Garmsir district continues progress in education with Safar School construction
 By Cpl. Reece Lodder , Regimental Combat Team 5
  Garmsir district continues progress in education with Safar School construction
 SAFAR, Afghanistan (March 21, 2012) — Though its gray exterior walls must still be  painted and its entrances sealed by doors, the newly constructed Safar  School is a stepping stone for the growth of education in southern  Helmand province’s Garmsir district. Approximately 40 elders and 150 students met with Afghan National  Security Forces and U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine  Regiment, to discuss the crucial role of education to the future of  Garmsir during a shura here, March 18. The expansion of education in Garmsir has been a challenging yet  continuous process. Upon the arrival of coalition forces here in 2006,  the government and ANSF began working with coalition forces in the  northern portion of the district to strengthen its infrastructure. As it developed, government and military influence began spreading  south, leading to the security and expansion of Safar Bazaar in southern  Garmsir. The buzzing bazaar — previously dominated by insurgent  activity — flourished as the district’s crossroad of commerce and paved  the way for the growth of education around it. “As security in Safar Bazaar has increased, the local economy has  improved and education has expanded,” said Capt. Bobby Lee, the  commanding officer of India Company, 3/3, and a native of Corpus  Christi, Texas. The Safar School project follows the success of a 120-student school opened in the neighboring region of Laki in June 2011. Over the last two years, the region has maintained a high level of  security due to the influence of its elders. Their leadership enabled  significant growth in Laki, including the construction of the school, a  police precinct, community center, mosque and clinic. “The Laki elders care about the long-term future of their area,” said  2nd Lt. Christian Czajkowski, the 2nd Platoon commander for India  Company, 3/3, and a native of New York City. “They’ve stayed in a  largely impoverished society in order to cultivate its future success.” While there are several small, certified schools in the surrounding  area, Safar School is the first built here by the local government  together with the aid of coalition forces. Aside from requiring a few  finishing touches, the school is a vast improvement from its  predecessor, a mud hut capable of supporting only 80 students. Standing proudly in front of the new school, Safar elder Haji Khan  Mohammad spoke to the assembled crowd of men and children. He thanked  his fellow elders for their support in the project and implored the  young students to put their new school building to good use. “Education is the light of prosperity in Safar,” Mohammad said. “Only  through education will our children be able to pull through their  poverty and illiteracy.” Several other teachers and local government and military leaders also  addressed the crowd, including Malim Wazir, the school’s head teacher. “The Marines and our government have presented us with this building;  now it’s our job to see that it’s used as a school,” Wazir said. “Every  boy and every girl has the right to learn. We must ensure they receive  this education.” Once the shura concluded, ANSF leaders and 3/3 Marines presented Wazir  and his teachers with myriad boxes containing pencils, notebooks and  various other school supplies. Students from Calallen High School and the Richard Millborn Academy in  Corpus Christi, Texas, donated the approximately 1,500 pounds of school  supplies as part of the non-profit Right to Write program, Lee said. Equipped with a school, teachers and the tools to learn, the youth of  Safar have received the means to progress in their education. Despite  the availability of these resources, the advancement of education in  central Garmsir will be an ongoing endeavor. This learning curve will  challenge both young and old alike, Czajkowski said. “Today’s elders hold their position because of their age,” he said. “The  growth of education will test those waters of seniority. If we can help  pair their seniority with a generation of education, we can only hope  for increased security down the road. This change may be challenging for  the elders, but it’s for the betterment of the future society.”