“ The smoke of wooden heaters made me crazy ,” said Maysara Javharieva , the school ’ s director . “ It was warm in the classrooms , but because of the smoke , it was difficult for students to write or read .”
The classrooms were tiny with unreliable electricity and small windows that didn ’ t let in much light , remembers Nargis Abdumamadova , a teacher of Tajik language and literature . The desks , chairs , and other furniture were broken or in poor condition , and the smell of mold was constant .
As one might expect , for children to focus and learn in this environment was extremely challenging .
“ It is difficult to study when during the lesson the heater is smoking , or when there is no lamp in class and you are reading on daylight through a small window ,” said Farangis , one of the school ’ s eighth-grade girls . Fifty-five children from preschool up to ninth grade were crammed together in the building along with their teachers .
Sadly , the conditions outside the school were no better . There were no boundary walls around the perimeter , so wandering cows , sheep , and goats could roam freely across the schoolyard , leaving piles of feces just feet from where students were playing . Even worse , the condition of the dilapidated wood and mud outhouse was so bad that teachers had to accompany the younger students there to ensure they didn ’ t fall through the rotting floorboards into the dark waste pits . There was no running water to flush or wash up afterwards .
Over the years , several organizations had come to Spinz and promised to rebuild the school . But none followed through , and the condition of the school worsened . Yet despite the dangers and horrendous conditions , the students and teachers came to class year in and year out , determined to continue their education .
30 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE