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Photo 1 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Danaher with B Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), repairs the gutter system at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 2 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Spc. David Fox with C Company, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), plays with a football with students during a cultural engagement at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 3 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Danaher and Sgt. Quinton Banus, both with B Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), repair the gutter system at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 4 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
Students at a local school in Lamu County, Kenya, welcome U.S. service members with song and dance during a cultural exchange engagement, Nov. 2, 2021. Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa’s (CJTF-HOA) efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 5 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Spc. Tyler Hoar, C Company, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), plays soccer with a student during a cultural engagement at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 6 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Danaher and Sgt. Quinton Banus, both with B Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), repair the gutter system at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 7 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kathryn Escatel with the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, dances with students during a cultural engagement at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 8 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Andrew Lerman with Charlie Company, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), participates in a game with students during a cultural engagement at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 9 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Connor Dowd and Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Reid with C Company, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), high-five students during a cultural engagement at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 10 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
Students at a local school in Lamu County, Kenya, draw on art supplies donated by Soldiers from the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), Civil Affairs East Africa, during a cultural engagement, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Photo 11 of 11
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Danaher and Sgt. Quinton Banus, both with B Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), replaces the rubber seals on a kiosk water meter at a school in Lamu County, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2021. CJTF-HOA’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock
Food. Paper. Notebooks. Art supplies and soccer balls. These are just some of the items U.S. service members in East Africa donated to a school in Lamu County, Kenya. And the donations were just the beginning.
U.S. Army Soldiers with Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), Civil Affairs East Africa, and U.S. Airmen with the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, visited the school Nov. 2, 2021, to donate the supplies, repair the school’s water system, and engage with students.
Civil Affairs East Africa works to strengthen U.S. partnership in Kenya in efforts to advance the prosperity, peace and security of its communities through civic support and cultural exchange engagements.
The teachers and students welcomed the service members to the school with singing and dancing. Once the supplies were donated, the service members played sports and other games with the students during the engagement.
“We wanted to support the education of the children in our local community through infrastructure repair, providing supplementary school supplies, and cultural exchange,” said Sgt. Nicholas Boss, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), Civil Affairs East Africa. “Civil Affairs has partnered with the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Education to support academic development by helping to remove the barriers to education, particularly for girls and disadvantaged groups.”
Both the head teacher and the Ministry of Education expressed their gratitude and support for the engagement, Boss added. The head teacher said the children view the service members as role models, and she especially appreciated having female service members present, allowing the students to see women as leaders and opening their eyes beyond the traditional roles they may normally see.
While many of the Soldiers were playing sports with the students, two Soldiers assigned to B Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Task Force Iron Gray, CJTF-HOA, worked to repair the school’s gutter system and connect it to its large water tanks. This allows the school’s staff to catch rainwater that can be purified for use.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Danaher and Sgt. Quinton Banus were the two engineers responsible for this important task.
“We had the means to repair some of the loose metal roofing, reconnect a string of gutters to an existing water collection system, and replace the rotten rubber seals on the school kiosk water meter,” Danaher said.
The school, with more than 300 students, is now able to collect water from the water collection system to sustain growth and promote a healthier lifestyle in comparison to surrounding locations, Danaher added.
Civil Affairs plans to continue supporting the Government of Kenya’s education initiatives. Investment in the academic success of Kenya’s youth and the host nation population is a priority for partnership between the U.S. and Kenya.
CJTF-HOA, operating from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, builds and strengthens partnerships to contribute to security and stability in East Africa. The task force’s efforts, as part of a comprehensive whole-of-government approach, are aimed at increasing African partner nations’ capacity to maintain a stable environment, with an effective government that provides a degree of economic and social advancement to its citizens.
