Japan extends Rs80,252m as grassroots assistance
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Japan extended $ 80,252 (approx. 4.75 million Rupees) as grassroots assistance to Kuchlak Welfare Society in order to assist the ‘Project for Provision of Medical Equipment for Hospital at Kuchlak, Balochistan’. Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Nobuaki Tanaka signed the grant contract in this regard today with Mr. Malik Abdul Rashid Kakar, Chairperson of the society.
Japan considers Balochistan a priority region for grant assistance. Kuchlak Welfare Society (KWS) is working to provide quality health and education services to underprivileged communities at a minimum cost. A sum of US$ 79,821 was extended to the society in 2003 to construct a hospital. The facility aims to provide preventive and curative health services to an estimated 100,000 under-privileged residing in the region of Killi Malik Abdul Ali, Kuchlak, a slum situated to the north of Quetta city at a distance of 15 kilometres. The locality severely lacks in appropriate public health care facilities.
Through Japan’s support this time, the hospital will be equipped with modem medical equipment such as X-ray machine, ultrasound machine, ECG machine, anesthesia machine and so forth, along with necessary furniture such as beds and mattresses. The purchase of necessary laboratory equipment such as micro lab, microscope etc. will also be made possible thus ensuring proper diagnosis and treatment.
In 2002, the KWS’s “Project for Reconstruction of Malik Cambridge School in Kuchlak, Balochistan” also received a Japanese grant of US $ 51,096 through which 13 classrooms were constructed and famished to accommodate more students along with the provision of clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities.
Japan’s grant aid will ensure provision of proper health and education facilities to the people residing in the project target area and will go a long way in uplifting the living standards of the whole community.
The grant has been provided under Japan’s “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”. The grant scheme was initiated in 1989 and Japan has so far extended a sum of US$ 12,328,940 to 231 small-scale social sector development projects all over Pakistan. Organizations interested in availing support under the GGP scheme can contact GGP Unit, Economic and Development Section of the Embassy of Japan {Tel: 0512279320 (ext.282, 285 & 219), Fax 051-2825307} for further details.