Japan pledges grant for improvement in health, education

Funding would be spent over facilities on Islamabad’s outskirts, Khyber Agency in FATA

ISLAMABAD: The Japanese government has pledged $171,920 (approximately Rs17 million) worth of financial support for the improvement of health and education facilities in the capital’s outskirts and Khyber Agency in the tribal areas.

An agreement in this regard is to be signed between the Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Inomata and representatives of two non-government organisations.

Out of the total grant, the Learning Awareness and Motivation Program (LAMP) are to get $101,260 and the True Worth Foundation $70,660 for improvement of educational and health facilities on the outskirts of the federal capital and Khyber Agency.

The grant to True Worth Foundation will be used for the improvement of a health centre in Chatha Bakhtawar on the outskirts of Islamabad, including the provision of an ambulance, establishment of a laboratory and the upgrading of facilities.

It is estimated that approximately 5,400 people from the underdeveloped communities will benefit from this project.

The grant to LAMP will be used for the construction of a primary school in Lashora village of Khyber Agency. It is expected that more than 170 students who are currently studying in open-air facilities would be able to learn in a newly-built school building.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Inomata remarked that Japan’s Official Development Assistance Programme to Pakistan confers a high priority to the improvement of educational and health facilities in the country.

He expressed hope that these grants would contribute to Pakistan’s goals of providing equal opportunities for good quality education as well as improving access to healthcare facilities, and in doing so would certainly strengthen the friendly relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2014.