CIMIC aid sparks friendship
Volume 11, No. 57, November 30, 2006
Maj Mark Tanzer

A SMALL village in Iraq’s Al Muthanna Province now has reliable electricity thanks to an Australian Army CIMIC project conducted by Overwatch Battle Group (West) this month.

Although only one kilometre from the regional electricity grid, the community of Al Eshan had never been connected. Instead, its 100 residents relied on a high-maintenance generator for their power needs.

Capt Bill Boyd-Law, OBG (W)-1 CIMIC, said Al Eshan and a number of other villages had been identified as a priority for Australian funding.

“The project for Al Eshan involved installing 11 KVA power lines and poles to connect the village,” Capt Boyd-Law said.

“It was planned in conjunction with the Provincial Government, and employed 25 local people. Another aim was to show that we weren’t just looking after people in the main population centres.”

He said the benefits of reliable power were endless, ensuring refrigeration for food, drinking water, lighting for security and education, and access to media information.

Al Eshan village elder, Mr Khadim Asi Mohane, thanked the Australians during a small ceremony to mark the completion of the project.

“We are grateful to the people of Australia for what they have done,” he said. “We want the Australians to stay here in Iraq – they are very welcome.”