The Government of Japan has pledged financial support totalling $377,920 (approximately Rs38 million) for the improvement of educational facilities in disadvantaged areas of Pakistan, said a press release issued by the Japanese embassy.
The amount will be given to four non-government organisations. Agreements to this effect were signed on Thursday between Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Inomata and heads of the four organisations.
Al Asar Development Organization will get $102,110 for the construction of a girls’ school in Dera Ghazi Khan district. The school will include a basic health centre which will cater primarily to students but would also be open to the community.
The grant of $102,470 to Friends’ Welfare Association will be used for the construction of a girls’ high school in Mansehra. The grant to Iraj Education and Development Foundation amounting to $75,623 will be used for the construction of a girls’ middle school in Pakpattan. A school and vocational training centre for women will be established in Jhelum through the grant of $97,717 to Khadija Zaib Welfare Foundation.
At the signing ceremony, ambassador Inomata emphasised the importance of improving access to basic education, particularly for girls. He hoped that the projects agreed on today would contribute to Pakistan’s goal of eliminating regional and gender disparities in terms of educational opportunities and strengthen relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan.
Earlier, agreements for two other projects on education and health were signed in September. The amount Japan provided to Pakistani NGOs during the current Japanese fiscal year (which starts in April) has added up to $549,840 in total, said the release.
Another two agreements, one for road rehabilitation and the other for medical equipment, are scheduled to be signed next week.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2014.
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