KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Tooryalai Wesa, governor of Kandahar province, and senior leaders of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team visited district elders at a shura in Maiwand District April 6 at the district center.
Gov. Wesa addressed concerns the district government officials and local elders had during the meeting including poppy eradication and the protests that began last Friday in Balkh province and spread to Kandahar province.
“We are not against protests if they are coordinated in advance,” said Wesa in response to the protests in Kandahar that caused several deaths and the burning of shops and a girls school. “The women said, ‘stop doing this, stop destroying our school.’ This is something that non-Afghans would do.”
Ben Moeling, the director of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team from Norwalk, Conn., and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Roberto Garcia, the civil-military operations center director for the Kandahar PRT-Military from Chicago, attended the meeting to show support for the process and help connect the government to the people.
“Maiwand is important to Kandahar security and combating the narcotics trade along the east-west highway from Helmand to Kandahar,” said Moeling. “These people rely on Kandahar province for essential services. This trip by the governor to Maiwand is part of the process; he is paying attention.”
This visit is something the district support team has been pushing for to help make a solid connection between the local people to the district government and from the district level to the provincial government.
“The governor brought some of his provincial line directors with him to this meeting today,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col Tad Stephen from Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the village stability coordination center-south chief for the Maiwand District from the Coalition Forces Special Operations Center Component Command-Afghanistan. “So they can understand the needs of the local people and can work to provide for the district.”
Wesa told the group of more than 50 leaders the importance of their support to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
“In Maiwand District, some people believe we don’t care about them,” said Wesa. “That is not true! We are giving a chance to every district. Just like a father has to balance things with his children, so it is with the government.”
Wesa also encouraged the people of Maiwand District to turn away from illicit trade to growing crops that are more respectable to both God and to the people.
“Those who use poppy and those who grow poppy will be punished,” said Wesa. “If you grow wheat you will not be an embarrassment to your children or in your community.”
Another topic was education and how the people of the district have the opportunity to show the world what Maiwand can become if the people pull together.
“We have problems in the community,” said Wesa. “Don’t just rely on [the government.] Help us! Let us show the world that this is a Maiwand with talented people. Let us show the world a Maiwand without poppy.”
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2011 00:30 |
| Story ID: | 68429 |
| Location: | MAIWAND DISTRICT, AF |
| Web Views: | 477 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Kandahar governor, PRT visit Maiwand District, by CMSgt Richard Simonsen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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