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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Soldiers from Task Force Gryphon visited local villagers to provide short-term employment through cash for work projects, March 12.
"A lot of Afghanistan is poor," said U.S. Army Capt. Rais O. Sanchez, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, TF Gryphon. "They are asking for employment. That is the purpose of the cash for work program."
Typically the projects have a cap of $5,000 and although there is no mandated completion time, projects are often completed in less than 28 days. Projects currently underway include irrigation ditches, retaining walls and school building repairs in districts such as Surhk-Rod, Beshood and Chaparhar.
Villagers benefit from the program in more than one way. They receive village improvements while simultaneously putting much needed cash into their pockets.
"Ideally, the labor is from the village that is asking for the project," Sanchez said.
A secondary benefit of the projects is increased security, according to U.S. Army 1st Lt. John L. Holland of Katy, Texas, a platoon leader with HHC.
"We implemented a security agreement," Holland said. "If anything negative occurs in the village, then we [temporarily] stop the project. It is an incentive to police up their own area. It's been very effective."
As a female Soldier, Sanchez recognizes that she is able to speak with female villagers, where as male Soldiers cannot due to cultural sensitivities.
Sanchez said that the female Soldiers try to make the female villagers feel at ease by asking them how their families are and how school is going. That makes them come out of their shell.
"According to Afghan culture, the mothers are very influential," Sanchez said. "If you can get the mother on your side, she can raise the child to be supportive of [the] coalition and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan."
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2010 08:33 |
| Story ID: | 46930 |
| Location: | NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 240 |
| Downloads: | 212 |
This work, Nangarhar residents benefit from cash for work programs, by SGT Albert Kelley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
