(KPL) The government of Japan provided more than USD 1.8 million to support five projects on UXO clearance, education, dental health, and vocational training sectors in the Lao PDR on 1 Mar.

The five projects funded under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Japanese Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) include a UXO clearance project in Xieng Khuang, two education projects in Savannakhet and Vientiane (province), a dental health projectin Vientiane, and Vientiane (province), Bolikhamxay, Khammuan and Savannakhet, a vocational training project in Vientiane.  

The grant contracts were signed at the Japanese Embassy in Vientiane on Mar 1, 2021 by Mr. IWAMOTO Keiichi, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassyand the respective representatives of Japanese NGOs, namely Japan Mine Action Services (JMAS), World Vision Japan, Action with Lao Children (ALC), Organization of International Support for Dental Education (OISDE) and International Cooperation NGO・IV-JAPAN (IV-JAPAN). 

The UXO clearance project by JMAS in the second year of the three-year project aims at accelerating machine clearance of the UXO to reduce the security risk and the economic obstacles in UXO highly contaminated areas such as Paek, Kham, and Phoukout districts in Xieng Khuang.

The two education projects are to improve education environment for Lao children. One of the two projects by World Vision Japan in the second year of the three-year project is to enhance reading skills in primary school for children in Thapangthong district, Savannakhet.

The other project by the ALC in the final year of the three-year project is to set up school libraries at secondary schools in Vientiane Province.

The dental health sector project by OISDE in the final year of the three-year project is to improve dental hygiene and treatment, and reduce oral diseases and serious infections amongst the populations of Vientiane, and Vientiane (province), Bolikhamxay, Khammuan and Savannakhet. This project will provide opportunities for nurses and students of nursing schools to get better education about dental health prevention and receive practical trainings.

The vocational training project by IV-JAPAN in the final year of the three-year project is to promote the employment of Lao workers, including ethnic minorities in rural areas. This project will provide opportunities to take vocational training courses for hotel staff and caregiver work.

 At the signing ceremony, Minister Iwamoto highly appreciated the continued efforts by the Japanese NGOs for raising the basic standard of living at grassroots level in the Lao P.D.R. even under the COVID-19 pandemic, and reaffirmed the strong commitment by the government of Japan to support their activities.  

KPL