In a modest classroom in eastern Sudan, a group of men and women sit attentively on wooden benches, their eyes fixed on the teacher as Arabic letters appear on a faded blackboard. For many, this is their first opportunity to learn, or a long-awaited return to education.
Standing in the corner, nodding approvingly, is 63-year-old Amna Mohamed Ahmed, better known as “Amna Oor”—a name that partly means lion in the Beja language. For nearly three decades, she has been a driving force behind adult education in Port Sudan, now the de facto capital of war-torn Sudan.
A Mission to Combat Illiteracy
Ahmed, her bright orange headscarf neatly wrapped, began her mission in 1995, determined to tackle widespread illiteracy in her community.
“People wanted to learn. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have kept coming,” she told AFP.
Her school primarily caters to women who were previously denied education due to cultural or financial constraints.
For 39-year-old Nisreen Babiker, Ahmed’s classroom represents a second chance.
Babiker was forced to drop out of school in 2001 after marrying and assuming responsibility for raising her younger siblings following her father’s death.
“My siblings grew up and studied, and my children too,” she said. “Even after all these years, it feels like I’m starting fresh.”
A Beacon for War-Displaced Sudanese
Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, Sudan has been plunged into violence and displacement due to the power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 12 million people, pushing many into hunger and famine.
Among the displaced is 28-year-old Maria Adam, who fled her home in search of safety and a better future.
“When I arrived in Port Sudan, I heard about this place and joined,” Adam said, explaining that she had dropped out of school at age 11.
Now, she is determined to finish her education for the sake of her children.
Overcoming Sudan’s Education Crisis
Sudan’s education system has been devastated by the war, with the United Nations estimating that over 90% of the country’s 19 million school-age children are out of school. Many classrooms have been repurposed as shelters for displaced families, worsening an already fragile education system.
Even before the war, a 2022 Save the Children report listed Sudan among the countries most at risk of educational collapse.
Despite these challenges, hope endures in Ahmed’s school. Many of her students have gone on to high school, and some have even graduated from university.
“To watch someone go from not knowing how to read or write to graduating from university, getting a job, supporting their family—that is what keeps me going,” Ahmed said.
In one corner of her classroom, a mother studies alongside her young son, determined to reshape both their futures.
“They go from being seen as a burden to becoming productive, educated members of society,” Ahmed added, her lifelong mission far from over.
