KIGALI - Japan has donated about Frw 137m to local Non Government Organisations (NGOs).

The donation is channeled through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a grant.

The grant was last week evenly distributed to three local NGOs; Amanda Marga Universal Relief Team Rwanda (AMURT-Rwanda), Hope for the Orphans to Skills and Training (HOSTA) and the Institute of Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP).

During a ceremony held at JICA’s Kigali office in Kacyiru, the three NGOs signed contracts with Yumi Otsuka, the head of Great Lakes department on behalf of Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda, Shigeo Iwatani who is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

"I am happy for the healthy bilateral relationship between Rwanda and Japan that has enabled this donation tohappen,” Otsuka said. The NGOs were represented by their top leaders; Dr. Kumar Jitendra for AMURT, Pastor Jackson Mudahinyuka (HOSTA) and Prof. Pierre Rwanyindo for IRDP.

Otsuka said that several other developing countries apart from Rwanda also benefited from the Japanese government. Otsuka said the Japanese government has an annual budget of US$140 million to help developing countries.

She added that this grant comes through Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) from the government of Japan.

"GGP supports projects proposed by NGOs and local governmental authorities and it has acquired a high reputation for providing flexible and timely support to development projects at grassroots level,” she said.

She added that the objective of GGP is to assist local self-help initiative to meet needs, especially primary education, health care, water and sanitation and poverty reduction.
The Japanese government, she said, is willing to expand GGP projects in Rwanda next year.

Since 1993, Japan has been actively promoting African development following the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held that year
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