Subscribe
MARJAH, Helmand province, Afghanistan— The bright yellow school glistened in the early morning sun as Abdul Mutalib Majbor, district governor of Marjah, approached the building. An unfamiliar sound of young Afghan children reciting the alphabet in their native tongue could be heard in the distance. Yellow School, dubbed for its brilliant majestic color, was packed full of students, a giant leap from its virtually empty classrooms months prior.
With security conditions continuing to improve and school attendance growing, the district governor made it a point to visit the institution in Marjah, Afghanistan, Dec. 8. During the visit, he encouraged students to continue attending school and explained to them the impact their education would have on Afghanistan.
“You guys are Afghanistan’s future leaders,” Majbor said to the students. “Now is your chance to become someone useful for our society and be a very helpful person in our community.”
Like a proud father, Majbor started reciting the many concerns people heard from their own parents when they gave them an educational pep-talk during the school year.
“You must study very hard and respect your teachers,” said Majbor. “Come on time to school and do your homework. Whatever you want to accomplish in life starts here with a good education. You can be whatever you want to be as long as you put your mind to it.”
With a sense of new found importance, the students bombarded the governor with completed assignments. Each trying to outdo one another, the children raced to the chalk board and began writing their names and reciting the alphabet. The governor laughed with approval and the teacher ordered the students to take their seats.
“Anyone of you could become tomorrow’s doctors, scientists, engineers, teachers or mechanics,” said Majbor. “In every district, if a bunch of teachers and students are standing up and striving to become a useful person in our society, they will be the future of Afghanistan.”
With a record high turnout of 70 students, Cpl. Trinidad Rodriguez, a civil affairs specialist attached to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines Regiment, said the recent spike in attendance was a huge success for the battalion.
Rodriguez said that because the Taliban uses fear and intimidation on the local populace, parents hesitated when it came to sending their children to school. He explained that the increasing attendance numbers were a clear sign that locals acknowledged the diminishing presence of insurgents.
“When I got here there were hardly any kids going to any schools at all,” said Rodriguez. “I can’t even remember anything like this. Maybe a few here and there but nothing like the jump in attendance we have seen lately. The headmaster told us there were 70 kids going to Yellow School alone and that’s huge for us. I think that it is going to keep improving and progress the way we want it to.”
Noting the importance of putting a legitimate face on Marjah’s government, Rodriguez pointed out the gravity of the governor’s visit. He said that most kids worked in the fields and had no clue who or what their local government was. To him, getting the children engaged in the structure of politics at an early age helps lay the ground work for a more genuine democratic process in the future.
“It’s very important for the kids to see the district governor and put a face on their local government,” said Rodriguez. “Now they have an idea of who he is and what’s going on in the area. It shows them that he does care about them, and that he has an interest in their future. It’s a big step.”
Children poured out of their classrooms to see the governor off. As he walked away, teachers rallied the students back to their desks. Lectures began and notes were taken. With the importance of education fixed in their minds the students began their afternoon lesson, possibly dreaming of a day when they would become the next doctor, engineer, or even the district governor of Marjah.
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2010 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 62161 |
| Location: | MARJAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 221 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, District Governor rallies students in Marjah as school attendance spikes, by Cpl Andrew Johnston, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
