Release Number: 07-01-03P
ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Directors of the Ministry of Education, Public Health, Water and Energy, Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Irrigation, Public Works, and the Governor’s Afghanistan Stabilization Program travelled from Qalat April 30 to speak with the people of Shahjoy, Afghanistan.
At the request of Zabul Province Governor Delbar Arman, each director spoke to the crowd of more than 350 local residents. The directors explained their work in the province as a whole and, how it specifically relates to residents individually within their community.
“This shura went better than anyone hoped,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Fischer, Provincial Reconstruction Team Qalat commander. “Today we witnessed grass roots governance without Coalition intervention — a critical step for an independent Afghanistan.”
The local people and the provincial leaders, including Arman, expressed their pleasure with the success of the event. The governor said this is the template he wants spread to all districts.
Additionally, after hearing the people’s request for schools, the Director of Education, independent of Coalition intervention, worked with local residents to open three schools in three days, facilitating educational opportunities for more than 1,800 children in Shahjoy.
Villagers expressed their desire for better security of government workers at critical construction project sites, as the Taliban continues to target those whose work brings progress to the area. The provincial directors urged Afghans to support the police and army, as these organizations must set the foundation for a secure Afghanistan.
The shura, the largest held in Shahjoy in many years, was an important step in supporting efforts to increase national governance by building trust and respect between the new government and its people in a traditional forum.
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