Beyond Survival: Education and Hygiene Support for Displaced Children in Tooz

“My father was a government employee, and he advised us to study and continue our education so that in the future we would have a stable income and not be in need of anyone. But I didn’t listen to him and didn’t continue my education, and I regret it a lot. I wish that every parent would support their children the way I do, so that they have a brighter future than mine,” said Muhanned.

Muhanned lives with his wife and six children in one of the villages surrounding Tooz, in Salah al-Din governorate, 175 km from Baghdad.

Muhanned has been particularly distressed watching his eldest son, seventeen-year-old Muthana, fail to pass two academic years while in the fourth and fifth grades.

As an illiterate father, Muhanned realises the difficulties he has faced in life due to the lack of formal education, and that now he can barely make ends meet for his family because he does not have a stable income. Muhanned said, “At that time, we were very fearful that Muthana would not be able to complete his studies. Because I did not complete my studies, I don’t want my children to go through the same.”

When the conflict began in 2014, Muhanned and his family were displaced to Tooz District. Muhanned’s family of eight and his brother’s family shared one house, and they did odd jobs to manage paying the rent at that time. The situation was not ideal for young Muthana to study, as he moved between schools and missed several months of education. In addition, the overcrowded home environment may have significantly impacted Muthana’s ability to concentrate on his studies.

Tragedy struck the family again when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Muhanned and his family had to move once more, this time to Kirkuk, 68 km from Tooz district, where four families shared a single large space. Muhanned recalls, “I felt very sad when Muthana failed in school due to the 2014 conflict. When we were displaced to Tooz, we lived with my brother’s family in one home and had to pay rent. Our situation was very difficult. We were displaced and had trouble finding jobs. The children missed some months of education. When they returned to school, they had already missed a lot.”

But falling behind academically took a toll on Muthana “When I failed the academic year, I felt very sad because I was separated from my friends, and they moved ahead of me,” said Muthana. 

Yet, despite the challenges, Muthana has a love for learning, especially Islamic and Arabic studies. Recently, Muthana learned about the Catch-Up Classes implemented by World Vision Iraq with funding from a private donor. He joined the extra-curricular classes in Arabic and has started improving his reading and writing skills by learning the alphabet more effectively. He lights up when he talks about his teacher, Amir, and how learning became fun through a simple game, matching animal names to letters. 

Amir, who has worked closely with Muthana and other students in the Catch-Up Classes, said, “Muthana was quiet, hesitant, and lacked confidence in reading even the basic letters. The school environment didn’t help either, the hygiene conditions were poor, and it was hard for students to focus or feel comfortable. But now, after the improvements in the school and the support from the Catch-Up Classes, I see a completely different child. Muthana is engaged, eager to learn, and even helps his classmates. The clean facilities and structured learning have given him not just academic skills, but a real sense of dignity and confidence.”

Muthana already feels that his performance has improved. He noted, “My performance before attending Catch-Up Classes was intermediate or lower, but now I am better. My understanding of the alphabet has improved further. My teacher Amir taught me a lot.”

To Muthana, education means more than grades, it’s about dignity and respect. Completing his studies is a step toward being valued in society. He hopes to become a schoolteacher when he grows up so he can help other children learn.

Now, things are starting to change. Muthana’s teachers tell Muhanned that his son is improving. He said, “Now I am no longer fearful because I learned from the school that Muthana’s performance has improved. Three of my children go to school, and I have three younger ones. My wife and I don’t have jobs. I work as a daily labourer, sometimes only for half a day, and the wage is low. So this intervention to provide Catch-Up Classes by the organisation was very critical for us. I feel happy that Muthana’s performance has improved.”

World Vision Iraq, with funding from a private donor, has not only helped children like Muthana by ensuring a brighter future for those who missed years of education or are struggling to learn, but also by improving hygiene conditions at schools. In this overcrowded school of 335 students in two shifts, children like Muthana often suffered due to dirty toilets and handwashing facilities that lacked water. Muthana said, “Because it was dirty, we often got sick. Sometimes when I had stomach problems, I would avoid going to school because of the lack of hygienic facilities and water. On normal days, if I needed to go to the toilet, I would avoid it because there was no water in the washing facilities and the toilets were dirty.”

The newly rehabilitated washing facilities at school are no longer a barrier for Muthana and his classmates to attend classes. Today, Muthana proudly used the toilet for the first time. Muthana also joined awareness sessions on handwashing and hygiene, and shared, “We learned from the awareness sessions to keep our hands clean, wear clean clothes, and maintain the school in a clean state. Even in the streets and at home, we must keep the environment clean. Being clean keeps me away from diseases, and it makes me happy to take care of the environment. I also taught my friends about this.”

Muhanned is now more at ease, as the overall quality of the school environment has improved. Since Muthana suffers from allergies in his hands and feet, Muhanned used to worry about him catching a disease due to the previous condition of the school’s washing facilities. Muhanned said, “Now I am comfortable and feel reassured that my son is in a clean environment at school.”

World Vision Iraq, with funding from a private donor, has supported 211 children in six schools to access Catch-Up Classes and rehabilitated washing facilities in six schools. In addition, the team on the ground has emphasised the importance of handwashing and maintaining a clean environment. This year, 2,455 children (1,201 boys and 1,254 girls) participated in hygiene awareness-raising activities.

Years of conflict in Iraq have damaged school washing facilities. Schools have been overcrowded, lacked public funding for rehabilitation, and were deprived of essential services needed to maintain a safe and hygienic environment for children. This intervention in these schools was essential to help children thrive and build a brighter future.