U.S. military women reach out to Djiboutian women

  • Published
  • By Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mary Popejoy
  • Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti (AFPN) --  U.S. military women attached to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa visited the girls' orphanage Aug. 15 in Djibouti City.

During the visit, the servicemembers taught the female students the "Alphabet Song," how to count to 10, how to say and spell certain words and how to introduce themselves in English.

"For young people especially, pronouncing the words and having someone correct you immediately one-on-one helps them better understand how to say the words, vice thinking they are saying it correctly when learning new words on their own," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Oledia Bell, the CJTF-HOA deputy command chaplain. "This type of teaching techniques helps them to speak more clearly and become more comfortable speaking English to not only us, but also to those they interact with throughout the day."

Being able to help Djiboutian women expand their vocabulary and improve their conversational English helps the students and teachers learn more about each other.

"The group is an opportunity for the young Djiboutian women to see American women as caring, compassionate and kind individuals who enjoy sharing their culture and language," said Chief Master Sgt. Jessica Palmer, chief enlisted manager of the 449th Air Expeditionary Group. "Each night, as I leave the orphanage, I have a smile on my face and warmth in my heart because I've just spent a little time with the girls and sang a few songs about 'My ABC's'."

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Angela McLane of CJTF-HOA Combat Camera, said she enjoyed the energy from the women because they have a strong desire to become fluent in English.

"These women are very smart. They caught on really quickly and were eager to learn more words," Petty Officer McLane said. "I really like seeing their eyes light up when they get the correct answer."

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nita Fay Holliday, the NCO in charge of the CJTF-HOA Staff Judge Advocate's office, said she enjoyed the experience as well because of how happy the girls were to see the U.S. military women sharing valuable life skills with them.

"The smiles on their faces make it completely worth it," Petty Officer Holliday said. "It is great to see these young women smile when they know they got a letter, number or word right. One smile can make a difference."

At the end of the night, smiles were on everyone's faces, friendships were made and the Djiboutian women got to see first-hand the quality of the individuals who take part in programs such as this.

"On our sign-in sheet for the students we have the CJTF-HOA mission statement because we want all of the [Djiboutian] ladies to be reminded that every time they see us we represent America at its best, volunteering and caring about our neighbors," Chaplain Bell said. 

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