The Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team funded a $2.8 million project for the province's Grand Canal, repairing 63KM of the canal. The project included the repair of 850 gates and installation of five new siphons, including the Moqam Khan siphon shown here. Photo by Capt. Dustin Hart

Joined by government and local leaders, the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team celebrated the completion of a Grand Canal repair project, April 12, during a ribbon cutting ceremony in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Nangarhar Provincial Governor, Gul Agha Sherzai, and PRT commander, Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Cabosky from Newton Falls, Ohio, along with other government and tribal officials, spoke to the crowd about the benefits the repaired canal will provide to the province’s agriculture economy.

“This project represents hope for the people of Afghanistan,” said Cabosky. “It was identified by the government as one of the most important needs of the province and was a coordinated effort between the government and PRT. Afghans will enjoy the fruits of this project for years to come.”

The repairs took approximately nine months to complete and cost $2.8 million, covering 63 kilometers of canal spanning four districts. The contractor repaired 850 gates and installed five new siphons, which will help control the flow of water through the canal and double the irrigation capability.

“The canal repairs provide better irrigation, more crops, more jobs and a better economy for the Nangarhar people,” Cabosky said. “While the enemies of Afghanistan offer only destruction and death, this project demonstrates the government’s commitment to building a better future for the children of Afghanistan.”

The project will directly benefit more than 60,000 families, Governor Sherzai said at the ceremony.

“Reconstruction in Nangarhar is successful because we have the support of the people,” the governor said. “The Grand Canal was one of our biggest projects and it was repaired through the help of our coalition friends. It’s a very important project and today is a great day for all Nangarhar people.”

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Story by Capt. Dustin Hart

Samer Khil Boys and Girls School, which was completed in approximately nine months, was a $200,000 project funded by the PRT. It marked the sixth school the PRT has finished in the past two months in three different districts.

A stream of elders waited their turn to thank the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team and its government partners for bringing the boys and girls of Samer Khil village the two bright yellow school buildings that stood behind them.

The scene in the small village of Behsood District April 7, is becoming familiar for PRT members, who joined the village elders and government officials to celebrate the opening of the school during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Samer Khil Boys and Girls School, which was completed in approximately nine months, was a $200,000 project funded by the PRT. It marked the sixth school the PRT has finished in the past two months in three different districts.

“In order to become a prosperous county once again, we must have education and schools to achieve our goals,” said Mohammed Khan, a village elder for Samer Khil. “Because of the PRT’s help, this dream is moving quickly.”

In addition to the recent completion of the six schools, the PRT is currently working to bring 18 new schools to seven districts in Nangarhar. The team has also proposed approximately 40 new school buildings to be built in the next year.

While the new schools bring a direct benefit to the students, who will now be able to receive their education out of the sometimes harsh weather elements of Nangarhar province, village elders at the ceremony said the new facilities help the entire village.

“The people of Samer Khil have waited for this day for a long time,” said Nazar Mohammed Nazari, the school’s headmaster. “This will allow the students to come indoors to learn. We are proud of this day, and it is a great day for all the people of Samer Khil.”

Khan agreed the school will help the entire village.

“We all have to be proud and take responsibility for this building,” he said. “Teachers have to be responsible for bringing up their students, and we all have to work hard to protect this school.”

Having Afghans recognize and take responsibility for the security of new buildings is a sign of the progress being made here, said Ron Ashley, an Army Corps of Engineers engineer who works with the PRT. It also provides a safe setting to educate Afghanistan’s future.

“Our goal is to help the children of Afghanistan learn as much as possible by giving them the best schools possible,” Ashley, a native of Dayton, Wash., said. “We hope these new schools will help educate the children of Afghanistan for years to come and help them make the big leap forward they deserve.”

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Written by By Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart,
Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs Office

Afghan girls draw water from a recently completed village well in the Kuz Konar District of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province

The Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team has completed an eight-well project that will bring much-needed water sources to six districts throughout the eastern Afghanistan province.

The PRT-funded project, which combined several individual well projects into one, cost $30,000 and was constructed by an Afghan company.

“As we travel throughout the province, the Afghans tell us water availability is one of their biggest concerns,” Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Cabosky, Nangarhar PRT commander, said. “This project allowed us to directly address some of those needs and demonstrates the team’s ability to work closely with the local government to improve the lives of the Afghan people.”

The wells, which were constructed in the province’s Goshta, Kama, Kuz Kunar, Shinwar, Nazyan and Dara-I-Nur districts, took the contractor eight months to complete.

The new wells will bring a reliable water source to thousands of people across the districts, Air Force Capt. Elisabeth Leon, chief engineer for the Nangarhar PRT, said.

“These wells bring water to areas that have had their clean water reserves depleted,” Leon said. “They will help reduce waterborne illnesses, improve sanitation and provide a higher quality of life for the people.”

The PRT is funding about 60 projects worth more than $70 million throughout the province. The team’s mission is to work directly with the provincial and district governments to assist in the province’s security, governance and reconstruction efforts.

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