ADB's Japan Fund to grant $ 2 mln aid to rural Bhutanese

Singapore, Jan 17 (UNI) A grant of two million dollars from Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan, will be provided to help reduce poverty among rural Bhutanese, the Manila-based ADB said today.

The aid will be given through a pilot project comprising of a skills development programme in 25 geogs (group of villages) in three rural districts.

Poverty in the country is persistent in rural areas, where people rely mostly on subsistence agriculture and are financially vulnerable during the off-farm seasons, the ADB said adding that the said project will be carried out during off-farm seasons.

The programmes will teach villagers basic modern trades such as carpentry, masonry, electrical wiring, plumbing and construction planning, to develop their income-generating skills.

The project will train 30 trainers and produce manuals and textbooks, and train at least 375 villagers throughout the programme's four-year period.

Graduates will then be registered on a web site that can serve as a database of workers who can be hired for specific projects.

If successful, the Government will replicate the approach in the remaining 175 geogs in the country.

The Government and beneficiaries will contribute 3,40,000 dollars equivalent towards the project's cost, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide technical support through short term JICA experts and JICA senior and junior volunteers.

Villages will also benefit from it as on-the-job training will include the construction of public toilets and hostels for school children. If requested, the project can also provide additional training in traditional arts and crafts, and maintenance of office equipment.

The project complements the Government's Village Skills Development Programme and the ADB-backed Basic Skills Development Project, which expanded vocational education and training for new graduates, unemployed youth, domestic laborers, women, and people in rural areas.

The JFPR was set up in 2000 with an initial contribution of 90 million dollars, followed by additional contributions totaling 155 million dollars in 2002, and annual contributions up to 2006 bringing the total amount to 360 million dollars.

UNI