Japan, 4 local groups sign GGHSP grant

The Japanese Ambassador to Liberia under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGHSP) has signed four separate grants with four Liberian organizations, totaling about $348,593.00 to execute various projects at the community level.

The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday, 28 February in the Compound of the United Methodist Church in the 13th Street suburb of Monrovia. The beneficiaries include Peer Vision Educational Network Liberia, Community Safety Initiative (CSI), Community Healthcare Initiative, and NAY-Yougor Wulakellen Empowerment Program (NAY-WEP), respectively.

Speaking during the ceremony, Japan Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Liberia, Tsutomu HIMENO, says his country is prepared to continue partnering for the social development of the people of Liberia and Japan relationship.

He explains that the four groups were selected from over 900 applicants, who applied for grant to implement various development projects for the common good of their respective communities.

Ambassador Tsutomu says proposals of the four organizations were very excellent, which revisited their respective organizations, working with local organizations in local communities involved in human security and grassroots initiatives.

The Japanese envoy recounts the strong partnership between Liberia and Japan as acknowledged by President George Weah. In separate remarks on behalf of their respective groups, the Executive Director for the Community Safety Initiative (CSI) Mr. Samukai Blama Sannoh, whose group received US$90,670.00 to construct Youth Development Center in Electoral District#1, Grand Bassa County, says the project will cost US#79,878.09, provision of basic furniture costing US$8,842.4 and external audit cost of US$1,950.00, respectively.

For his part, the Executive Director for the Community Healthcare Initiative, Madam Naomi Tulay Solanka, notes that over four years her group had worked in seven of Liberia’s 15 counties, providing training to women and girls on sexual reproductive health and right, strengthening existing women structures through economic livelihood, making them more knowledgeable about their rights and health-related issue affecting them.

The Community Healthcare Initiative (CHI) is to construct a Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Center in Mamba Karba District, Kpan’s town, Grand Bassa County, estimated at $90,899. When completed, the center will provide healthcare delivery to over 25,000 women and children, who have had no access to healthcare facilities. It will also cater to pregnant women.

Under the Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project or GGHSP, the NAY-YOUGOR Wulakellen Empowerment Program (NAY-WEP) will carry out rehabilitation of a 7.4km Cotton Tree Road situated in Yellequelleh District, Bong County, estimated at $83,870.00.

The rehabilitation work will also cover installation of 18 culvert lines of different sizes, bulldoze 2.1km of road which was not covered by the clearing carried out by Representative Edward W. Karfiah, of Electoral District#5 in Bong County.

NAY-WEP Executive Director, Mr. J. Lincoln Klemin assures the Japanese government of his organization’s preparedness to implement the project in full. For her part, the Executive Director for Peer Vision Educational Network Liberia, Mrs. Vinah K. Howard, promises to ensure the construction of an institute for Care and TVET Services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Kakata, Margibi County at an estimated value of $83,154.00.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne