The Japan Embassy yesterday signed $289,410.00 grant contracts with four public organisations to support developmental projects under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP).
The Offinso Municipal and Pru West District Assemblies received $72,310.00 and $72,691.00 respectively for the construction of Community Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compounds expected to benefit over 11,000 people in those areas.
The Wassa Amenfi Central District Assembly and Techiman North District Education Directorate on the other hand received a total of $144,409 to construct a classroom block for the Manso Nkwanta No. 2 District and Drobogya Basic schools respectively.
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Mochizuki Hisanobu, said the assistance was to accelerate grassroots development to impact on human security.
He said over the past 30 years, the GGHSP had provided support to various sectors across the country towards sustaining basic human needs and improving quality of life for all.
“I strongly believe that the construction of the CHPS compounds will help reduce the challenge of pregnant women travelling long distances on foot and motorcycles to access healthcare. It is expected that cases of maternal mortality will reduce significantly and some common diseases like malaria, typhoid and diarrhoea will be properly treated at the CHPS facility,” he stated.
The Ambassador expressed optimism that the classroom blocks would help improve teaching and learning quality while improving school attendance and enrollment in beneficiary areas.
He encouraged stakeholders involved in the projects to work within stipulated timelines towards successful implementation to help “improve the wellbeing of the people and bring a lasting solution to the daily challenges they face.”
The District Chief Executive of Wassa Amenfi Central, Patrick Amponteng, lauded the Embassy for coming to their aid saying the “collective objective of promoting quality education is taking shape through this noble intervention that will promote a conducive environment for teaching and learning.”
He described the current situation at the Manso Nkwanta School as deplorable, indicating that the Assembly on its own was providing other support in terms of land, electricity, desktop computers, mechanised borehole and furniture among others to augment the project.
Mr Amponteng assured of regular maintenance of the project after completion to ensure sustainability.
For his part, the Municipal Chief Executive of Offinso Assembly said between 2020 and 2022, the Berekum community had recorded eight maternal deaths out of 30 traditional births, conducted.
“There is pressure on the Assembly and the Ghana Health Service to get a health facility for the people of Berekum and its surrounding communities due to the steady rise in population and related health issues and this gesture is timely and appropriate to service the health needs of an estimated 1,500 direct beneficiaries.”
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
