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More Than a Classroom: How We Turned Ordinary Spaces Into Places of Possibility
- Akshar Kothapalli
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
When you think of a classroom, you probably picture desks, a chalkboard, maybe a map on the wall.
But for thousands of students learning English with Hope Through English (HTE), class looks very different.
It’s under a mango tree in Rwanda.On a rooftop in Dhaka, lit by fairy lights.In a dusty courtyard in Nairobi.Even in a converted storage room in Bogotánow called “The Classroom of Hope.”
At HTE, we don’t wait for perfect buildings.We don’t need them.
Because learning doesn’t need walls.It just needs people who care and a space where they can meet.
Across rural villages, refugee camps, and crowded city neighborhoods, we’ve turned everyday places into learning hubs not by building new classrooms, but by reimagining what’s already there.
And in these simple spaces, something powerful happens.Kids find their voices.Parents become learners.Communities grow stronger.
Why Community Spaces Work Best
In many places we work, formal schools are far away, overcrowded, or simply don’t exist. But nearly every community has a gathering place, a church basement, a mosque courtyard, a youth center, a shared backyard.
These spaces aren’t just convenient.They’re trusted.
Families know them.Kids feel safe in them.Neighbors already spend time there.
So instead of bringing education to the people, we bring it from the people.We don’t impose.We invite you.
And when learning happens in a place that already matters, it sticks.
What Makes a Real Learning Hub?
It’s not about size or structure.A learning hub is more than a room.It’s a living, breathing part of the community.
At HTE, we look for five things:
Accessibility – Close enough for kids, especially girls, to walk safely.
Flexibility – Can host toddlers in the morning and adults at night.
Cultural Fit – Respects local traditions and rhythms.
Ownership – Cared for by the people who use it.
Sustainability – Grows with the community, even after we step back.
We don’t need fancy tech.We bring portable kits:
Dry-erase boards
Solar-powered lanterns
Flashcards
Story dice
Role-play hats
One bag. A world of learning.
Around the World: Hubs That Inspire
Kenya – The Courtyard That GrewIn Nairobi’s Mathare slums, a youth center hosted music and soccer. We started small chalk letters drawn on the ground, songs, games. Kids loved it. Attendance jumped from 10 to over 60 in weeks. Now, teens who once played ball are teaching younger kids. The courtyard isn’t just a class. It’s a movement.
Bangladesh – Rooftop Lessons Under the StarsIn Dhaka, one teacher turned her building’s rooftop into a classroom. Vocabulary posters hung from clotheslines. Tiny lights lit the space for evening lessons perfect for working kids and mothers. “It’s the only quiet time they get,” she says. “And they use it to learn.”
Colombia – From Storage Room to StorytimeIn Bogotá, a dusty storage room was cleaned, painted, and reborn as El Aula de Esperanza. Murals of trees with word-leaves. A tiny shelf of bilingual books. Kids came after school to read, draw, and write. Soon, there was a waitlist. A forgotten room became a sanctuary.
Rwanda – A Library That Taught More Than WordsNear Lake Kivu, an unused library sat empty. We filled it with flashcards, storytelling mats, and conversation circles. Older kids helped younger ones. Parents listened, then joined. A volunteer started a “Word Game Hour” on Saturdays now the highlight of the week.
More Than English: Hubs That Heal and Grow
These hubs don’t just teach language.They build communities.
Parents start literacy circles after kids’ classes.
Teens gain leadership skills boosting their confidence and future jobs.
Women gather to talk about health, money, or dreams.
Book clubs, craft corners, music time grow from simple tools and big hearts.
And when we celebrate graduations, storytelling fairs, language festivals, families who’ve long felt invisible finally feel seen.
Each hub grows in its own way.There’s no blueprint.That’s the point.
Facing the ChallengesWith Creativity
Of course, it’s not always easy.
Noise. Rain. Scheduling conflicts.Some spaces are shared with prayers, markets, or events.
But we adapt.
We split lessons into short “micro-classes.”
We laminate cards and use whiteboards when paper won’t survive.
When girls’ classes face resistance, we bring in mothers and elders first turning skeptics into supporters.
In Afghanistan, a girls’ class was threatened. So we moved it to a trusted home in the morning.Over time, it became a point of pride for the whole neighborhood.
The Heart of It: Local Volunteers Who Build and Lead
Every hub is powered by volunteers.Many were once students.Others are parents, retirees, or young people who believe in change.
We train them not just to teach but to lead.
They learn:
How to calm conflict
How to support kids with trauma
How to set up creative classrooms
How to use what they have
In Nigeria, a volunteer turned old rice sacks into alphabet mats.In Jordan, a teacher made a “vocabulary walk” with signs tied to a fence.In Guatemala, youth painted English words on a wall facing the bus stop.
They don’t wait for supplies.They make do.They make magic.
Learning That Belongs to the People
This isn’t our project.It’s theirs.
These hubs aren’t built by outsiders.They’re grown by neighbors.
Parents sweep the floor before class.Elders greet kids at the door.Teens tutor younger ones not for pay, but for pride.
Everyone knows: this space exists for them.And because they own it, they protect it.
The Long Game: Hubs That Last
We don’t measure success by how many we start.We measure it by how many keep going after we leave.
HTE helps by:
Training local leaders who adapt as needs change
Letting students take charge through murals, rules, or peer roles
Celebrating small wins: a new shelf, a “word of the week” wall
Sharing stories between hubs so ideas spread
And when funding ends?The hubs often stay.Because they were never ours.They were always the community’s.
Final Thoughts
We’ve learned one big truth:You don’t need a school to have a classroom.
You just need:
A place where people gather
A teacher who believes
A child who wants to learn
At HTE, we don’t just teach English.We build joy.We build our voices.We build futures.
And we do it in the most unexpected places.
Because real learning doesn’t happen in perfect rooms.It happens where life is lived.Where dreams are whispered.Where someone says, “Let’s try.”
And in that moment under a tree, on a roof, in a forgotten rooma classroom is born.
And so is hope.
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