Petra National Trust kicks off implementation of Yemen heritage project

AMMAN — The implementation of the “Heritage for the Generations of Yemen programme” activities were launched last Sunday in 10 public schools from 10 districts in Yemen’s Aden Governorate.

The programme includes daily events and activities related to Yemeni cultural heritage, with the participation of 12 male and female teachers and 250 male and female students, according to a statement from of the Petra National Trust (PNT).

This project emerged from the regional efforts of the PNT to protect and spread awareness of cultural heritage, the statement said. An extracurricular educational programme activity for children 7-12 years old in Yemen was developed by the PNT. As part of the capacity building phase, an intensive Training of Trainers (TOT) training programme was held for the Yemeni teachers in Jordan in March 2022 to enable them to implement the programme in their schools in Aden.

The project was launched in January 2022 under the patronage of HH Princess Dana Firas,  president of the PNT and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, and in the presence of Minister of Education of the Republic of Yemen Tariq Al Akbari, as a one of a kind projects in the region. 

The project is funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), in cooperation with the Yemeni Ministry of Education.

This programme introduces students to the ancient civilisations that came to Yemen and instils pride and the importance of preserving all kinds of heritage and transferring it from one generation to the next through a set of interactive activities based on cooperative and active learning. 

The activities aim to excite students and pique interest to develop a sense of good citizenship by directing their positive attitudes, behaviours and enhancing their values towards heritage at the local and global levels, the statement said. 

The programme also motivates students to be creative and innovative to solve the problems and challenges facing their communities. The programme contributes to the development of leadership skills capable of making decisions and taking action in favour of protecting natural, cultural and architectural heritage and promoting pride in ancestral history and the legacy handed down through successive generations.