Twitter
Facebook
***image1***Top student performers at St. Therese Primary School in Bwari, Nigeria, were honored and treated to a true surprise during primary and elementary graduation ceremonies July 18.
As school principal, Sister Tina, called her school’s highest achievers to come forward, 1st Lt. Keith Ross, commander of the 768th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, 1st Combat Communications Squadron, Ramstein, presented 10 students with a brand new soccer ball and a gift from the school.
A hush fell over the audience as the new, brightly-colored soccer balls were deposited into the students’ hands.
Proud parents quickly ran and hugged their children before the children, clutching their balls, returned to their seats.
Lieutenant Ross and his deployed squadron are supporting communications requirements during AFRICA ENDEAVOR-08, the multinational military communications interoperability and information exchange exercise currently underway at the Nigeria Air Force Base, Abuja.
More than 225 military communicators and supporting organizations from 22 African and European nations and the United States are executing interoperability testing of command, control communications and information systems among themselves.
Community outreach is a personal initiative that many deployed squadrons undertake when assigned a temporary mission.
For Lieutenant Ross, the idea of donating soccer balls was cemented when he asked several of his African friends what a child in Nigeria would really appreciate.
“I learned children are creative and devise soccer balls out of water-filled plastic bags,” Lieutenant Ross said. “We knew soccer balls would be a huge success on a continent where soccer is played in even the smallest village.”
The members of the Civil Military Support Element, Office of Security Cooper-ation Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Embassy, Nigeria, assisted Lieutenant Ross in coordinating the gift presentation.
The OSC has maintained an ongoing relationship with Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital and Maternity Clinic and St. Therese Primary School since 2001.
Several Air Force members of Lieutenant Ross’ squadron attended the graduation program – Staff Sgts. Daniel Burton and Joshua Darnell, Senior Airman Richard Greene and Tech Sgt. James Lewis. Both Master Sgt. Chris Stone, U.S. Air Forces Europe Public Affairs, and Airman 1st Class Nathan Lipscomb, 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, provided photographic support.
Not in attendance but also contributing to the community outreach effort were Master Sgt. Robert Arbelo, 1st CBCS, Staff Sgt. Neal Uranga and Aiman 1st Class Tony Ritter, 435th ABW Public Affairs.
Sister Tina beamed with pride as more than 500 children, parents and friends cheered the graduates during the day-long activities.
As the celebration began to wind down, she assured Lieutenant Ross and his colleagues the soccer balls were in excellent hands.
“The children, ranging in age from 5 to 11 years of age, who were awarded the balls are successful, goal-setting students,” she said. “The ball belongs to them. It will be a constant reminder of the importance our school places on academic achievement.”
More than 400 students from Bwari and the surrounding areas attend St. Therese Primary School.
In addition to 23 different classes, the school has a variety of programs and clubs for children interested in scouting, farming and agriculture, science, computers,
mathematics and performing arts.
