My name is Amani Gashan, and I am from Aden in the south of Yemen. As a woman who grew up in an environment that does not encourage women to pursue their higher studies, either for the lack of opportunities or for the cultural restrictions, I have been determined to fight to complete my study, not only the bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but also my PhD. However, Hadramout Foundation answered my need by encouraging young female leaders to engage in education and set no limit for their educational expectations. Currently, I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Education at Indiana University. I study Literacy, Culture, and Language education (LCLE), as well as Instructional Systems Technology (IST) as a minor.
Coming back to Yemen, I plan to help in establishing a good educational system, one that rebuilds the community and empowers women to take their natural responsibilities as equal members of the community. The current situation approximately operates using only half of its capacity with the absence of the role of women. Equally important, we have to build a strong educational system that can prepare globally competitive individuals on whom we can rely in the future. The world has become a small village that expects educational systems to prepare global citizens who are qualified with some essential skills to be able to compete in the world market. This is why the educational system in Yemen must be modified, improved, and adjusted to meet the current and future needs.
Similarly, the teacher might be the backbone of any successful educational system. However, teaching positions seem to be the least favorable occupation that does not receive adequate attention nor preparation. After graduation, and developing adequate training, I hope to apply what I have learned regarding teaching practices, methods, and strategies in teacher preparation programs. Additionally, as an Instructional Systems Technology designer, I believe instructional technology should have an essential role in education. Our present schools do not reflect the advanced world our children live in. The recent pandemic has proved that our educational systems are not coping with the current era. I intend to set plans to integrate technology into the curriculum to facilitate the educational process to achieve more engagement and higher motivation levels, develop required life skills, and manage to have better academic achievement.
Interestingly, these aspirations and many more, need not wait until I graduate as I have already started with some research to address such educational gaps and suggest some recommendations to bring some educational enhancement to Yemen.