Photo By Sgt. Maj. Tami Hillis | Structural renovation of the exterior walls and the roof is complete and the windows...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq –Samrah Jungle residents and coalition forces attended a grand opening of the Samrah Jungle Elementary School, July 25.
A contractor from the north Babil area completed the reconstruction and hired Samrah residents as laborers for the project, which included structural repair of the exterior wall, classrooms and roof; a new cement area in the interior courtyard; and bathroom renovations including a new septic tank and tanks on the roof to supply water to the latrine facilities.
"The children, obviously, are the future of Iraq, and the school before was in really terrible condition," said 1st Lt. Benjamin Sevald, non-lethal targeting officer for Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
"I can't imagine trying to teach kids when they don't have working bathrooms, they don't have blackboards, there is no light, and the windows and doors are all broken. It wasn't a place where they could effectively educate children," he said.
The elementary school is the only school in the Samrah area at this time, and approximately 300 students attend. There are eight teachers paid by the Ministry of Education.
"It's been rewarding to see the school when we started this project and then the school at the end," Sevald said. "It's been an incredible change. It feels good knowing that when the kids come back in August or September it will be a totally new, different school for them, and hopefully, it will make a difference in their education."
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2008 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 21963 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 42 |
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