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By Capt. Matt Gregor
MAIMANAH, Afghanistan — Just as children in the United States return to school in the fall, children in Afghanistan continue their education after a month-long break during Ramadan.
This year children returned in mid-September, and the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, took the opportunity to fulfill a need that is sought after regularly – school supplies.
Through the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, $50,000 worth of pens, paper, and book bags were purchased on the local economy. The contractor selected for the job went as far as Mazar-e-Sharif, more than 200 km from Maimanah, to find the supplies he needed to fill the order.
In early October the contractor delivered more than 7,500 book bags filled with notebooks and pens.
Staff Sgt. Perris Dumas, non-commissioned officer in charge of the battalion’s civil military affairs, spearheaded the effort to purchase the much needed school supplies for Faryab.
“I felt it was a great opportunity for us to help out this province” said Dumas. “I think school is very important in this area and hope to instill this belief in children throughout the province. With better and new supplies, I hope the kids are reenergized and excited about going to school to learn.”
Efforts began immediately to distribute the bags throughout three rural districts where children needed the supplies the most. To date, more than 3,500 school bags were delivered to villages Chiligazy, Mir Sadi, Ghormach, and Sakh.
Capt. Robert Baker, battalion medical officer, attended one of the first delivery missions in Chilgazy village.
“It was a wonderful feeling to give something to these children and see that they appreciate the gesture,” said Baker. “This might not have been the main reason for us being in the village, but it was an important one.”
Typically patrols are able to coordinate with local elders and government leaders to attend delivery events. Sometimes provincial leaders travel out to rural areas to hand out bags themselves, which was the case in early November when the Faryab Director of Education arrived at a school standing side by side the Soldiers who brought the supplies.
Deliveries will continue until the last bag is handed out.
| Date Taken: | 11.29.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.29.2010 00:12 |
| Story ID: | 60994 |
| Location: | MAIMANAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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