Birdik Village school commemorates with ceremony, surprise

  • Published
  • By Maj. John Elolf
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) --  More than eight months after the reopening of the Birdik Village school, 250 students heard the sound of the last bell of the year during a ceremony here May 25.

With Air Force funding, volunteers from the Transit Center here reconstructed the Birdik Village school at a cost of about $540,000.

The ceremony, attended by Col. Blaine Holt, the director of the Transit Center at Manas, and Chief Master Sgt. James Dowell, the senior enlisted leader at the Transit Center, celebrated the Kyrgyz culture and is something the students and staff have looked forward to since the beginning of the school year.

"This day is important for the children because all of the kids have been waiting for the last bell ceremony," said Olga Voroshikhina, the principal of the Birdik Village school.

During the ceremony, Colonel Holt spoke to the children and presented a surprise gift from Airmen at the Transit Center.

"It is an honor to be here to today," he said. "It seems that Education Day was just yesterday. In (the U.S.), children learn the same lesson you learned this year: that with education, everything is possible.

"We have a surprise gift to give you on this day," he continued. "It is honor to present to you with this very big bus -- your Birdik School bus."

"This is an amazing gift from the Transit Center," Ms. Voroshikhina said. "We have many kids attending school from neighboring villages in winter time, in rain and snow. Now they will not have to wait for public vans or walk to school."

With the addition of the bus, Ms. Voroshikhina believes that more students will be able to attend the school.

"More and more students will be able to attend the school from Leninskoye and Vinogradnoye villages," she said.

Additionally, children will now be able to attend the theaters and visit museums in Bishkek.

"Today's event is even more exciting and important for the children because they've received such a wonderful gift from the Transit Center officials," she said.