February 27, 2002
Grassroots Grant Assistance to the Primary Schools
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The Embassy of Japan in Nepal has decided to extend grant assistance to the Milan Club Nepal for the implementation of the Project for the Supply of Educational Equipment for Primary Schools in the Dharmasthali, Kavresthali, Sangla and Phutung Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Kathmandu district in Japan's FY 2002 under the Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Projects (GGP) Scheme of the Government of Japan.
A grant contract to this effect was signed in Kathmandu today by Mr. Takamichi OKABE, Chargé d' Affaires a. i., Embassy of Japan in Nepal and Mr. Amar Narayan Mali, Vice President, Milan Club Nepal.
Under the Project, 1,894 sets of desks and chairs, 46 blackboards, 44 musical organs, 103 harmonicas, 30 xylophones, 2 video cassette players, 3 video monitors and some other educational equipment will be provided to a total of eleven (11) primary schools in the above four VDCs. This used equipment is donated from schools in Japan. The Government of Japan will bear the transportation costs of this educational equipment from Japan to Nepal.
The Embassy of Japan is providing eighty two thousand and five hundred US dollars (US$ 82,500) approximately six million, three hundred and fifty six thousand, six hundred and twenty five Nepalese rupees (NRs 6,356,625) to implement the Project. Milan Club Nepal and the VDCs will bear the operation and maintenance costs of the Project.
Even though the above four VDCs lie just at the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu, students in the primary school in those VDCs are devoid of modern educational facilities. The schools in these VDCs lack financial resources to procure such modern teaching aids. School children are forced to sit on the floor and use traditional forms of classroom materials. This discourages children from attending schools, thereby adding to the problem of a high dropout rate in the country.
Implementation of the above Project is expected to help children in those VDCs enjoy learning and encourage them to attend schools. Besides this, the Project is also expected to help students and teachers alike acquaint themselves with modern teaching techniques and the joy of learning. Together, the Project is expected to boost enrollment ratio in those VDCs and take a step forward in aiding the government in achieving the goal of universal primary education in the country.
Furthermore, the Project is expected to help boost literacy rate and welfare of the people in and around those VDCs.
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