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Ceremonies recognize cooperation, teamwork

  • Published
  • By Capt. Erick Saks
  • Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team
KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan --  Hundreds of community members and civic leaders attended two ribbon-cutting ceremonies Nov. 27 in Kohistan II, recognizing the completion of months of work and cooperation between the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Afghan government.

Kwaia Kholam Abubaker, the governor of Kapisa, and Army Capt. Jordan Berry, Bagram PRT Kapisa civil affairs team leader, presided over the ceremonies officially opening the Dihat Dasht Girls School and the Jamalagha Basic Health Clinic.

According to Captain Berry, the Dihat Dasht Girls School is an eight-classroom facility which will accommodate approximately 160 students. It includes four faculty offices, restrooms, a well, a guard house and a perimeter wall. The project cost nearly $150,000.

Hamidullah Hatan, a representative of the Department of Education, spoke at the school-opening ceremony emphasizing the Afghan government's focus on education and stressing the community's duty to their new school.

"We are very grateful to the PRT for building this great school," said Hatan. "Now, it is the responsibility of the community to maintain it and keep those people away who would shoot rockets at it."

The Jamalagha Basic Health Clinic was the second facility opened as part of the day's lineup. The eight-room clinic is the first of its kind in the area and will be staffed by a doctor, a midwife, two nurses and two vaccination technicians, said Tech. Sgt. Deborah Taylor, NCO in charge of the PRT's medical team.

"This clinic offers family practice care, prenatal care, vaccinations and pharmaceutical services," said Sergeant Taylor. "Before this clinic was built, there wasn't a place for the people to find this kind of care in the area. This facility will have a huge impact on the lives of the people here."

Aziz Jan, was the contractor for the $85,000 health clinic, and said he was very satisfied with the project and was glad to create the facility for the people of the region.

"The community here is made up of good people," he said. "They were always helpful and are very excited about the clinic."

The reason the PRT is able to complete projects like this in the area is the relative peacefulness of the community, said Captain Berry.

"Kohistan II is a beautiful district with friendly people," he said. "We have never had any issues with the people here, and this security allows us to help the community."

The governor agreed, expressing his gratitude to the community for embracing peace and supporting the government.

"Thank you to the people of Kohistan for keeping the peace here," the governor said. "Only with peace can we build schools and clinics, giving the people freedom to study and improve themselves."

These ceremonies are the first of a series of about a dozen ribbon cutting ceremonies, which will be held over the next month, according to Army Maj. Jim Blashford, acting commander of the Bagram PRT.

"The projects we're finalizing range from schools and clinics to roads and wells," Major Blashford said. "It's a busy and exciting time for the Bagram PRT. From the time the team arrived in March, our focus had been coordinating new projects and overseeing their construction. Now many of those projects are wrapping up, and we're all finally able to see the fruits of our labor."