Afghan Businessman Helps Girls School

By Army Maj. T.G. Taylor
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 19, 2009 - With help from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a local businessman and contractor in the Alingar district of Afghanistan's Lagham province delivered enough school supplies to the Parwai Girls School here Aug. 17 to keep more than 50 children supplied for a year. Abdullah Ajabgul, owner of Homyoun Rafi Construction Co., identified the students' need for supplies while building a protective wall around the school as a Commander's Emergency Relief Program project.

Abdullah brought the need of the supplies to the attention of Afghan and ISAF forces, which were able to secure donations for the girls from nongovernmental organizations.

"Mr. Abdullah was the one who identified the need here at the school," said Army Capt. Doug Moore, the CERP project manager for Task Force Wildhorse, noting that education is an important part of life in the province and is helping to defeat Afghanistan's enemies.

"The vast majority of people in Laghman are interested in progress, and education is a big part of that," Moore said. "The Taliban would not allow girls to attend school in the first place, and are only interested in manipulation to achieve their own end of gaining power."

Abdullah's work on the school wall was an important project for the security and safety of the students. The school supplies were an added bonus of the project.

"Boundary walls are a big deal in this area, because they delineate property lines and provide security for the children who attend the school," Moore explained. "The headmaster brought the need for the school supplies to the attention of Mr. Abdullah after his company began constructing the wall, and we were very happy to help out."

ISAF forces gave the supplies to Abdullah, who then delivered them to the school and distributed them to the students, Moore said.

(Army Maj. T.G. Taylor serves in the Task Force Mountain Warrior public affairs office.)