A total of 70 workers are working on the the Ministry of Education project. The work is going faster than expected. We anticipate clearing the 150,000 square foot building down to the concrete structure and piping in about 30 days. We will expand the project to include the Ministry of Higher Education building, a theatre in between the building, the parking structure and the surrounding grounds. In a few weeks we'll probably have about 120 or so workers on the site.

The Ministry of Higher Education building is identical to the Ministry of Education building, both 11 stories above the ground (12 including full basement). The Ministry of Education is responsible for Iraq's primary & secondary schools while the Ministry of Higher Education is responsible for colleges, technical colleges, and research institutions.

The view from the roof. Fire damage is on all floors. Looting was so thorough that the only things of use remaining of use in the building is the concrete structure. Most of the valuable metal parts, glass, door frames etc., have been removed.

The auditorium and central services building between the two Ministries. A quick thinking building engineer flooded the basement so that the looters wouldn't steal the generators, air conditioning units, motors, and other central services parts that are now submerged below twenty feet of water. We will pump out the water after site security is re-established.

Ali, site foreman, directs some workers.

It's bigger than it looks.

A team of about 25 JumpStart International's workers began today cleaning and painting the new temporary HQ of the Minister of Education.

Security walls will be also constructed for this project.

The foreman for this project is Engineer Saad, who began working with JumpStart at the Ministry of Planning project.