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BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (February 12, 2008) - More than 100
Afghan children in the village of Oshay began their school year
Feb. 10 with a visit by Afghan National Army commandos from 201st
Kandak and coalition forces.
The soldiers showed their support for the school, teachers and
students by providing notebooks, pens, pencils and other school
supplies to the students. About 120 students arrived for the first
day of classes at the Oshay school in the Shahidi Hasas district of
Afghanistan's Oruzgan province. The village, near the banks of the
Sakar River, is home to dozens of families who farm the nearby
fields to make a living and provide for their families.
Before classes began, soldiers handed out red, black and green
Afghan flags, which students happily waved above their heads.
Soldiers also chatted with students and told them to listen to
their teacher.
The headmaster of the school then addressed the assembled
students and parents.
"You are the future of Afghanistan," the headmaster said. "If
you study hard in school, one of you could be the future president
of Afghanistan!"
Hearing those encouraging words, the children cheered and waved
their flags and notebooks.
"All of the children seemed extremely happy to be there and
excited to learn," a coalition soldier said.
The community also is supporting the opening of the Oshay
school. "A local shop keeper, who was previously a high school
teacher in Kandahar, stopped by to offer his support for the
school," a coalition soldier said. "With the dramatic increase of
students at the school, the headmaster hired him on the spot."
The Afghan government had been informing residents of the school
opening by radio announcements. A coalition soldier noted that the
announcements were obviously successful, since students and parents
arrived from villages all over the Sakhar Rud Valley.
The Afghan and provincial government hope to open more schools
in the area so students don't have to walk so far to attend
classes, Army Capt. Vanessa R. Bowman, a coalition spokeswoman,
said. "The Ministry of Education is working to improve educational
opportunities for all children throughout Afghanistan," she
added.
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