A group of volunteers from Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti joined together on a weekend in March 2011 to begin renovations for a local school, a two-month project that includes cleaning and painting along with other possible construction projects.

Fourteen Community Assistance Volunteers boarded a bus for the Atta Region of Djibouti where they went to work filling buckets with water and began scrubbing dirt and graffiti from the exterior wall of the 'Ecole de Basede Ngad' school.

According to Sameh Ali Ahmed, schoolhouse director, the three-room, one-story schoolhouse has existed in a state of neglect for years.

"It's been like this for a long time, so we're very excited about this project -- about having the Americans here," said Sameh. "We've been trying to schedule this for a long time."

Following a friendly huddle with Sameh and interpreter Mohamed Kamal Hamadou, the fourteen volunteers went to work.

"The entire outside of the school needs to be cleaned, wiped down and prepped for painting," said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Sara Liming, Community Assistance Volunteers (CAV) vice president. "It's going to be painted in accordance with locally approved colors -- light blue on the bottom and white on top."

The Nagad Schoolhouse project is scheduled to last two months and while the CAV must limit its volunteer work to Saturday mornings, the team appears to have given serious thought to their course of action.

"We'll start with the cleaning of the exterior and then weekend by weekend, paint each section," said Liming.

Along with this, there are other school projects under consideration: constructing an edifice for students and teachers to cook under; building benches for students to sit on while eating; and finding a way to improve the school's plumbing system. Currently, the institution's only water supply consists of two cracked garden hoses attached to a pump from which a thin stream of water dribbles into a communal sinkhole.

Liming stressed that these projects are only in what she called the discussion phase. "These jobs have not been approved yet, but we're very excited about the possibilities," she said.

CAV member U.S. Air Force Captain Matt Sullivan said he looks forward to the effort CAV projects demand.

"I'm prepared to get dirty," said Captain Sullivan. "I took it for granted that I had access to a good clean school -- hopefully this volunteer work will give a child the opportunity for an education. The CAV is making sure they have a clean place to acquire the knowledge that will propel them through life."