Ambassador Symington Speaks to Djiboutian Military Students (11/07/06)

November 7th, 2006

As part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS)  program, fifty members of the Djiboutian military are learning English to promote cooperation between the Djiboutian and American militaries.   

On Tuesday, November 7th, Ambassador Symington spoke to the English class and answered questions at Camp Cheikh Osman.  As the students were enthusiastic and asked the Ambassador several questions about cooperation between the U.S. and Djibouti. 

The students were encouraged by the level of interest the embassy has shown in their studies, and PAO Christy Stoner answered questions from each student.  Sandra Thompson, a language instructor from the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, Texas, explained that her students are preparing for future endeavors with the American military, and learning English is the first step.

Embassy Honors Outstanding Students Learning English

November 6th, 2006

Group photo with Ambassador Symington, students of the english night schools and Camp Lemonier volunteers

The embassy hosted a reception to honor the accomplishments of Djiboutian students, their teachers, volunteers from Camp Lemonier, and Navy Seabees. 

On Monday, November 6th, student leaders joined Ambassador Symington and Zyad Daher (Balbala English Night School) in honoring scholarship recipients. 

Ambassador Symington and Mr. Daher delivered a clear message to the crowd:  education is a priority for Djiboutian students, and together we will continue to learn from each other. 

 

VIP Security Training for Djibouti Nationale Police

(November 2nd 2006)

In preparation for the Common Markets for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) conference to be held in Djibouti from 6 – 16 November 2006, the U.S. Embassy Djibouti Regional Security Office (RSO) and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Force Protection Detachment (NCIS FPD) sponsored a training seminar for approximately 100 officers from the Djibouti Police Nationale. 

This seminar was developed at the request of  Colonel Abdillahi Abdi Farah, Director General, Djibouti Police Nationale.  Col Farah requested to receive VIP security training for his officers to prepare them for the arrival of numerous dignitaries and heads-of-state from over twenty African nations during the COMESA conference.  The six-day seminar was held from October 28 through November 2, 2006.

To conduct the training, the RSO and NCIS FPD offices enlisted the help of the NCIS Security Training Assessments and Assistance Team Pacific (STAAT PAC) from San Diego, California.  NCIS STAAT PAC tailored the six-day seminar to prepare the officers of the Djiboutian Police Nationale for the rigors of VIP security anticipated during COMESA.  Courses taught during the seminar included motorcade operations, VIP protection, motorcade route analysis and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. 

The NCIS STAAT PAC instructors commented they were proud to serve as ambassadors for the U.S. and  it was a pleasure training and preparing the Djiboutian Police Nationale for COMESA.  

 

5th PSC Marines Renovate Three Soccer Fields in Balbala

(October 2006)

Twenty Marines volunteered to help the Balbala 5th District Commissioner, Mr. Abdi Issa, renovate three soccer fields for Ramadan tournaments.  Soccer fields in Wahla Daaba, Hayabley, and Cheikh Moussa were completely revamped. 

The Marines received a warm welcome and a lot of help from the community.  During the renovation, the Marines worked side by side with kids, parents, and community leaders.  Together they cleared the fields with a Humvee, collected trash, painted soccer and basketball boundaries, put up soccer nets, and of course, played soccer! 

On Sunday, October 15th, the Marines arrived at the Wahla Daaba sports field at 8:00 in the morning.  There were already kids playing soccer on the field.  The kids immediately helped clear the field.  The mothers of Wahla Daaba were especially enthusiastic.  They jumped right in, put on gloves, and started putting garbage into plastic bags.  After the garbage was cleared away, these dedicated women carried the bags on their back for burning.

Volunteerism spread like wild fire in Sheikh Moussa.  Not only did the community volunteer to level the soccer field, local firemen joined in and cleaned the area behind their fire station to improve the play area for kids.  People were astounded as the Marines drove a Humvee around the field with metal fencing dragging behind to level the field.   The Marines prayed with their fellow volunteers for the grand prayer of Id el Fidr in Sheikh Moussa.

The Public Diplomacy section would like to thank the 5th PSC from Camp Lemonier and the volunteers in Balbala for all of their hard work during Ramadan.  We look forward to working with you again soon!

 

Ambassadors Girls' Scholarship Program

October 2nd, 2006

USAID and the Djiboutian Ministry of Education celebrated the Ambassadors Girls’ Scholarship Program (AGSP) on October 2nd, 2006.  Janet Schulman, Director of USAID, ensured continued access to education for girls in Djibouti by giving each student a school kit that included a scholarship, school supplies, and books. 

Ambassador Symington emphasized the importance of educating girls so that they can grow up to play positive roles in in Djibouti.   The AGSP program demonstrates the cooperation between students, teachers, mentors, community leaders, the Djiboutian government, and USAID.  The AGSP also increases parent and community involvement in children’s education and empowers families to improve education opportunities in their communities.

Democracy and Human Rights Fund Program

September 26, 2006

Ambassador Symington presided this morning a ceremony to award grant to two djiboutian NGOs. The grant totaling $50.000 is given under the Democracy and Human Rights annual Fund Program.

The embassy is pleased to announce that Association Pour La Protection et Epanouissement de la Famille (APEF) and Volontaire d'Appui pour le Developpement Locale (VADEL) were each awarded a $25,000 grant. 

APEF was selected as a recipient for the grant because their project deals with Children Rights, which is an important issue in Djibouti.  They will organize workshops, awareness programs and exhibitions by children on the subject, resulting in a better awareness about Children Rights especially for parents and school teachers. 

VADEL was selected as a recipient for the grant because they cover Decentralization, a matter that is largerly misunderstood by Djiboutians.  They will organize street theatres on Decentralization in all the five districts of interior, resulting in a better comprehension about what is at stake,  which will lead in turn to an increased participation to the process of Decentralization.

The grantees  compliment each other as they work toward human, political an civil rights

 

School kits launched in Djibouti for the third consecutive year

DJIBOUTI, 21 September 2006 – UNICEF, USAID and the Ministry of Education jointly launched the third consecutive school kits distribution in Djibouti City.  This distribution will reach over 32,000 children all over the country.

The official ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries including, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy Djibouti Mr. David Ball, the Minister of Education Mr. Abdi Ibrahim Absieh, and the USAID Representative Mrs. Janet Schulman.

The kits contain pencils, pens, notebooks, glue, eraser and a plastic ruler along with a cloth school bag.

The distribution aims at directly supporting parents by providing school kits for every child thus ensuring greater child enrollment and reintegration.  The Minister of Education stressed that parents who have financial difficulties and are often obliged to take their children out of school will now be able to keep their children in school.  He added that the collaboration between his department, USAID and UNICEF is a success.

DCM David Ball took this opportunity to convey his special thanks to UNICEF for providing technical support to ensure that all school kits were delivered on time along with 100,000 school manuals and 150,000 pedagogical modules provided last year. 

School kits were distributed to children attending primary school while pedagogical materials were given to their teachers.  The cost of a school kit is approximately $US4.00 and has contributed significantly in increasing school attendance during the last few years.

 

Military Mobility in Djibouti Improves

September 20, 2006 

Forty Djiboutian soldiers completed their Humvee maintenance course, enabling the Djiboutian military to deploy the Humvee fleet throughout Djibouti. 

The U.S. Department of Defense donated several Humvees and provided maintenance training.  Djiboutian Armed Forces participants showed great enthusiasm during the training and at the graduation ceremony.  DCM David Ball was honored to speak at the graduation ceremony and give graduates their diplomas.

Dorra Community Center Donation

September 6th, 2006

As part of our ongoing effort to connect with communities all over Djibouti, the Dorra Community Center received recreational equipment from the embassy on September 6th, 2006. 

Dorra community center provides a place for youth to gather, relax, and talk after school and on the weekends.  Dorra youth received the fussball tables, pingpong tables, chairs, and chalkboards with open arms.  Mohamed Ahmed, the PD assistant, worked with students and community leaders in Dorra to assemble the equipment and prepare the community center for future tournaments and organized activities.

Books for Africa

July 14, 2006

Over 7,000 books were delivered to private English night schools as part of Books for Africa, a program designed by the Embassy as a way to help communities who otherwise wouldn’t have had the funding required for building a library on their own. Books for Africa is a community project that rapidly installs libraries at schools throughout Djibouti.

During the week of July 9th – 14th , twelve libraries were built.  The Navy Seabees from Camp Lemonier worked with local schools and headmasters to take measurements for library shelving and create the design.  The Embassy Public Affairs Office provided the textbooks for each school, and students from each school unloaded books upon arrival, worked with the Seabees to build their shelves, and selected books that matched their interests and reading levels.

Within two hours, the students and Seabees installed each library and sorted books.  The Books for Africa Program at the American Embassy in Djibouti has provided reading materials and learning opportunities to hundreds of motivated Djiboutian students learning English.  The Public Affairs Office congratulates Andy Everson (Seabee), Sean Liverpool (Seabee) and students from the following schools:  Nour Al Iman, Horn of Africa, APLAA, Ecole Mixte, Bismillah I, Bismillah II,  Horseed,  Alpha Radiation, the Djibouti Institute, and the English Teachers Association of Djibouti.

 

U.S trains Djiboutian troops in border security

By Sgt. Sam Smith

CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

ARTA, Djibouti, Africa - The military of this small nation took another important step in securing its borders May 4 when Soldiers from the Djiboutian Rapid Action Force graduated from border security class in a ceremony held by the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

The two-week class was the sixth in an ongoing series of training sessions in which U.S. Soldiers from B-Company, 249th Infantry Regiment (Light) from the Guam Army National Guard work with their host-nation counterparts.  Small-unit infantry tactics, weapons marksmanship, personnel searches and checkpoint operations made up the focus of the training for the 28 Djiboutian Soldiers.

"(This training) helps them function outside when they're doing border patrols," said Sgt. Shaun Quintanilla, an infantryman in B Company and a primary instructor for the course.  "These patrols give Djiboutian civilians the feeling their Soldiers care about them and their families."

CJTF-HOA is made up of U.S. joint forces, the U.S. Department of State and more than two dozen coalition forces from around the globe.  The group conducts operations and training to assist host nations establish a secure environment and enable regional stability.

The Rapid Action Force will have to apply their training this summer as they take on a border patrol mission.  In September, CJTF-HOA will train another class in border security.

"(This training) is helping Djiboutians build capacity, so they have the ability to protect their own borders...stop the transnational threat and control the flow of people and material in and out of their country," said U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Moon, graduation keynote speaker from CJTF-HOA.

 

U.S., Multinational Troops Renovate School in Djibouti

Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa renovates Djiboutian school, builds walls
By USAF Tech. Sgt. Cindy Dorfner

DJIBOUTIVILLE, DJIBOUTI, February 2, 2006 -- About 1,800 students now enjoy a safer and more secure learning environment after a major renovation of the Al-Hourya School here funded by the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

CJTF-HOA is made up of U.S. joint forces, the U.S. Department of State and more than two dozen coalition forces from around the globe.  The group conducts operations and training to help host nations establish a secure environment and enable regional stability.

The nearly $130,000 venture saw a complete overhaul to all four buildings on the school grounds, including repair or replacement of ceilings and roofs, electrical components and plumbing systems. A building with toilets was constructed and the buildings were painted.

In addition to the renovations, a wall surrounding the school grounds was demolished and a concrete security fence rebuilt as part of the project. A local contractor completed the work.

According to Pakistan Army Capt. Omer Munj, an engineer assigned to CJTF-HOA, the school and surrounding wall were in desperate need of the repairs.

"The school and wall were in very bad shape," Captain Munj said. "The electrical system was unsafe and there were no toilets."

The new wall offers more security and also keeps wandering animals from roaming around the school grounds, Captain Munj said.

School officials dedicated the school and wall in a ceremony Jan. 31 attended by Marguerita Ragsdale, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti, officials from CJTF-HOA, as well as teachers, parents and students.

"It's a great pleasure for me, on behalf of the United States, to dedicate the renovation of this school and this wall," said Col. Nicholas Augustine, future operations officer for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

Colonel Augustine saved the bulk of his message for the school's students -- a group he addressed as the future leaders of Djibouti.

"This is a very important time in your life -- a time you will make new friends and learn new things," he said. "The coalition came here to help renovate your school because we want you to have a nice place to learn."