Sabari District Governor working to rebuild district

By Master Sgt. Kevin Fulcher

To expedite his district’s building process, Zermaed Muhklis, the Sabari District governor, and Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs members travelled to Kholbessat Khalay May 10 to view two project sites slated for improvements.

Muhklis, and U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Tressler, Khost PRT civil affairs officer, met with a local elder of the village to validate the need for the projects and to gauge the potential impact on the community.

“The visit provided an opportunity for the district governor to take ownership of the project nomination process and to demonstrate to the population that he, as the leading Afghan government official in the district, will be the driving force in the district’s development,” said Tressler.

“The district governor personally inspected the proposed development site so he could approve the elders’ proposal and endorse the project in the provincial government’s selection process,” said Tressler.

This visit shows the measures the district governor is taking to ensure development and prove to the population that the Afghan government is actively working on their behalf.

The requested improvement projects include completing classrooms in the local mosque to be used by the village’s school, and building a retaining wall for a canal to better utilize water run-off for the crops.

The projects are identified by the village elders, submitted to the district governor for approval and further development. The projects are then sent to the Khost Director of Economy for final approval by the Provincial Development Committee, Tressler said.





KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Tressler, Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs officer, and Zermaed Muhklas, Sabari district governor, discuss a potential construction project with a Kholbessat Khalay village elder, May 10. The governor traveled to the site to evaluate the impact it will have on the local community. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt Kevin Fulcher, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Khost PRT Helps Connect Provincial Governor to His People

By Master Sgt. Kevin Fulcher

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Continuing its emphasis on connecting the Afghan people to their government, the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team assisted the Khost provincial governor Abdul Jabar Naeemi with his first official district visit, May 15, after taking office six weeks ago.

The PRT members arranged air transportation and worked with the Afghan National Police to provide security for Naeemi as he travelled to Jaji Maydan for a meeting with district leaders, elders and villagers.

“Your District Center is the most peaceful District Center in Khost, so please share this peaceful voice with the other districts, so they can do the same thing you’re doing,” said Naeemi. “I need your support, your help.”

Any construction company with poor quality standards will be fined, stressing accountability for their actions, said Naeemi.

“The Afghan officials were in the lead for the visit; we just provided the support,” said Sarah Groen, Khost PRT Department of State representative. “Our job is to help fill in the gaps in connecting the provincial level leadership to the districts and to the people, like providing transportation to a region that would be difficult for the provincial governor to reach on his own.”

After the meeting, the governor walked through the village and visited the local mosque.

The Jaji Maydan district is in the north eastern corner of Khost Province and is isolated from Khost City by mountains. The one road connecting Jaji Maydan to Khost City runs through the less secure districts of Sabari and Bak.

The district is known for being relatively secure and pro-government while also contributing large numbers of its young men to the Afghan Border Police.

Abdul Jabar Naeemi, Khost Province governor, talks to students outside of the district center, May 15. The governor told the children to study hard, and he gave the top student a present for his outstanding work. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs)

Abdul Jabar Naeemi, Khost Province governor, speaks to the people of Jaji Maydan during his visit to the district, May 15. The governor made a pledge to visit all the districts and hear their concerns. This was his first district visit since taking office in April. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs)