Japanese grant for grassroots project for TN, AP

Chennai, Mar 23 (UNI) Japan today formalised grant assistance of 1,80,199 US dollars towards grassroot projects for three non-governmental development organisations working in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Consul General of Japan Yoshiaki Kodaki and chief functionaries of the NGOs signed and exchanged contracts during a ceremony held here.

A grant of 39,464 USD had been approved for ASSIST, a society for integrated rural development, to eliminate child labour in slate industry in Markapur mandal of Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.

Another project, READ, Rural Education and Action Development, was to establish a facilitation and capacity building centre for rural disabled people in Tamil Nadu. The location was Andimadam village in Perambalur district. The grant approved for this was 84,775 USD.

The grant for the third project, CREDS, Centre for Rural Education and Development Society, was 55,960 USD, for constructing a primary school building for socially-backward children. The project site was located near Gronrantla village on the Puttaparthy- Bangalore road.

The grant assistance for grassroot projects (GGP) was a mission to encourage initiative, participation and ownership by the community in sustainable self-help efforts for improving the recipients' socio economic situation and living conditions.

It provided infrastructure support and capacity building by entering into crucial partnerships with voluntary organisations, networks and communities requiring critical support.

The scope and size of the GGP scheme had grown substantially over the years, Mr Kodaki said, adding 1,300 projects in 108 countries received grants of 150 million USD under the scheme in 2004.

The scheme had been in operation in South India since 1990, and so far, 79 projects in different sectors in the four southern states and Pondicherry had been supported by the grant.

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