Japanese ambassador Atsushi Ueno and representatives of the recipient organisations signed an MOU on March 25. Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh
The Japanese government has allocated a total of $854,960 to two recipient organisations under the framework of the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects.
The Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh announced that a contract was signed by Japanese ambassador Atsushi Ueno and representatives of the recipient organisations on March 25, according to an embassy press release on the same day.
The grant for the first project, “Developing 4-Year Quality Physical Education Teacher Education University through Utilising Information and Communication Technology (ICT)”, run by the non-profit Hearts of Gold (HoG), received an endowment of $553,970 for the initiative’s second year.
According to the embassy, the NGO plans to enhance the management system of the National Institute of Physical Education and Sport (NIPES) by utilising ICT, including improvements in the library, international centre, internal quality assurance, teacher development, student management, alumni support and security management.
“The project aims to establish a sustainable management structure to train teachers of physical education in line with the Minimum Standards for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions in Cambodia,” it stated.
The other project, “Promotion of Employment for Persons with Disabilities through Improving the Environment of the Women’s Development Centre and Strengthening the Network with Communities in Kandal Province”, headed by the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan), received $300,987.
The project seeks to enhance working conditions for persons with disabilities in the province by upgrading the vocational training centre environment and building networks among local communities.
Ueno remarked that grant assistance for Japanese NGOs began in 2002, aimed at supporting socio-economic development projects in developing countries; in Cambodia, it was initiated to support Japanese NGOs in aiding the nation’s reconstruction and development at the grassroots level.
He said that over the past 20 years, Japan has provided over $54 million in aid for 160 projects in the Kingdom, focusing primarily on primary education, health, agriculture and mine clearance.
“I’m pleased to see Cambodia’s rapid development recently. However, I acknowledge that there are challenges remaining in enhancing people’s quality of life,” added the envoy.
