Improving access to quality basic education for conflict-affected children in Taizz, Ibb and Al-Dhale. The project aims at providing immediate access to quality basic education to conflict affected IDP and host communities’ children in three Governorate of Yemen: Ibb, Al Dhalea and Taiz. It aims to providing affected girls and boys with equitable access to safe, protective child friendly learning spaces and alternative learning opportunities in the target Governorates: Ibb (Dhi As Sufal, Al Mashannah), Taiz (Maqbanah, Jabal Habashy, Ash Shamayatayn) and Al-Dhalea (Ad Dhalea) in at least 45 schools. The target governorates and districts are selected based on the Education Cluster recognition of governorates with high severity, high level of access and high vulnerabilities. Whist Ibb is not included in the allocation strategy for this opportunity, based on severity of needs there, absence of humanitarian actors, and consultations with the cluster, SCI has included Ibb in this proposed intervention. The project will focus on the first line response activities based on Education Cluster fast track Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan priorities: provision of teachers’ incentives (where teachers have not been receiving their salary), provision of education supplies to target schools, establishment of Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs) and provision of supplies to ensure immediate access to basic education. 

SCI will target 20,000 (50% girls) out-of-school boys and girls, and boys and girls at risk of drop out due to access barriers (including lack of essential material) and support 600 teachers (50% female) who have not been receiving a salary, with incentives. This target is inclusive of 3,000 children who will directly benefit from 75 additional learning spaces which this project will provide to overcrowded target schools. The project will cater for IDP and host community children with ratio of 30% IDPs and 70% host community children respectively. It is estimated that an additional 10,000 children will benefit from the provision of teacher incentives, since SCI will be supporting teachers to continue working and supporting students. 
Children selection and engagement will be ensured through the activities which will be planned and conducted in close collaboration with teachers, parents, caregivers, local community, elders and local education office representatives. The project will be implemented through engagement of all above said stakeholders from the local IDP and host community. Approximately 45 schools will to be targeted under this intervention - this is subjected to number of teachers and students which may vary in the beginning of the new academic year and during the school/beneficiary selection process.

SCI will leverage our global and local experience in education programming to deliver the proposed project. The project will be implemented through our field offices in the governorates targeted. Technical support and quality assurance will be provided by the Education TA based in Sanaa/Djibouti, who regularly supports the field team, and conducts quarterly field monitoring visits and capacity building along with the MEAL department in each Field Office which support the project team in all MEAL related activities.

The security situation remains one of the critical challenges in the field and risk of restriction of movement or denied access. To mitigate that, SCI will maintain very close coordination and collaboration with local authorities and Ministry of Education (MoE) to support the facilitation of the activities as well as community mobilization and acceptance of community leaders to gain access to targeted communities.