America's North Shore Journal

From left, U.S. Army Capt. Gwynne Kinley, CJTF-HOA veterinarian, Dr. Najib Al-Hammadi, Yemen Agricultural Support Program, Capt. Stephanie Foreman, ARCENT veterinarian and Staff Sgt. Meghan Groth, ARCENT veterinary technician

By Senior Airman Sarah Stegman, CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

SANA’A, Yemen — Four female Soldiers along with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have given more than 40 women the tools and knowledge to change the future of Yemen’s economy.

The group of U.S. women including two veterinarians and two veterinary technicians traveled to Sana’a from Kuwait, Bahrain and Djibouti to teach basic livestock care to women animal workers Nov. 11 to 23. The course is part of the first all-female veterinary civil action program.

“The animal workers in Yemen are predominately women so it was necessary for CJTF-HOA to send an all-female team to teach these women due to the sensitive nature of the culture,” said Capt. Gwynne Kinley, CJTF-HOA veterinarian.

The training was conducted in several small villages outside the capital city of Sana’a and in the Governate, or province, of Amran. The female animal health workers represented five governates in Yemen: Al-Jawf, Amran, Marib, Sa’dah and Shabwah. The USAID has targeted governates for its agricultural development projects. Some women traveled more than 500 kilometers to be certified by the CJTF-HOA veterinary team.

A few of the topics covered in the training included how to identify infectious diseases, treating common ailments and hoof trimming. Each woman received more than $650 worth of veterinary supplies including multivitamins, various medications, Lidocaine, topical cream, wound powder, digital thermometers, syringes, veterinary gloves and various Arabic-language disease pamphlets.

“After teaching these ladies, they are able to build capacity within their villages and surrounding countryside by going on to train additional female animal health workers,” Kinley said. “We’re perpetuating the cycle of education and at the same time improving the country’s overall livestock health and productivity.”

During the two-week project, the Soldiers taught the women both in the classroom and outdoors with practical application techniques with help from Dr. Najib Al-Hammadi of the Yemen Agricultural Support Program.

“After receiving the training the women are recognized by the Republic of Yemen as certified animal workers and can be called upon by the government to care for animals,” Dr. Al-Hammadi said. “The title also gives them more respect and authority within their own villages.”

Educating the women to raise healthier livestock helps their villages, said one of the veterinarians taking part in the program. “Livestock are the lifeblood of remote villages in Yemen,” said Capt. Stephanie Foreman, a veterinarian from Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. “The healthier the animals are, the healthier the people who eat the meat and drink the milk will be. When it’s time to take the animals to market, the families can prosper monetarily because the animals they’ve raised are larger and healthier than in the past. Also, the wool on the sheep will be enhanced, and the wool industry in the country can flourish.”

CJTF-HOA, the U.S. Embassy and USAID are preparing to continue these types of VETCAPs at least four times a year to continue follow-ups with the women animal workers.