Qalat Children Walking Proudly Thanks to ANP

Photo By Sgt. Gerald Wilson | Anticipation: A young Qalat boy waits eagerly for his new shoes from the ANP.  

ZABUL, AFGHANISTAN

09.06.2010

Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson 

2d Cavalry Regiment

ZABUL, Afghanistan- It was a sunny Monday morning, Sept. 6 in the city of Qalat. The sound of children’s laughter could be heard emanating from the sandlot in the town square. Some of the local children had gathered to play one of their favorite games, Cricket. Suddenly, the game came to a halt as several Afghan National Police vehicles pulled onto the field. The mission of the ANP officers on this day was not one of law enforcement but rather one of love. As Ramadan draws to a close and folks start preparing for the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, Afghan police officers wanted to share in the joy of giving back to the people by bringing gifts of new shoes to the children of Qalat.

Eid ul-Fitr is a holiday which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of fasting called Ramadan. It is a time when families exchange gifts and spend time feasting together and sharing what they have with those less fortunate.

“In honor of Eid, we decided to give this small gift to the children,” said Maj. Kabeer an ANP official. “It is our way of sharing prosperity with the people.”

“We want the people of the community to know that the ANP are here to serve their needs.”

ANP Officers with the help of Coalition Forces collected over 200 pairs of children’s shoes and made arrangements for the shoes to be distributed in two locations. As the officers drove up to the first site, they were swarmed by smiling little faces eager to see what surprises they had in store. The ANP officers happily set up chairs on the sports field as the children sat waiting with anticipation. Each child was brought up and sized to determine which shoes to receive. Pretty soon a hundred kids, some of whom were barefoot before, were running and playing in their brand new gifts. One young recipient was so happy in his new sandals they he stopped to shake an ANP officer’s hand before running off to join his friends.

• Date Taken: 09.06.2010
• Date Posted: 09.16.2010 00:50
• Story ID: 56349
• Location: ZABUL, AF