US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI390

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000390 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
State for AF, AF/E, AF/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, PGOV, SCUL, DJ 
SUBJECT: Essay Winners Lunch With Ambassador Ragsdale; English Clubs 
Continue Positive Impact 
 
 
1. (U) Winners of the Embassy's Black History Month Essay Contest 
attended an awards lunch this week hosted by the Ambassador at her 
residence on the Embassy compound. 
For many of the teenagers invited and their teachers, this was their 
first visit to the American Embassy. Members of the panel selected to 
evaluate the essays included the editor-in-chief of the country's 
largest newspaper and a prominent female attorney and an 
International Visitor alumnus, among others. They also attended the 
lunch. 
 
2. (U) Winners - three females and one male - were selected anonymously 
by the panel from among about 50 students invited to submit 250 words i 
French or English on one of two themes: How can education influence 
positive change; or How can tolerance encourage progress? Four winning 
entries were chosen: three at the high school level and one at the 
university level. Prizes, which included both gift certificates to a 
local store and PD-donated books were presented to all the winners. 
Although only one of the four winners submitted her essay in English, 
all contestants who made the effort to write in English also received 
book sets. In her remarks at the lunch, the Ambassador congratulated 
both student winners and their teachers and thanked the selection panel 
for its contribution. 
 
3.  (SBU) English Club themes this week included Discrimination Against 
Women (Corne d'Afrique), Khat Use (Djibouti Institute) and Problems in 
Learning English (Balbala School of English). It is interesting to note 
the majority of the 50 students who attended the Balbala session 
reported that PD's English club offered the first chance ever to meet 
an American. It is also interesting to note, that about 50 percent of 
that same group attends Arabic school during the day. 
RAGSDALE