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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 5:
 

Japanese Consul General Kazuo Minagawa handing over a grant to a representative of an NGO at a function in Chennai recently.

        Two NGOs based in Kerala and Karnataka received financial aid from the government of Japan under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP) here recently.

        Parivarthana in Karnataka and Mitraniketan in Kerala received the grants for their projects to uplift 'disadvantaged people'.

        Speaking at the grant contract signing ceremony, Consul General of Japan, Kazuo Minagawa, said, 'GGP's mission is to encourage initiative, participation and ownership of local communities in sustainable self-help efforts in improving their socio-economic situation.

        'NGO's, hospitals, schools and local government agencies and other non- profit organisations are supported in this initiative,' he said.

        'This scheme provides fund for constructing infrastructure facilities to encourage them in their endeavour for salvation of the disadvantaged' the consul general said.

        Mitraniketan works for empowering tribal communities, rural artisans and small farmers.

        A new building built with a grant of $85,348, will have a new Mitraniketan -Nippon facilitation centre with a training hall and a counseling room.

        Parivarthana with its $65,403 in aid will build a multipurpose resource centre named Sakthi for training activities. The NGO works with rural communities in drought prone areas among disadvantaged people and maintains ecological balance. Sakura Ozaki, vice consul general of Japan also participated in the event.