Posted on 08/09/2005 11:17:11 AM PDT by Day Kay
Baghdad, Iraq—Slightly more than six weeks from now, approximately 18,000 Iraqi school children will sit in freshly refurbished schools when their new school year starts.
A team of Iraqi and U.S. government entities announce today that renovations of 43 schools in the northern and southern governorates are funded for repairs, with contracts awarded for the work. As part of the Iraq Relief Reconstruction Fund, over $1.3M was set aside to continue a nationwide school repair program.
Repairs include rehabilitating sanitary facilities, and electrical and mechanical systems, as well as structural repairs to schools in Karbala, Dahuk, Najaf, Basrah, and Qadisiyah.
“And, we’ll keep working toward clean, safe and healthier learning environments for the Iraqi children,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, Director of Programs at the Project and Contracting Office, Baghdad.
“The announcement of funding for 43 more schools comes after a whirlwind construction program of school renovation begun just over a year ago. Since June of last year, 656 of the total 800 schools in reconstruction have completed,” she added.
According to Durham-Aguilera, renovation costs for each school averages $30 – 35K, and plans are for all of the 43 projects to be completed before the end of September.
“Over $86M from the Iraqi Relief Reconstruction Fund was committed to the Iraqi Ministry of Education to renovate 800 schools in Iraq,” Durham-Aguilera said. “These particular projects are the last phase of renovation and/or repairs of existing schools,” she added.
She explained that the projects provide employment opportunities for Iraqi citizens.
“The contracts for all of the school projects in the program are competitive—they’re awarded directly to Iraqi contractors, and collectively, the remaining 43 projects will employ approximately 800 Iraqi workers,” she said.
The projects were identified and approved by the Ministry of Education and local governorates, in coordination with the U.S. government, according to Durham-Aguilera.
At Iraq’s transition to sovereignty June 2004, there were just over 200 Reconstruction projects started. Today, there are more than 2,700 projects started, with nearly 1,600 completed. Projects will continue for the Iraqi Ministries of Security and Justice; Electricity; Oil; Public Works and Water; Buildings, Health and Education; and Transportation and Communication.
I'm sure the networks will have heart warming packages on this story tonight. /sarcasm
NO---this has to be lies, all lies...
I haven't heard about this on the news...I hear that all of Iraq is out of control and none of the Iraqis do anything but hate Americans and kills them...
Well, according to Cindy Sheehan, all we really do is slap some paint on the walls. (She is an evil woman.)
Someone needs to alert Ms. Sheehan. $1.3M will buy a heck of a lot of paint. ;-)
D'oh! You beat me by 5 seconds! I was just pinging you over here.
I know...I am sure Sheehan and her group will dismiss this as right-wing propaganda!!! lol
I was reading the article and getting excited for those little Iraqi kids that will have "new" schools and books and supplies...I be they are soooo excited themselves.
And, imagine, the bids were given to IRAQI contractors, not Halliburton...gasp!
This story did not pass the NY Slimes test so we would not hear about it unless you had told us! :) Good news!
Trying... to... resist... saying....
"Bush's Fault!"
:)
"Must've missed this in the MSM today!". Guess we all sort of missed the fine coverage the Leninist must have produced on the ongoing success stories in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks for post.
The question is what will be taught in those schools.
Jihad?
That according to the Religion of Peace there is a right of women to be beaten when their husbands are angry?
That according to the Religion of Peace there is a right of women to be killed if their brother violates their maidenhood?
Will they be taught about the unselfish sacrifice that Americans are making to allow Iraqis the opportunity to choose FREEDOM?
Tagline:
LOL!!!
BTTT
Her lights are on, but she's still sitting in the dark.
Slap Cindy Sheehan on the walls? Gosh, that's sad for the walls.
LOL. You are a treasure.
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