by Kiwiana Ngabung – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
For over 40 years, the people of Japan and its government have assisted in the development of Papua New Guinea.
Today, at the Japan Embassy marked a ceremonious event for three rural schools and a local NGO, as grant contracts of the Japanese Government’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) were signed.
Successful recipients for this year’s GGP are:
• Warabung Primary School, East Sepik – K198,779
• Laiagam Elementary School, Enga – K210,000
• Ugu Primary School, Hela – K232,370
• Foundation for Rural Development (FORD), Jiwaka – K200,000
The four grant contracts are worth US$ 265,845 (K821,469) in total, all of which will go toward new infrastructure.
In his speech, His Excellency, Ambassador Morio Matsumoto, congratulated the recipients and stated that education plays an important role in enhancing the human resource of the country, promoting social and economic development.
“I’d like to stress that the purpose of this signing is not simply providing the funds but implementing the projects successfully and fully utilising facilities for better education and training in the coming years,” His Excellency said.
Representing Warabung Primary School, Head Teacher, Paul Hauaiemb, thanked the Japanese Government for making it possible for them to establish new school infrastructure.
“Currently the infrastructures that we’re using are still in use but [they were] established in the 60s, and now we are grateful to have such assistance. I’d like to thank the government of Japan for their assistance through the Grassroots funding.”
The GGP provides financial assistance to hospitals, primary schools, NGOs and other non-profit associations to help implement their SELF-HELP development projects. As of October this year, 279 grassroots projects funded by GGP have been implemented in Papua New Guinea.
