Japan aids school renovation

On 12th August an Opening Ceremony was held in Akhlo-lalo school, for the Project of the Rehabilitation of School in Akho-lalo Village in Marneuli District, which has been implemented within the framework of “Grassroots and Human Security Grant Assistance Programme” of the Government of Japan. The Ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Masayoshi KAMOHARA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia, representatives of central and local authorities and members of related organization.

“The Embassy started considering this project upon a request from H.E. Mr. Temur Iakobashvili, the State Minister for the Reintegration Issues of Georgia. Then we found that most of the Akhlo-lalo villagers are Azerbaijani people. We decided to formulate this project cooperating with the NGO “Sherigeba”, which has successfully constructed a primary healthcare centre for Azerbaijani residents in Kizilajlo Village of Marneuli District in 2008, in the framework of the Grassroots Human Security Grant Project of the Japanese Government,” Ambassador stated.

“I am happy to see that this project is successfully completed like the last. I believe that this time the project will also greatly contribute to the integration of the local people into the Georgian society, which will enhance the strong unity of whole Georgia,” he added.

The Grant Contract of the above-mentioned project was concluded on 26th November 2009 between the Embassy of Japan and NGO Ethnic and Religious Relations Centre ’Sherigeba’. The aim of the project is to improve the learning conditions of children by renovating the school building. It is expected that 150 children and 17 teachers will directly benefit from the project. The budget for this current project is 74,893 USD.

“Grassroots and Human Security Grant Assistance Programme” acts on relatively small-scale projects for municipalities, medical institutions, academic institutes and NGOs, aiming directly at the improvement of living standards of Georgians suffering from hardship. Projects might be in the field of public health, medicine, elementary or secondary education, social protection and environment, poverty reduction and increase of incomes. The programme started in 1998 and to date 94 projects which amount to 6,987,354 USD have been implemented under this programme in Georgia. Japan’s Official Development Assistance provided to Georgia totals 342.9 million USD, covering a wide range of areas such as the improvement of economic infrastructure, agricultural sector, social sector, cultural field and human resource development.