In War-Torn Sudan, a School Offers a Second Chance at Education

PORT SUDAN, Sudan, 2 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – In a modest classroom in eastern Sudan, men and women sit attentively on wooden benches, their eyes fixed on the teacher as Arabic letters take shape on a faded blackboard.

Observing with quiet satisfaction from the corner is the school’s 63-year-old founder, Amna Mohamed Ahmed, widely known as “Amna Oor”—a name that partly means “lion” in the Beja language of eastern Sudan.

For the past three decades, she has devoted herself to giving hundreds of people a second chance at education in Port Sudan, which has now become the country’s de facto capital amid ongoing conflict.

Wearing an orange headscarf wrapped neatly around her head, Ahmed recalls the motivation behind her project, which began in 1995.

“The widespread illiteracy in my community compelled me to act,” she told AFP. “People wanted to learn—if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have kept coming.”

Ahmed’s school provides a lifeline to those who missed out on formal education, particularly women who were denied schooling due to cultural or financial barriers.

A Fresh Start

For 39-year-old Nisreen Babiker, returning to education has been a long-cherished dream.

She left school in 2001 after marrying and taking on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings following her father’s death.

“My siblings grew up and got an education, and so did my children,” she said. “I felt the urge to return to school. Even after all these years, it feels like I’m starting afresh.”

Ahmed’s school has also become a sanctuary for those displaced by Sudan’s brutal conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The war has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 12 million, and plunged much of the country into hunger and famine.

Among those forced to flee her home is Maria Adam, who arrived in Port Sudan seeking safety and a brighter future.

“When I arrived in Port Sudan, I heard about this place and joined,” said the 28-year-old, who had dropped out of school at the age of 11.

Changing Lives

“I want to finish my education so I can help my children,” Adam added.

Sudan’s education system has been decimated by the war, with the United Nations estimating that over 90 percent of the country’s 19 million school-age children now have no access to formal learning.

Across the nation, schools have been repurposed as shelters for displaced families, leaving millions of children without a place to learn.

Even before the war, a 2022 Save the Children analysis ranked Sudan among the countries most at risk of educational collapse.

Despite these challenges, the thirst for knowledge remains strong at Ahmed’s school, where many students have progressed to secondary education, and some have even gone on to graduate from university.

In one corner of the classroom, a mother sits alongside her young son, determined to shape a brighter future for both of them.

“To see someone go from being unable to read or write to graduating from university, securing a job, and supporting their family—that is what keeps me going,” Ahmed said. “They transform from being seen as a burden to becoming productive, educated members of society.”

Wider Context

Sudan’s protracted conflict has exacerbated existing socio-economic struggles, disproportionately affecting women and children. Educational opportunities remain scarce, but grassroots initiatives like Ahmed’s school offer a glimmer of hope. With the resilience of teachers and students alike, the dream of education persists, even in the darkest of times.