From School to Camp

Yemenat

Ahmed Saif Hashed

The “Proletariat” school where I completed my secondary education, located on the Aden-Lahj road where I spent three years, has now become a camp for the Fifth Brigade, a newly established unit. This transformation carries a profound meaning for me. When a school turns into a camp or a prison, it signifies a serious failure in policies and the awareness of those in charge.

Here, the camp appears to be more important than the school, a fact evident in the differences in attention, food provisions, maintenance, renovations, and material support. This reflects a clear aspect of the political consciousness regarding the status of the camp in comparison to the school, which also includes a student dormitory.

The school we attended was far from ideal; it underwent no repairs or maintenance throughout our three years there. The contrast between the wretched state of the school and the well-equipped camp, which underwent complete renovations, was stark and striking. The camp became a place of pride, with newly established infrastructure that included all necessary means for military training in parachuting and assault, such as engineering obstacles, training grounds, and field training requirements. Competent officers of high ranks, tasked with training, were all affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

It’s worth noting that before this place became a camp, it was a school with several teachers, some of whom were also affiliated with the Popular Front. I remember the philosophy, Arabic, and biology teachers, along with a Lebanese teacher of Palestinian descent who taught various aspects of the Arabic language. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was the common thread between the school of the past and the camp where we train today. Their competence, ethics, and professionalism distinguished them all.

This training course