The signing ceremony of the Grant Contracts for four (4) new projects, under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP), was held on 18th March, 2015, at the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi.

In this ceremony, the Grant Contracts for the projects were signed between Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India and the representative of respective recipient organizations.

The Government of Japan offers a financial assistance scheme called “the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP)” for development projects designed to meet the diverse basic human needs of the people in developing countries. Since 1989, the scheme has been supporting relatively small-scaled projects implemented by non-profit organizations such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), educational and medical institutions through Japanese diplomatic missions in developing countries.

The total amount of the 4 projects which will be signed at this ceremony is 349,419 US dollars. Details of each project are as follows.

1. “The Project for the Expansion of Vocational Training Center for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Delhi” (Recipient Organization: Tamana)

This project, the amount of which totaling 81,664 US dollars, will support the construction of 2 vocational training classrooms and a bakery unit for children and youth with disabilities, in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.

In India, it is still difficult for people with disabilities to become socially and economically independent as the opportunities to get special education, vocational training and employment are limited for them.

Tamana, the recipient organization of this project, established in 1984, is running 3 special schools in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, and provides special education and vocational training to mentally challenged and autistic children and youth based on their age as well as the degree and kind of disability. With its increasing number of students and growing need for vocational training for intellectually disabled children and youth, it is becoming difficult for the organization to accept any more children to their vocational training school due to lack of classrooms.

This project, through constructing 2 additional classrooms and one new bakery building in the school, will help the expansion of vocational training opportunities for children and youth with intellectual disabilities, and will contribute to facilitate the social and economic independence of people with disabilities.

(Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and Dr. Shayama Chona, President, Tamana)

2. “The Project for the Construction of Out Patient Department for the Poor Patients in Agra, Uttar Pradesh” (Recipient Organization: Assissi Sister's St. Joseph's Dispensary)

This project, the amount of which totaling 99,457 US dollars, aims to construct an out-patient department building for economically poor patients in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

In Agra, many of the slum colonies in the city and its neighboring rural villages are under poor nutrition and hygienic conditions, and people are at high risk of disease. However, since the medical costs are high, the chances to get quality medical treatment is very limited for impoverished patients living in this area.

Assissi Sister's St. Joseph's Dispensary, the recipient organization of this project, was established in 1985 and has been running a hospital for patients from the economically weaker background living in the city slum colonies and neighboring rural villages in Agra since 1995. They provide medical treatment to about 120 patients daily. Although the need for their medical service and the number of patients visiting their hospital has been increasing year by year, the current facility of their hospital does not have enough capacity to cater services to more patients.

The new out-patient department, which will be constructed under this project, will enable the organization to deliver quality medical care to larger number of economically challenged patients.


(Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and Sr. Susy Mary, Administrator, Assissi Sister's St. Joseph's Dispensary)

3. “The Project for the Construction of Shelter Home in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, for Destitute and Helpless Old Aged People Picked up from the Streets in Delhi” (Recipient Organization: Saint Hardyal Education and Orphans Welfare Society)

This project will help the construction of a shelter home in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to protect old aged people picked up from the streets in Delhi. The project amounts to 95,991 US dollars.

In Delhi there are cases found where old aged people are abandoned in the streets for various causes like economic reasons of their families. The life is very severe for them since they do not have any means to earn nor places to stay. In addition, proper medical care is hardly accessible, although many of those abandoned elderly people suffer from physical and mental difficulties by aging such as dementia.

Saint Hardyal Education and Orphans Welfare Society (SHEOWS), established in 1994, is running shelter homes, one in Delhi and another one in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to protect such elderly people picked up from the streets. With growing number of old aged people in their current shelter homes, additional new shelter is required to accommodate larger number of elderly people.

The new shelter building which will be constructed in the same premise of shelter home currently run by SHEOWS in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, will help protect more elderly people from the streets, and provide them with necessary medical treatment and care as well as quality living environment.


(Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and Mr. Saurabh Bhagat, Director, Saint Hardyal Education and Orphans Welfare Society)

4. “The Project for the Construction of Community Health Clinic in Khamrang Village, Kolasib District, Mizoram” (Recipient Organization: Mission Foundation Movement)

This project is to construct a clinic and provide primary health care to the people in the villages in Kolasib, Mizoram. This project amounts to 72,307 US dollars.

The project site is located at about 50 km from Aizawl, the capital of the state Mizoram, and dwelled by 3,000 people. As the nearest medical institute is 22 km far, the medical service is hard to get for the people living in this area.

Established in 2002, Mission Foundation Movement, the recipient organization of this project, is working on the issues such as unemployment and medical service. The organization is currently running a nursing school in Aizawl, and caters mobile clinic in remote places in Mizoram. They also started a temporary clinic in this project site from 2013, and is catering free medical services to the villagers every day. However, as the temporary clinic lacks the basic facilities as medical clinic, they cannot fully deliver necessary medical cares to the patients.

The new clinic, which will be constructed under this project, will enable the organization to deliver basic primary health care service to the people of the targeted area, and will also contribute to the reduction of infant and maternal mortality as well as the prevention and proper treatment to malaria.


(Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and Mr. Lalramchuanzela, Coordinator, Mission Foundation Movement)

The Government of Japan hopes that the 4 new grassroots grant assistance projects above will improve the quality of living of the people in the project areas, and will further develop the friendly and cooperative relationship between Japan and India.

(End)