Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kelly Ontiveros | Local Djiboutian children participate in trash removal efforts coordinated by the...... read more read more
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ALI SABIEH, Djibouti - Service Members from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa joined residents of Ali Sabieh to participate in the first citywide cleanup project Aug. 9.
The cleanup project, termed "Green Day" by the local regional council, included volunteers from the Army's 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 and local residents.
Adults and children started forming at approximately 7 a.m. on Sunday to start cleaning up the city. Civil affairs team members passed out trash bags and fueled up garbage trucks with gas provided by CJTF-HOA.
"I want to thank the civil affairs team for coming out and supporting us. I can honestly say that they are actually part of this community," said Ahmed Wador Had, regional council president.
Planning for the initiative started earlier this month when members from the Ali Sabieh regional council met with Soldiers from the 478th to discuss the problem of trash build-up in the city. The city has been over run with trash and the methods the city had for managing the waste were not effective.
"It was really a joint effort between the U.S. military and the Djiboutians, but the locals took the lead," said co-coordinator U.S. Army Capt. Jeremy Clark.
"It feels good to be out here helping people and being productive. We are actually making a visual difference in the city of Ali Sabieh," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Dalton Kurtz, an equipment operator.
Before the event, city leaders went around to every neighborhood asking for the residents' help in cleaning the city. "The people are cooperating with the leadership because the leadership asked them to. It was a big step towards keeping their city livable," said Clark.
The city of 25,000 people generates a substantial amount of trash, which leads to health and hygiene problems. Currently the city relies on one garbage truck and seven trash collection points located throughout the city. The goal is to increase the collection points to 17 by next year.
"This event is important because it strengthens the regional council's leadership. It may be the first time in the city's history you had elected officials going to the people for help," said Clark.
According to Clark, the ultimate long-term goal is make sure the health of the local people is maintained and by organizing an event like this CJTF-HOA is helping Djiboutians help themselves instead of relying on the U.S. military.
The service members of CJTF-HOA, headquartered in Djibouti, employ an indirect approach to counter violent extremism. Through a strategy of conflict prevention the task force helps build the internal capacities of countries at risk to prevail against extremists exploiting instability.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2009 08:10 |
| Story ID: | 37411 |
| Location: | ALI SABIEH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 497 |
| Downloads: | 487 |
This work, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Participates in 'Green Day', by PO2 Kelly Ontiveros, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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