BAGHDAD — Children laughed and talked excitedly throughout the re-opening ceremony. The refurbishment project was a joint effort between U.S. troops and the local govt that came to fruition after 3 months of hard work, said Navy Lt. Ross Simpson, a civil affairs officer.
The project included cleaning up debris, painting the building, adding electricity and fixing the plumbing for the 128 local area children that attend the school, explained Simpson, who is assigned to the 422nd CAB. "Before, the school was dark; it had lots of trash and even broken glass,” he said. “Now it's brighter and the students are much happier, have more energy and have pride in their building, which adds to their willingness to learn."
According to Simpson, the Nassir Wa Salem area council and U.S. forces from 4th Stryker BCT, 2nd ID, worked closely to rebuild the one-story schoolhouse and provide desks and chairs for the faculty and students to foster a better learning environment.
"This is a very important day and we feel very happy because everything has changed," explained the school's headmaster, Kalid Ahmed. "Now students are more willing to show up to school." According to Ahmed, one of the most important renovations was the bathrooms. In the past, the students didn't have proper facilities, making the school an uncomfortable place to spend the school year. "I feel excellent today because we know that U.S. forces are good people and want to take care of us, the children and the school."
During the visit, the troops also donated backpacks to each one of the eager students who were quick to smile and shake hands with everyone. "What we're trying to do here is to help these kids become the future leaders of Iraq," said Simpson, as children proudly showed each other their backpacks. According to Simpson, this was the 5th project completed in the area in the past 4 months.
