Closer, Cleaner, Safer: Giving Students in Tooz a Fresh Start

Payam lives peacefully in Tooz district, Salah al-Din governorate, just 175 kilometers from Baghdad, with her husband and two daughters, Maili (seven) and Leia (three). A passionate educator, Payam teaches English at one of the most overcrowded schools in the area, where more than 400 students are enrolled. Her eldest daughter, Maili, has just begun her first academic year at the same school.

Years of conflict have left Iraq’s education system and infrastructure deeply strained. With limited public funding and government resources stretched thin, schools in districts like Tooz have struggled to maintain even basic standards.

Seeing this urgent need, World Vision Iraq, with support from a private donor, began interventions in Tooz in 2020. This year, the partnership has supported six schools by rehabilitating toilets and handwashing facilities, providing catch-up classes in Arabic to improve literacy, and offering intensive five-day teacher training workshops on modern teaching methods.

"World Vision Iraq conducted a five-day training for the teachers in our school on teaching methods. We benefited greatly from it," said Payam, one of the participating educators.

As a teacher and a mother, Payam was painfully aware of the challenges her students faced due to the school’s poor hygiene infrastructure. The old toilets were located 400 meters away from the classrooms, in an overgrown, remote area that posed health risks to children, especially during the winter months.

“It was very hard for the children. The facilities were far, the water and toilets were dirty, and the walk took time away from their lessons. Some children couldn’t even make it in time,” Payam explained. “It was especially difficult in winter.”

Now, newly constructed toilet blocks, just twenty five meters from the classrooms, have transformed the school environment. The facilities are clean, safe, and accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Eight new handwashing stations have also been built to serve the large number of students attending the school in shifts.

Payam was especially proud that her daughter Maili was the first student to try the new facilities.

“As a mother, I feel so reassured,” she said. “Like other parents, I’m happy that these toilets are nearby, clean, and sufficient for the number of students. It makes a real difference.”

Children like Maili are also learning healthy habits through hygiene awareness sessions at school.

“Maili often comes home and reminds us how important it is to keep our hands and clothes clean,” Payam shared with a smile.

Maili, with bright eyes and a big smile, added, “I’m so happy because it’s clean! The new toilets are so much better. The old ones were dirty and far.”

Payam hopes that humanitarian support for schools in Iraq continues, especially for improving hygiene infrastructure and teaching quality.

“There is still a great need in many schools,” she said. “Support like this can truly help us rebuild the future of education in Iraq.”

Thanks to the ongoing partnership between World Vision Iraq and a private donor, 211 children in six schools have gained access to catch-up classes and rehabilitated sanitation facilities. Additionally, 64 teachers have received training in updated teaching methods. Awareness sessions on hygiene have reached 2,455 children, helping promote health and cleanliness in schools.

In a country where years of conflict have left schools overcrowded and under-resourced, such interventions are vital. Clean, safe, and accessible school environments not only help children stay healthy, but also empower them to focus on learning and dream of a brighter future.