GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN EXTENDS US$168,339 GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR TWO GRASSROOTS PROJECTS

NEW DELHI: 22 September 2005

The Embassy of Japan in India, under its scheme ‘Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects’, today decided to extend grant assistance totalling US$168,339 (approximately equivalent to Rs.74 lacs) to two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to support education and health care projects undertaken by them. The following NGOs and projects are receiving the Grants:

Meerut Children Welfare Trust was established in 1994 for the welfare of mentally challenged children at its special school in Meerut city, Uttar Pradesh. The Trust planned a project for establishing a school and rehabilitation centre, which will not only provide better clinical and counselling facilities but can also provide education and training to more number of mentally challenged children.

Realizing the need, the Embassy of Japan decided to give a grant assistance of US$84,423 for the project. With this project, around 250 students will get education, and more children and their parents will get clinical and counselling services that will help in early detection and intervention.

Shri Parmatma Chand Bhandari Charitable Trust was formed with the objective of promoting basic healthcare to the rural and disadvantaged communities in Pipar area of Thar desert in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan. In the targeted area, the existing health care infrastructure is poor and people have little access to health facilities due to long distances and inadequate transportation. As a result, people suffer from a wide rage of health problems. The trust is running a hospital to provide various heath care services especially focusing on eye care services in this area.

To improve health condition of the villagers, the Trust decided to establish complete and comprehensive health care facilities and requested financial assistance from the Embassy of Japan for that. To augment the efforts of the Trust in providing qualified medical services and specialized ophthalmic services to 12,000 people annually in Pipar area of Thar desert in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan, the Embassy of Japan decided to grant them a sum of US$83,916 for constructing the hospital.

The Signing Ceremony to formalize the arrangements is scheduled to take place at 1600hrs on Thursday, 22 September 2005, at the Embassy of Japan, by Ambassador Yasukuni Enoki and the respective representatives of the above NGOs.

The scheme of "Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects" was introduced by the Government of Japan in 1989, to provide timely assistance directly to the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) promoting welfare of the people in developing countries. Projects eligible for the grant assistance include such fields as primary healthcare, primary education, care of the handicapped people, poverty alleviation, enhancing status of women, public welfare, environment protection, etc. The Embassy of Japan and the Consulates General of Japan in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are in charge of this scheme in their respective regions.

For further information, please contact Mr. Yasushi Furukawa, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, Telephone No. 91-11-2687-6564.