Japan gives grant to seven organizations

JAKARTA (JP): Japan agreed on Friday to extend a total of Rp 2.4 billion (US$287,753) in grants to seven grassroots organizations in Indonesia.

Japan Ambassador to Indonesia Takao Kawakami, who signed the contracts with representatives of the organizations at the embassy on Friday, said relations between the two countries have strengthened since the economic crisis hit Asia in 1997.

Underlining the importance of Indonesia's stability to the Asia region, the ambassador said: "Our government is concerned in helping Indonesian poor who were impacted by the economic crisis."

Japan last year extended a total of Rp 10 billion ($120.5 million) of grants to fund 22 grassroots projects.

The new grants were extended for a rural electrification project in Bengkulu handled by KUD Harapan cooperative; equipment procurement for the Biak Technical Academy in Irian Jaya; equipment procurement for the Biak Tourism Academy; procurement for a traditional medicine research institute in South Sumatra; milk and baby food procurement for a program handled by the Indonesian Women Catholics; development of a wood vocational training center in Ciamis, West Java, by Bakti Mulia Foundation; and a tourism vocational training program for the physically disabled handled by the Community-Based Rehabilitation Development and Training Center.(02)