Marjah school opening gives hope to Afghans' future

CAMP DWYER, AFGHANISTAN

12.01.2010

Courtesy Story

I Marine Expeditionary Force

By Cpl. Daniel Blatter

MARJAH, Afghanistan - Marines and Afghan National Security Forces reached a historic milestone in the District of Marjah, with the opening of the Balakino School, Dec. 1.

Abdul Mutalib Majbor, the district governor, along with various ISAF personnel and local government officials, attended the ribbon cutting at the school. With the addition of Balakino School, more than 1,000 students now attend school daily throughout Marjah.

“Our focus has been to get Marjah kids in school,” said Sgt. John Strosnider, the Civil Affairs Group pay agent for the Marjah District Center. “Many of our humanitarian aid programs have involved getting these students backpacks, pens, books and paper. The essential tools they will need every day for learning.”

The school currently works with students from grade one through eight.

“We have hired all local teachers,” Strosnider added. “Teachers who are working because they believe in educating their fellow Afghans, and not just for the pay.”

Proof in the conviction of the teaching corps is the dangers they face every day, as well as the children who risk their lives to attend school.

“Southern Marjah has been a very kinetic area and many people have been afraid to send their children to school because of threats made by the Taliban,” said 2nd Lt. Joel Detrick, the operations officer for the Marjah Cell. “Being able to open up a school and have a day of celebration for the students and for the government was a big deal for the people, for the Marine Corps and was a big step forward in Marjah.”

Marjah is a community where 96 percent of the locals lack the ability to read and write. It is a fast growing community that was taken over by Taliban.

“In March, when Regimental Combat Team 7 sent down their personnel, they had zero schools open,” Detrick said. “We have essentially gone from a location where the Taliban have destroyed schools and chased away teachers and students, and in a matter of months, we have turned it around and opened school after school. Now we have eight functioning schools in Marjah and are seeing roughly 1,200 students in Marjah per day.”

With the progress of many schools and numerous students, the future is looking up for Marjah. The civil affairs group plans to continue the progress by building new school houses, and replace smaller temporary facilities.

“I look forward to going on patrol when school lets out and hearing the local Afghan students say, ‘Hello Marine’ and ‘Marines good,’ and seeing them with their new backpacks and hearing them ask me for more pens,” said Strosnider. “These kids are eager to learn, and I am glad to be a part of the effort to make schools a big priority for Marjah.”

“Every student that we put into a school is a student that is not going to pick up a weapon and fire at Coalition forces down the road,” said Detrick. “I think that is a victory for us and a victory for the people of Afghanistan as well.”

The Marines and International Security Assistance Force personnel look forward to building on the successes in Marjah’s school system. They have steadily chipped away at the educational barriers, brought on by the Taliban regime, to build a brighter future for the youth of Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2010
• Date Posted: 12.06.2010 01:46
• Story ID: 61426
• Location: CAMP DWYER, AF