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FARAH, Afghanistan — After pushing out the gate, Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team members popped in on the pupils and personnel of the Farah City Orphanage.
"You can come anytime," said Nasrullah Amini, a clerk at the orphanage, as he invited his visitors to join him in a small office to discuss business.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeromy Shoell and an interpreter sat across the room from Amini to plan new projects. Shoell explained that through working with a local Afghan contractor, five wood burning stoves for heat will soon be installed at no cost to the orphanage. The contractor is donating all the equipment and labor.
"This is the first ever joint endeavour with local contractors freely donating items here," Shoell said. "Our objective is to give as much as we can without offering monetary support."
In addition to arranging for donated wood stoves, the civil affairs team from the PRT has also found a contractor willing to give a connex box to the orphanage for storage. Another contractor is donating a three months supply of wood per stove, while yet another contractor will be contributing 200 children's winter coats.
"This is also the first time we are working with allied forces and the local populace," said Shoell, "that's why it is such a successful partnership."
Shoell is referring to Italian Army Task Force South, also located at Forward Operating Base Farah, who has volunteered to build a soccer field for the kids and move their volleyball net to an area where the ground will be made softer for safer play.
The orphanage, whose Afghan name translated into English literally means "Kindergarteners", is unlike a traditional American orphanage. The children who live and attend classes at the center do in fact have families. What they don't have is a father, brother, or other male figure in their lives to take responsibility for their learning and upbringing. That is where Amini and the other staff members at the orphanage come in.
They fill that void ensuring that the 78 boys and 60 girls are cared for and encouraged in their education. There are three teachers during the day and one working at night. The orphanage employs three managers, one nurse and seven more staff members to clean and cook three square meals a day.
The children most likely live with uncles, aunts and cousins when they aren't at the orphanage. The girls do not stay over night while the boys have a barracks with bunk beds.
The orphanage opened sometime between 2001 and 2002, and appreciates all the assistance from the PRT.
"Everything in this room PRT has given to us," said Amini in the office. "I've promised before and I'm promising that even a year from now you can ask me where I put one item and I can tell you," he said in reference to upcoming donations.
As the PRT members walked around the facility following the office meeting, the children were very well behaved and lined up instantly when Amini asked them to. They took turns stepping out and practicing English with the American Soldiers. A 12-year-old girl named Shirria said she wanted to become a soldier while Mohammad Dawood, also 12 years old, said he wanted to grow up to be an English linguist.
Before the PRT members departed, a young boy bravely challenged Shoell and other Soldiers to a soccer match.
"I will work to set that up," Shoell said with a smile.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2009 02:45 |
| Story ID: | 42818 |
| Location: | FARAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 268 |
| Downloads: | 203 |
This work, Farah City Orphanage receives visitors and word of local Afghan donations, by MSgt Tracy DeMarco, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
