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Warrant Officer Dean Henley could be the most popular man in southern Afghanistan, thanks to a silver suitcase that has earned him the nickname "Prince of Panjwaii."
The suitcase is packed with money for locals, who are paid $5 a day to clean schoolyards, or dig out ditches and canals.
Officials have employed about 500 so far.
"I think almost everybody knows who I am, they give me big smiles and waves," Henley told CTV News. "Everybody calls me Dean."
While five dollars a day isn't much, for many it makes a difference about what their families can eat for a week.
The idea is to give Afghans just enough money that they won't become dependant on the Canadians for work.
On one occasion, Henley passed 3,000 Afghani bills to a local supervisor for 10 days of labour.
The supervisor then handed over a share to a peasant named Safula, who gladly took it in his rough hands.
"People are really poor here," Safula said. "We got hurt a lot by the bombing so we need more work."
Henley, a reserve soldier, works as a school teacher in Canada. He's in Afghanistan for half a year, but says he'll stay longer if he's needed.
"I gave up six months of my life to come here," he said.
"I lost friends in the fighting. I think we're doing a really good job."
Meanwhile, Canadian troops are trying to get funding from NATO to repair a dilapidated school near Kandahar Airfield.
The school has no toilets and part of the roof has fallen in, while electricity and water only works for one hour each day.
The school was built in the 1980s as an apartment building for the Soviet Army, and officials are hoping for permanent repairs.
Canadian soldiers have given the school regular supplies, and recently brought along French engineers to check the building's condition.
But one student said what the school really needed was a better source for power.
"If you want to help our school, just bring one big generator for this building," Kaleemulah told The Canadians Press.
With a report by CTV's Paul Workman and files from The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070119/prince_afghanistan_070119/20070119?hub=Canada
Keep up the good work, and best of luck to everybody who's making a difference
The suitcase is packed with money for locals, who are paid $5 a day to clean schoolyards, or dig out ditches and canals.
Officials have employed about 500 so far.
"I think almost everybody knows who I am, they give me big smiles and waves," Henley told CTV News. "Everybody calls me Dean."
While five dollars a day isn't much, for many it makes a difference about what their families can eat for a week.
The idea is to give Afghans just enough money that they won't become dependant on the Canadians for work.
On one occasion, Henley passed 3,000 Afghani bills to a local supervisor for 10 days of labour.
The supervisor then handed over a share to a peasant named Safula, who gladly took it in his rough hands.
"People are really poor here," Safula said. "We got hurt a lot by the bombing so we need more work."
Henley, a reserve soldier, works as a school teacher in Canada. He's in Afghanistan for half a year, but says he'll stay longer if he's needed.
"I gave up six months of my life to come here," he said.
"I lost friends in the fighting. I think we're doing a really good job."
Meanwhile, Canadian troops are trying to get funding from NATO to repair a dilapidated school near Kandahar Airfield.
The school has no toilets and part of the roof has fallen in, while electricity and water only works for one hour each day.
The school was built in the 1980s as an apartment building for the Soviet Army, and officials are hoping for permanent repairs.
Canadian soldiers have given the school regular supplies, and recently brought along French engineers to check the building's condition.
But one student said what the school really needed was a better source for power.
"If you want to help our school, just bring one big generator for this building," Kaleemulah told The Canadians Press.
With a report by CTV's Paul Workman and files from The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070119/prince_afghanistan_070119/20070119?hub=Canada
Keep up the good work, and best of luck to everybody who's making a difference
