KOSOVO SCHOOL PROJECT 2001

Supported by the Engineer Soldiers of the U.S. Army

History

The Kosovo School Project, supporting the Dituria school in Mirosavlje, was started in July 2000 by a West Point LT and the soldiers 16th Engineers. During a routine escort mission to a local school, the Engineers saw an opportunity to help a community and a future generation of Kosovars. What they saw was a dilapidated school with poor facilities. Kids ran around with worn out shoes and tattered clothes. Signs of the war were everywhere as bombed out buildings and garbage littered the countryside. Beyond this the soldiers saw something else. They saw happy, excited young children, much like the children we all grew up with in the U.S.: carefree, innocent and unaware of the situation surrounding them. This struck a chord in the Bravo Company soldiers and they knew they had to do something.

The West Point LT spearheaded the effort and wrote a letter to his hometown paper to ask for donations. Much to his surprise, he received an overwhelming response. Donations poured in from the people of his hometown in VA, and as word spread, and other soldiers solicited donations, many more were received. Within the next several months, over 140 packages were received containing school supplies, clothing and toys. The soldiers of the 16th also built goals for the soccer field and a volleyball net.

The 16th Engineers' tour came to an end in Kosovo in December 2000. The soldiers of the 40th Engineers, from Baumholder Germany, took over the 16th's peacekeeping mission. The West Point LT asked his classmate, LT Antonio Buehler to further the project. In the following six months the 40th Engineers continued to make the project a success. LT Buehler and several other soldiers wrote home asking for addtional donations. They also wrote to over 50 companies. This resulted in over 10,000 pounds of clothing and supplies being donated from gererous individuals in 14 different states. They also acquired humanitarian aid funding through the Department of Defense to have the school repaired. This helped equip the school with running water and further improved the school by fixing the windows and floors. Additionally, they were able to deliver supplies to four additional schools throughout Kosovo to include a Serb school and deliverd clothing to a Gypsy community whose children do not attend school.

The 40th Engineers' tour came to an end in Kosovo in May 2001. The soldiers of the 11th Engineers, from Fort Stewart Georgia, took over the 40th's peacekeeping mission. They received support from the patriotic volunteers from the Adopt A Platoon program (www.adoptaplatoon.org) as part of their �Operation Crayon� where they send school supplies and clothes for the children.

If anyone has further information on the current state of this program please email Antonio Buehler at [email protected] so we can update the page. If anyone from the 11th EN has a listing of what they accomplished I can then update this page. Furthermore, to the new unit now in Kosovo please send me a synopsis of what you are all doing if the project still carries on.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments to date (as of 29 May 2001) include:

Distributed over 610 packages, 10000 pounds, of school supplies and clothes to over 3400 students at five different schools.
Built soccer goals for the soccer field and a volleyball court.
Had selected classrooms retiled.
Provided a pump to transport potable water to the school.
Built a shed to house and protect the water pump.
Replaced broken windows in the school.
Taught mine awareness classes to the children to warn them of the dangers of unexploded ordinance.
Endeared themselves to the people of Mirosavlje, furthering U.S. relations and interests in Kosovo.

Future Goals

Future goals include:

Supply the school with shoes and clothing for the children.
- We are looking for shoes to fit children grades one through eight.
- Preferable sizes are children's seven and up.
Refloor the school.
- The floors are falling apart. Alot of the plastic tiles have peeled away and now only concrete is left.
Upgrade the heating system.
- Wood stoves large enough to heat a large room are needed. The current stoves are very small and inefective.
Continue to supply the children with school supplies.
Construct a playground.
- Anyone who is familiar with playground design is encouraged to contact us.
Continue to provide good role models for the children of Kosovo.
Insulating the bathroom and water tanks before winter
Replacing all doorlocks
Constructing coat racks for the children

Pictures

A LT bandaging a boy's foot at the school.

LT Antonio Buehler with some children.

Soldiers and children gather on the stairs after a school visit.

A 5-ton driving supplies to the school in the snow.

SGT Galaz sizing up a shirt for one of the children.

CPL Currier and SPC Kines hand out candy to the children from the top of a HMMWV.

SGT Gaylor gives some school supplies to a teacher.

Soldiers and children pose for a picture.

CPT Brickson and the contracted handiman look at the well to determine where to set up the water pump.

How the newly tiled floor looks.

CPL Czajkowski with three kids outside the school.
Two soldiers pass out pencils from a HEMMIT.
Three teenagers outside the school.
Two friends with their new coats from donors in the U.S.
PFC Henecke handing out extra goodies to the children.
A small group of buddies.
Children and soldiers mixing outside the school.
A typical classroom. Notice the floor.
The heating system for this classroom.
Two of the children next to a HMMWV.
Delivering supplies to the school.
Boys pose for the camera.
A group of boys hanging out.
Two boys in a classroom.
Two buddies.
16th Engineers put up a soccer net.
Children swarm the Americans.
Kids goofing around.
A group of children.
PVT Inman with the children.
Soldiers and children pose for a picture.
SGT Gaylor standing next to the shed that C Company built to house the well and the water pump which brings water to the school.
Some girls are surprised by getting their picture taken.
Children waiting in line out the door and down the stairs of the school.
Two boys next to a HMMWV.
Some boys outside of a Mosque.
Some boys gather in the doorway.

Pictures will be updated regularly.

Click here to see profiles of selected children.

Click here to see the pictures archive.

School News

here

On January 26th the soldiers delivered the first shipment of clothes to the school.
Click here to learn more.

On February 28th the soldiers visited the school to deliver clothing and supplies for the second time.
Click here to learn more.

On March 23rd we went on a joint school mission with Bravo Company, 94th Engineers. Over 1000 pounds of clothing were delivered to the Besim Rexhepi school in Komoglava. The clothes were distributed to 830 students ages 5 to 14.

On April 4th the soldiers delivered clothes to the town of Gornje Nerodimlje.
Click here to learn more.

On April 20th the soldiers delivered clothing and supplies to the city of Kamenica.
Click here to learn more.

On May 23rd the soldiers delivered their largest shipment to date to the children at the Dituria school. This was the final shipment for the soldiers of the 40th Engineers and the first for the soldiers of the 11th Engineers.
Click here to learn more.

On June 19 soldiers delivered school supplies and clothing to the children of Dituria school.

How you can help

Hopefully we can repair the floor. Because of neglect during the war all the tiles are loose and many of the floors are rough cement. That is a major focus for us. We would also like to install a better heating system for the rooms. Right now, each room has a small stove, which does not adequately heat the 25'x22'x13' rooms. Temperatures in the winter can fall below zero. We would like to provide the school with some computers and printers for the children and to help the eight teachers organize and prepare classes. Paint and other supplies to improve the building would also be greatly appreciated. Finally, they can always use new school supplies. The children are especially fond of pens.

Please include an inventory sheet with any donations and tag shoes with the appropriate shoe size. Please do not send money.

Click here to see a list of donors.