New School Offers Space for Learning

Source: Asymmetric Military.

Many people are unaware of the major work we have been doing in the Horn of Africa known as the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). This is a part of WWIV that fascinates me. Our men and women are doing such a good job and many good works, and it all goes mostly unnoticed.

I might add this is while America and the HOA is fighting the ships and pirates from al Qaida by capturing there ships which have been kidnapping people, enslaving and murdering them, and stealing whatever they please. Now on to the article from CentCom.

2 Oct 07
By Maj. Wesley P. Miller IV
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs.

SANA’A, Yemen — Dozens of children rushed through the doors of Socotra’s newly built Usama Bin Zaid Primary School, eager to see their new learning environment.

The project dedication ceremony held for the people of Socotra, Sept. 23, was the result of a combined effort of the U.S. military, U.S. State Department, United States Agency for International Development, the Government of Yemen and the Hadibo local council.

U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Stephen A. Seche, Rear Adm. James Hart, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa commander, as well as numerous other U.S. and Yemen government leaders attended the ceremony.

“There’s a significance and [a] value in education – a degree of excellence – one which the youth of Socotra are deserving. It has been stated that every person has a right to an integral education, an education which responds to all of the needs of the human person. We hope that these refurbishments will make this process a little easier,” said Hart.

The project dedication is an event Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa holds when they complete a civil-military project. The dedication symbolizes turning over the completed project to the local community. The U.S. military delegation traveled to the island to dedicate the Usama Bin Zaid primary school to more than 2,000 residents.

The Dayshes school, built by a local contractor Faiz Abdullah Salem and funded by the U.S. government, will become a learning center for more than 250 children, ages 6-14. Before erecting the school, there were limited structures to house the children and many had to attend class in grass huts.

With a U.S. and Yemen flag flying atop the school, Seche and Hart officially dedicated the school to the village of Dayshes. The $40,000 invested by the U.S. government in building and outfitting the Usama Bin Zaid school are part of a total U.S. government assistance program in Socotra, Yemen totaling more than $1,900,000 in projects for 2007.

Hart said that refurbishing the Usama Bin Zaid school began with CJTF-HOA’s assigned Civil Affairs team joining forces with local elders and contractors to repair the school.

Other projects completed or ongoing on Socotra include: the Omar Bin Kattab school, a health clinic for women and children in the Qalansiyah district and nearly 20 water storage tanks completed or nearing completion throughout the island. Civil Affairs Teams are working to fund 374 more water storage tanks to help provide potable water throughout Socotra.

Through building schools, water storage tanks, health centers and conducting numerous other Civil-Military Operations, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa is building capacity throughout the Horn of Africa to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism.

“It is my hope that all the people of Yemen continue to feel the benefits from the strong and growing U.S. – Yemen friendship. Geographically, Socotra may be far from Sana’a and the Embassy, but cooperative projects like this school will continue to draw us closer together,” said Seche.

One thing that was not mention but is clearly evident to me is the fact that along with this clean water, we are also educating these people on health issues from dirty water. Yes, great job, guys!

Photo - U.S. Navy Rear Adm. James Hart, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa commander (center), presents a dedication plaque to Faiz Abdullah Salem at the Usama Bin Zaid Primary School in Socotra, Yemen, Sept. 23, 2007. Salem is a local contractor who helped in the construction of the newly erected school by teaming with United States Agency for International Development and CJTF-HOA personnel. U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Stephanie Addison.