TF Patriot Soldiers, PRT reach out to children at Afghan orphanage

By Army Spc. Brian Glass, TF Patriot BAMYAN PROVINCE – The orphanage, which is located on the outskirts of Bamyan Prov., is home to about 50 children. The Bamyan orphanage receives little to no funding from outside sources, and depends mostly on people’s generosity for donations. U.S. and New Zealand Soldiers from Kiwi Base in Bamyan are willing to lend a helping hand to the children whenever they can.

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“We try to go out there every 2 weeks,” said Maj. Richard Ojeda, Afghan NSF advisor assigned to 4th BCT. “When we go out on missions we'll take stuff with us for the children.” Ojeda said that he hopes the children will remember the help CF are providing them now, so that when they grow up they won’t be eager to believe that Americans are the bad guys. The Soldiers came prepared with many boxes of goodies for the children, as they entered the orphanage. The children met the Soldiers with excitement and anticipation. “The basics we try to give out are the long-lasting stuff, like blankets, clothing, and shoes,” said N.Z. Army Capt. Calvin McMillan, PRT supply logistics officer. “We like to give hygiene items, writing gear, stationery items, book bags, and stuff that will make a difference, and be more long lasting than candy.” Ojeda sat children on the back of his vehicle, and personally found pairs of shoes to fit the children. Their responses took him aback. “The children had smiles from ear to ear. It really does us a lot of good to see the happy children,” Ojeda said. “Every one of us in Bamyan has been to multiple combat tours. Ninety-nine percent of the time when you go on a combat tour, you’re focused on one thing, which is taking out the bad guy. For us to get the opportunity over here to also make this deployment mean something more than just finding the bad guys, it means everything. The children are so poor one almost has to see it themselves to believe it. Ojeda said the children at Bamyan orphanage pick up mule droppings and make patties out of them to stick on walls to generate heat. The mule dropping will burn for an hour in their stove, “and that’s one hour of heat that gets them through the night,” said Ojeda. Lotions, soaps and feminine-hygiene products were handed out to the girls of the orphanage by Sgt. 1st Class Luppa Gilchrist. She said that the Soldiers take up collections around the base, but otherwise depend on what people send them from the U.S. to have things to give the children. Ojeda uses his social network of friends to help send things for the children at the local orphanage. He said that the Soldiers at Bamyan get messages on social networking sites constantly asking what they need. “Here in Bamyan we have a nice dining facility - the food is great, and a good gym. Our living quarters are small, but we've pretty much everything we need.” said Ojeda. “So, a lot of us are asking people to take the opportunities to go in their closets and pull out old shoes that they aren’t using, old clothes their kids have outgrown and send those over to us.” The ability to give the children toys, blankets and other items means even more to the Soldiers of Kiwi Base with Christmas on the horizon. The Soldiers are living up to the adage, “It’s better to give than to receive.” “When we were driving away from the orphanage there was an aura of joy, and it really made my day to see a little smile and a twinkling in the kids' eyes,” McMillan said. “You kind of feel like you are Santa Claus, leading up to Christmas, because we handed out all these really cool things that these kids are really going to use.”

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