“Children with learning disabilities constitute 4% of every population,” said Samar Jaber, the main specialist who led Al-Om Madrasa– an expression in Arabic that describes mothers as the base of the best education-initiative in the city of Nablus, West Bank.

The initiative was based on a community based needs assessment to address mothers of children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Al-Om Madrasa was launched by an initiative that sprung out of Ruwwad/EDC’s monthly leadership training funded by USAID and implemented at Jabal Al-Naar YDRC. 

Al-Om Madrasa initiative housed 25 mothers who were trained by 25 youth leaders, mostly newly graduates in soci-ology and psychology, to help their children practice the simplest skills; dictating words, sculpting letters, and read-ing out loud.  The aforementioned youth leaders have received training from an education specialist on effective methods and techniques for assisting children with learning disabilities. Through a series of workshops the leaders taught mothers how to work with their children and transfer knowledge in the most effective ways. Moreover, youth leaders produced a small manual containing helpful techniques.