U.S. Naval Forces Europe, 6th Fleet Public Affairs

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc Rockwell-Pate

NAPLES, Italy—For the first time in more than two years, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, invited various local Djiboutian vendors onto camp for the opportunity to sell items and build relationships with American consumers during a three-day bazaar, Nov. 20-22.

"The Camp Lemonnier bazaar, coordinated by our Navy Exchange and supported by the National Tourism Office of Djibouti, was a resounding success," said Camp Lemonnier Commanding Officer Capt. Bill Finn. "Building upon our relationship with the Djiboutian government, this event provided a great opportunity for local vendors."

Finn added the bazaar not only supports the local economy, but allowed camp personnel to purchase gifts for themselves and their loved ones for the upcoming holiday season.

The craft fair hosted merchants from the Association of the Women of Tadjoura, the Association for the Development of Handicrafts of Arta and a souvenir shop from the "Blue Doors" – helping to generate considerable income for local households.

"From a local perspective, this bazaar was extremely successful," said Mahamed Abdillahia, the camp's community relations specialist and a Djiboutian national. "It helped some destitute households gain significant incomes for the upcoming Islamic Eid-el-Adha celebration."

A women from one of the organizations said she had sold nearly $900 worth of items the first day of the bazaar added Abdillahia – the same amount of money her organization makes in 4-6 months.

Because of the bazaar's success for both venders and camp personnel, Finn hopes to use this event as a foundation for future endeavors with the Djiboutian businesses and associations.

"We look forward to sponsoring additional bazaars to give other local vendors this opportunity and strengthening Camp Lemonnier's relationship with the Djiboutian community," said Finn.

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, provides, operates and sustains superior service to support regional and combatant command requirements and enables operations in the Horn of Africa while fostering positive U.S.-African nation relations. For more information about the camp, visit http://www.cnic.navy.mil/cldj.

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