Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageBox 4. Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects
Overview
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System instituted from 1989 to respond to the various assistance needs of developing countries
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Main recipients include NGOs (international and local), local governments in developing countries, educational and medical organizations, etc.
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Provision limit is ¥10 million per project (however, a maximum of ¥100 million may be provided for projects when deemed necessary)
Water Storage Tank Construction Project for Beit Duqqu Village, Palestine
Beit Duqqu Village, located in a dry region of the Palestinian Territory, suffers from serious water shortages every year between April and October. The village is forced to purchase water necessary for day-to-day living as the amounts of water supplied to the village decrease. Securing water during the summer has become a major issue for the village as the strict household budgets of the region's poor residents become further stretched.
Given this situation, Japan has utilized Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security to provide approximately ¥9.7 million in funds for 20 different rainwater storage tank construction projects which are being implemented mainly for poor households by local NGOs active onsite and the Beit Duqqu Development Association. This project has made water provision possible for nearly 100 households (approximately 800 people), while also providing employment opportunities for a total of 1,500 people related to the construction of the tank. Furthermore, the water provided through this project is expected to improve the agriculture industry: it will be utilized in agricultural activities and will increase the number of agriculture workers in the future.
Mr. Rayahn, the mayor of Beit Duqqu Village, expressed his gratitude to Japan at the completion ceremony for the water tank in April 2007. Moreover, residents noted that, "The issue of water shortage had greatly impacted the village as people got into traffic accidents when going to receive water and there were confrontations between residents over the stealing of water. We are sincerely grateful as this assistance will work to solve these issues." They additionally mentioned that, "While the existing water system usually shuts down beginning in April each year, water had already stopped at the start of January this year. This water storage tank supports the lives of a great number of residents."
Drilling work for the tank's construction
In front of the completed water tank