverty, promote gender equality and avoid early marriages. When girls have access to quality education, they are more likely to grow up to be healthy, productive citizens who can contribute to their families, their communities and their countries. 

The Iraq Health Access Organization in cooperation with the Iraqi Children Foundation are currently in the process of rehabilitating the Shahda Bint Al-Abri high school for girls. Upon completion, this will see a new space for afterschool courses in computing, English and much more. 

In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation also run three mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, healthcare and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods across Baghdad.