Operation Outreach Afghanistan gives fuel for fire

KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AFGHANISTAN

12.13.2011

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Olivia Giger 

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Today, thousands of people in Afghanistan live in impoverished conditions, surviving day-to-day with limited resources. The Afghan government estimates that 42 percent of the country’s total population lives in poverty. During the winter, surviving becomes even more difficult with decreasing resources and colder temperatures. Many families in refugee camps are forced to burn trash and old tires to keep warm, as conventional heaters and electricity are not available.

To assist in this need, the North Kabul, Afghanistan International Airport chapter of Operation Outreach Afghanistan is providing Afghan refugees material to burn known as “fuel pucks” to keep warm and cook meals.

“Fuel pucks,” a term coined because of their resemblance to a hockey puck, are a recycled form of paper, cardboard and saw dust that can be used to build fires. The fuel puck project at NKAIA is an on-going effort that started about a month ago when Maj. Michael Barnett noticed the opportunity to provide more assistance to refugee camps in Kabul.

“I had seen it done at Camp Phoenix when I was there. When I came to NKAIA, I noticed we weren’t making them and I thought, ‘We can do that,’” he said. “We had a lot of supply, and a lot of demand, but no manufacturing means.”

Barnett quickly got to work with the Operation Outreach team, devising a plan to start making fuel pucks to hand out at refugee camps and orphanages. He used scraps of PVC pipe and old furniture to make molds, and utilized the self-service wood shop at Camp Phoenix to build a press.

The process is quite simple, explained Barnett. Shredded documents from offices, and saw dust from the Camp Phoenix wood shop, are collected and broken down with water. When the mixture becomes the consistency of oatmeal, it is put into a mold, pressed to remove as much water as possible, and dried in the sun. Each fuel puck will burn for 20 to 30 minutes. According to recent tests at a local women’s center, they burn hot enough to boil water.

Giving out fuel pucks compliments the humanitarian assistance mission of Operation Outreach Afghanistan very well, said Barnett. Keeping warm is a basic human necessity, especially during cold winter months.

The fuel pucks provided by Operation Outreach offer a healthier and more efficient source of heat, said Spc. Gabriela Martinez, who volunteers weekly to make fuel pucks.

“Burning old tires and trash puts a lot of pollutants into the air that we then have to breathe. This is a healthier option for everyone,” Martinez said.

The resources are available, Barnett explained. All it takes is a little time.

“It’s a great way to use shredded paper that would normally end up in a trash pile somewhere, and it’s also fulfilling a need for the Afghan community,“ Barnett said. “Every military compound in Afghanistan creates and destroys documents daily. Why not use what would normally be wasted to help those in need?”

The process of making fuel pucks is also something that can be handed over to the Afghan community very easily.

“It’s not hard to do, and our intent is to empower the Afghan community,” Barnett said. “Our ultimate goal is to show them how this works and give them the tools they need to sustain, and hopefully improve production.”

One of the missions of Operation Outreach Afghanistan is to improve the living conditions of children. According to Maj. Gustavo Ramirez, who spearheaded the formation of the NKAIA chapter in September, the majority of refugees living in camps that NKAIA gives to are children.

“Most of these kids don’t even have shoes,” said Ramirez. “They need a lot and we’re going to provide as much as we can.”

Ramirez said he hopes that Afghan children will see U.S. soldiers helping them and form a positive outlook on the work that troops are doing in the region.

“Most of them only see one side of the story,” he said. “Seeing us provide the other side of that story might just change their opinion for the better in the future.”

Operation Outreach now boasts more than 400 volunteers in several chapters throughout Kabul, Afghanistan, and is quickly growing. The NKAIA chapter has gained more than 100 of those members since its establishment. To donate school supplies or children’s clothing, go to: http://www.opoutreach.org/ or email: [e-mail] for more information.

• Date Taken: 12.13.2011
• Date Posted: 12.13.2011 10:53
• Story ID: 81293
• Location: KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AF