DCM SPEECHES

Mr. Thomas P. Furey
Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy
Remarks
American International School: Ground Breaking Ceremony

October 25, 2005

Protocols.

There is a beautiful African proverb popularized in the United States by Senator and our former first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"It takes a village to raise a child."

As a father of two girls on the brink of adulthood, I know just how true this proverb is.

During my career in the Foreign Service, my wife Dorothy and I have had a lot of help in raising our daughters.

From the local residents in the many countries in which we have lived to our fellow diplomats - our daughters have indeed been raised by a global village.

And a key part of that global village has been their local American international schools.

From Bombay to Mexico City, from Bangkok to London, the American international schools that our children have attended have helped to prepare them for entrance to good colleges in the United States and to be productive, good adults.

Made up not only of the administrators and educators, but also of parents and community leaders, American international schools represent small villages.

Not only for globe trotting children from countries from around the world but also for the children in the countries where these schools are located.

And so today, I am delighted to be able to participate in the foundation laying ceremony for the new campus of the American International School of Abuja.

The American International School of Abuja, has students from 40 countries.

By bringing children together from different parts of the globe, the American International School of Abuja does what we as diplomats can only dream of - it builds a solid relationship between people from our many countries by developing cultural understanding and ties long before politics ever enter the picture.

By bringing our children together the American International School of Abuja also brings their parents together.

And while we as parents may have our diverse backgrounds and differing politics, our children unite us.

The American International School of Abuja was first established just 12 years ago even before the US moved its Embassy from Lagos to Abuja.

In that time, many other diplomatic missions have moved to Abuja as well.

These missions are expanding, just as Abuja expands its importance to Nigeria.
Combine that with the influx of international businesses and well traveled Nigerians and it is no surprise the American International School of Abuja has grown from 40 students when it started to 261 today.

Given increased demand for a US style secondary school program, the American International School of Abuja will soon expand even further.

As early as August 2006, as Mr. Acuff said, the American International School of Abuja will add a high school.

A growing student body, of course, means a need for more space.

The quest for a new and larger school has been the dream of the school administration, the school board and the parents almost from the beginning.

And it would have remained just that, a dream, had it not been for the contributions of the many groups represented here today.

Everything began with the American International School of Abuja school board and administration, who, after much deliberation, developed the designs and the specifications the new school would need to meet our children's needs.

Let me add that having served on American international school boards in Bombay and Bangladesh, I know how hard these school board members and the school administrators have to work just to run the existing school.

Add to that the large scale development of an entirely new school campus and the long hours and commitment of the school board members are only multiplied.

After receiving approval for a site for the school from the FCT, they presented their detailed plans to the US Department of State who agreed to provide support for the school.

The enhanced plans were next presented to His Excellency, the FCT Minister, who not only designated the site for the new school but who has also pledged the much needed infrastructure -- roads, electricity and water.

The Honorable Minister has, through the entire process, been one of our staunchest supporters.

Please join me in thanking His Excellency for all he has done.

With the help of the Honorable Minister and Ambassador John Campbell, we held a very successful fund raising event for the new school this past April.

Armed with support from this event, and the infrastructure from the local government, half a million dollars in security equipment provide for our children by the Department of State, and an excellent design plan, the school then approached the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, an Independent Agency of the United States Government, requesting a loan to construct the school.

I am delighted to report that the loan was approved in the amount of three million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

This was certainly the result of the entire global village coming to together for the benefit our children.

Thank you all for your efforts. Without each of you working together we would not be standing here today.

Thank you.

 

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