The Hindu : Japanese grant under grassroots projects

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

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Other States - New Delhi

Japanese grant under grassroots projects

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI FEB. 13. The Japanese Embassy here has extended grant assistance to five more non-government organizations under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GAGP) scheme.

The grants, totalling $264,139 (Rs.1.24 crores), are being awarded to support grassroots projects. Five other NGOs had received a total grant assistance of $300,820 (Rs. 1.41 crores) from the embassy this past Tuesday.

The Japanese Cultural and Information Centre in a release this evening said the arrangements were finalised at the Embassy of Japan at a signing ceremony in which the Ambassador, Akira Hayashi, and the respective representatives of the NGOs participated.

The organisations covered by the grant are Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, Lok Sewa Samiti, The North-Eastern Boys' Scout and Girls' Guide Association, OISCA-North India and State Resource Centre, Bhartiya Grameen Mahila Sangh.

Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital provides quality eye care to the needy and will use the grant of $75,949 to procure advanced ophthalmic equipment, it is stated.

The Lok Sewa Samiti, which is involved in rural development and especially water projects, has been provided an assistance of $ 78,484, which the NGO wanted for installing 77 hand-pumps in 49 drought-affected villages of Nagaur district in Rajasthan.

The North-Eastern Boys' Scouts and Girls' Guides Association has received the grant of $30,093 for constructing a school building at Koirengei in Imphal East district of Manipur.

As for OISCA-North India, which is pursuing projects on environment and sustainable development, the grant of $2,922 will boost its plans to undertake a Children's Forest Programme to grow mini-forests in 10 schools of Delhi and Haryana.

The State Resource Centre, Bhartiya Grameen Mahila Sangh, provides qualitative, academic and techno pedagogical resource support to a literacy programme in Madhya Pradesh. The Japanese grant of $76,691 to it is meant to be used for establishing a Literacy Resource Centre for girls and women.

The GAGP scheme was introduced by the Japanese Government in 1989 to provide direct timely assistance to the activities of NGOs, research institutions, hospitals and local government towards promoting welfare of the people in developing countries. Last year assistance totalling $3,138,905 (Rs. 15 crores) was provided under the scheme to 52 projects across India. Projects eligible for the grant include primary health care, primary education, care of the handicapped, poverty alleviation, enhancing the status of women, public welfare and environment protection.

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Japanese grant under grassroots projects