DHAKA: The Japan government extended grants to three Bangladeshi NGOs. A grant contract signing ceremony was held in the city on Sunday.

Japan ambassador Shiro Sadoshima signed the contracts for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) at its embassy in Dhaka with the representatives of the NGOs, Asia Arsenic Network (AAN) president Dr Akhtar Ahmad, SKS Foundation chief executive Rasel Ahmed Liton and Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS) executive director Professor Dr Hosne-Ara Begum, said a press release.

According to the release, AAN was awarded the grant for its project to strengthen arsenic mitigation capacity. In Jessore, most people depend on ground water for domestic purposes. But many water-wells are contaminated by arsenic.

Arsenic causes harmful diseases such as cancer and many suffer from arsenic poisoning and diseases. With the Japanese assistance, AAN will upgrade analytical capacity to carry out water quality test aiming for effective arsenic mitigation.

AAN will assess the safety of water sources from arsenic contamination and help to install the alternative water sources in some Upazilas of Jessore district in order to decrease the number of arsenicosis patients. 

SKS Foundation’s grant-awarded project aims at establishing community radio station. In Gaibandha, there are many perennial islands, called ‘Char’, in the Jamuna River. People in Char areas suffer from perennial natural disasters being deprived of basic human needs such as health, education, communication and information services.

With the community radio station to be established through the Japanese assistance, SKS foundation will broadcast disaster information and cultural programs with a view to decreasing the natural disaster damage and ensuring sustainable community development.

TMSS will use the grant to improve coronary care services. The number of coronary patients has been increasing and such diseases may cause death unless prompt and appropriate treatments are provided.

In Bogra district, there are not enough number of hospitals which can provide advanced treatments for coronary patients. Some patients are transferred to Dhaka, which takes more than 4 hours. With the Japanese assistance, TMSS will install the extended medical treatment facilities to patients suffering from coronary disease in order to provide prompt and appropriate treatments and save their lives.

These facilities are expected to provide medical care for road traffic casualties, too.

In total, these grants amount to US$ 221,101. Japan has supported 186 NGO projects through the Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) since 1989 with a view to enhancing economic and social human security at the grass-roots level.

The total sum of these GGHSP grants extended to NGOs in Bangladesh to date amount approximately to US$ 14 million.

BDST: 1940 HRS, MAR 29, 2015