The Government of Japan has decided to extend financial support totalling US$ 377,920 (approx. Rs. 38 million) to four Pakistani NGOs, Al-Asar Development Organization, Iraj Education and Development Foundation, Khadija Zaib Welfare Foundation and Friends Welfare Association for the improvement of educational facilities in disadvantaged areas of the country. The agreements for the four projects were signed on November 6, 2014, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Islamabad, between H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and the heads of the four organisations.
Al-Asar Development Organization will utilise its grant of US $ 102,110 for the construction of a girls’ school District Dera Ghazi Khan, including a basic health centre in that will cater primarily for students but also be open to the community. The grant of US $ 102,470 to Friends’ Welfare Association will be used for the construction of a girls’ high school in District Mansehra. The grant to Iraj Education and Development Foundation amounting to US $ 75,623 on the other hand will be used for the construction of a girls’ middle school in District Pakpattan. Lastly, a school and vocational training centre for women will be established in District Jhelum through the grant of US $ 97,717 to Khadija Zaib Welfare Foundation.
The Government of Japan has given high priority to empowerment of women both in Japan and other countries under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. These projects form a part of this commitment.
At the signing ceremony, Ambassador Inomata emphasized the importance of improving access to basic education in this country, particularly for girls. He expressed his hope that the projects agreed on today would contribute to Pakistan’s goal of eliminating regional and gender disparities in terms of educational opportunities and in doing so would certainly strengthen the friendly relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan.
Earlier, agreements for two other projects on education and health were signed in September. Hence, the amount the Government of Japan provided to Pakistani NGOs during the current Japanese Fiscal Year (which starts in April) adds up to US $ 549,840 in total. Moreover, agreements for two more projects, one for road rehabilitation and the other for medical equipment, are scheduled to be signed next week.
Note: The Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (GGP) Programme is an initiative of the Japanese government with the belief that, in consideration of the enormity of the challenges being faced by the world today. Since it began in 1989, the GGP Programme has supported more than 330 projects in Pakistan, with a contribution of more than 2.3 billion Japanese Yen.
<http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp/JapanPakistanRelations/GrantAssistance-new.html> |
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