Dedication ceremony for School located in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Story by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Brett Hart
CJTF – HOA Strategic Communications

DIRE DAWA, Ethiopia – Interrupted in July by deadly floods that hit the region, a primary school renovation and construction project funded by Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia was dedicated Friday with representatives from CJTF–HOA and local government and educations officials in attendance.

After several months of construction, the Friday ceremony marked the transfer of the completed project, the Medehane Alem Primary School from CJTF–HOA to the people of Dire Dawa.

“The purpose of the dedication was to demonstrate commitment to our partner nation, Ethiopia,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ted Summers, representing CJTF–HOA.

Local officials including the education bureau chief for Dire Dawa,Fuad Mohammed, the school’s principal Kebede Teferi and Berhanu Mekonen, a Dire Dawa community leader, joined Cmdr. Summers for the dedication ceremony. About 40 students all in school uniforms attended along with about 150 people in the community.

“Our country’s plan is peace and development,” said Mohammed. “This school fits perfectly into that plan as education is of great importance in development.”

The completed two-story school has 10 classrooms and can now support about 1,200 male and female students from kindergarten to eighth grade.

In addition to a complete demolition and new construction of the new school, the construction team installed chalkboards, lighting and receptacles and electrical wiring for new fans and lights and painted in the classrooms. They also repaired three existing structures by fixing the electrical system, windows and doors as well as adding more lighting and replaced two of the structures’ roofs.

Finally, the team demolished the old restrooms and constructed two new dry and wet restrooms and a food service room. An engineer with CJTF-HOA stayed in the area as the demolition and construction occurred.

The people of CJTF-HOA helped to furnish the school by donating 250 new student desks, 10 teacher’s tables and 10 teacher’s chairs

The mission of CJTF-HOA is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect Coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. The CJTF-HOA organization began operations at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti May 13, 2003. It works with Partner nations on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.