1. The Government of Japan, under its development assistance scheme “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects”, decided to extend grant assistance totaling US$215,465 (approximately equivalent to Rs. 134 Lac) to three Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to support their respective projects. The NGOs and projects receiving the Grants are as follows:

(i) Rajsamand Jan Vikas Sansthan has been engaged in women empowerment activities in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, since its establishment in 2003. They have been supporting rural women through provision of various kinds of assistance. With a growing need for training opportunities and a shelter facility for vulnerable women in the area, a new women development center is going to be built in order to scale up the women empowerment activities and bring the rural women in the area together. To this end, the Embassy of Japan has decided to make a grant assistance of US$79,911 for the Project for　Construction of Women Progress Centre at Rajsamand in Rajasthan.

(ii) Ishwar Charitable Trust has been working to provide ophthalmological treatment for rural and urban poor, since its establishment in 1983. They have been running an ophthalmological hospital in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and carrying out an outreach program to 17 places in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, to provide quality eye treatment to the rural and urban poor with free or minimal charge. With the increasing number of patients, especially retina-related ailments, new ophthalmological equipment is needed in order to provide better treatment for their poor patients. To this end, the Embassy of Japan has decided to make a grant assistance of US$82,031 for the Project for Supply of Retinal Surgical Equipment for the Poor Patients in Uttar Pradesh.


(iii) PHD Rural Development Foundation has been working for rural development at grassroots level in various places in India, focusing on the areas of livelihood promotion, education, water harvesting, etc, since its establishment in 1981. In Mewat District, Haryana, the construction of a check dam is critically needed in order to recharge groundwater for the benefit of surrounding village communities. To this end, the Embassy of Japan has decided to make a grant assistance of US$53,523 for the Project for Construction of Check Dam at Mohmadbas Village, Mewat District, Haryana.


2. The Signing Ceremony to formalize the arrangements took place at 3:30pm on Thursday, 20th March 2014, at the Embassy of Japan, between H.E. Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and the respective representatives of the above NGOs.

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