The Japanese government has agreed to provide Cambodian organisations with a total of $264,086 in grants for three projects involving physical rehabilitation, water treatment, and clean water supply for students, according to Japan’s embassy in Phnom Penh.

The financing is part of Japan’s KUSANONE initiative, formally known as “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects”, the embassy said in a statement on March 4.

A signing ceremony for the grants was held on March 4 in the presence of Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Masahiro Mikami and representatives of the three recipient organisations.

The Japanese embassy said $92,390 would go to Kratie Physical Rehabilitation Centre in Kratie province to install prosthetic and orthotic and physiotherapy equipment.

It said $83,256 would go to Teuk Saat 1001 to rebuild old water treatment kiosks in one of Prey Veng province’s communes, and seven communes across Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Siem Reap provinces.

And $88,440 was granted to Sangkhim Canaan School in Kampong Chhnang province to provide students and staff with clean water.

The ambassador said he expects around 500 patients visiting the Kratie centre annually to benefit from the improved facility and quality of prostheses and orthotics.

Mikami stressed that Teuk Saat 1001 would use the grant to install all the necessary equipment to support the rebuilt water treatment kiosks across the eight communes.

“We expect that more than 78,000 residents in the targetted areas will be able to have better access to safe and affordable drinking water,” he added.

He commented that 560 students and 60 teachers would have access to clean water thanks to the Kampong Chhang project. Additionally, he said, this may provide an opportunity for them to acquire knowledge on sanitation and hygiene, and to experience modern technology.

Mikami said Japan would continue to tackle these challenges through KUSANONE and other economic and development cooperation projects.