February 18, 2013
 Japan's Assistance for two Grass-roots Projects
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The Government of Japan has decided to extend financial assistance totaling US$125,632 equivalent to approximately NRs. 10,716,409.6 to Shree Deurali Lower Secondary School and Saptari Community Development Center, Nepal (SCDC) to support their projects respectably. Shree Deurali Lower Secondary School will implement the Project for Construction of School Building for Basic Education for Shree Deurali Lower Secondary School in Parbat, and SCDC will implement the project for the construction of a school building for Early Child Development at three VDCs in the Saptari District. This financial assistance is extended under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme of the Government of Japan in Japan’s FY 2012.
The Grant Contract relating to these projects was signed and exchanged today between His Excellency Mr. Kunio TAKAHASHI, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, and the representatives of the above two organizations.
Shree Deurali Lower Secondary School, located at Huwas VDC in Parbat District is a public school established in 1963 by a close and amicable relationship with the local community and people. The school, in coordination with the local community has made untiring efforts to improve its education. However, despite the school’s and the community’s ardent desire to improve the infrastructure of the school, they were unable to raise finance, as the members of the community are mostly from economically underprivileged backgrounds. To address this issue, the school will utilize the grant amount USD 29,919 exclusively to construct a single-story building with three rooms which is capable of holding about 80 students from Grade 1 to Grade 3.
SCDC is a non-governmental organization based in Rajbiraj Municipality, Saptari District. Since its establishment in 1997, this organization has been working for community development in rural areas in the Saptari District through poverty alleviation and educational improvement in collaboration with different stakeholders such as UNICEF and District Development Committee Saptari. During their activities in rural communities, SCDC found that some schools are facing serious problems in conducting Early Child Development (ECD) classes due to the lack of classrooms. Based on the schools’ and the communities’ ardent request, SCDC will utilize the grant amount of USD 95,713 to construct ECD buildings at three schools; a single-story building with two classrooms at Majhau School at Boriya VDC and Buddeshowari School at Naktiraypur VDC, and a single-story building with one classroom at Janata School at Arnaha VDC. This project will directly benefit a total of 144 children in ECD classes at the three schools.
Speaking at the function, H.E. Mr. Kunio TAKAHASHI expressed his belief that the two projects signed today are going to contribute to support the education of rural children, and he is confident that this grant will play a significant role in further strengthening the cordial and friendly relationship between Japan and Nepal.
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