By Mohammed Aliwi
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South District

Edmay Mayers’ heart was touched by the children and the teachers at Al Diwaniyah Kindergarten.

Mayers has been in Iraq for more than nine months of her one-year tour. She has traveled all over the southern provinces assisting with cash payments. But her off duty time to help the children of Iraq. Mayers has been in contact with her friends and family back home to obtain donations of school supplies for Iraqi children.

In Iraq it is not uncommon for children to lack the bare necessities to learn. Some children go without pencils, books, paper and schoolbags. Regularly, she sends e-mails of appreciation to her friends and relatives back home who have donated school kits and candy for her to distribute.

Recently, Mayers has had the opportunity to hand some of those donations over to the Iraqi students. Mayers visited Al Diwanyah Kindergarten, Al Ameer High School for girls and Al-Zubeida Secondary School in Diwanyiah.

“The girls were excited and they were very friendly to me, “said Mayers. “And if there is still doubt in any minds as to why we are here…My gosh! Just look at these children and it is so easy to see just one of the most important reasons: Making a better future for the next generation of Iraqi. I am certainly thankful to have been even a little part of this great mission,” she added.

Mayers also talked about the long-term assistance being given to Iraq.“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is rebuilding and rehabilitating schools all across Iraq. Part of that effort is to replace mud schools -yes, structure literally made from mud - and train the Iraqis modern ways of construction and safety. Contracts for replacing many mud schools have been awarded, and construction has started in different sites.”

During a trip to Diwaniyah, she handed teddy bears out to the Iraqi children. “Al Diwaniyah Kindergarten was amazing. I did not have enough bears to give out that day. I only had 50 and they had 70 children. So, when we returned to Camp Echo, I purchased 50 more bears - and Barry Stuard, a Corps employee who was working in Forat Area Office in Diwaniyah gave them out to the children,” she said. “After I returned to work here at Camp Adder in Thi Qar, I missed out on the real fun of actually giving these bears to these precious children and seeing the smiles on their faces.”

Despite language barriers, a great number of the Corps of Engineers employees try to develop relationships with the Iraqi people by learning a few Arabic words.  Mayers believes these gestures are important for the broader effort.

“Our goal is to create a developed society and solid, long-lasting relationships based on our mutual desire for helping the Iraqis rebuilding their country. I am here because I believe in what we’re doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before I got here, a friend of mine told me that he was going to Afghanistan. I said, ‘are you crazy?’ until I started thinking of it in a more realistic and responsible way. I want my granddaughter to be proud of me and that is why I am here.”