The contracts, which form part of its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP)  were signed  with the  Ga Central Municipal Assembly; Avatime Gemi–Otoga Eco Tourism Society   (AGOETOUSO) in the Dedodo, Ho West District Assembly; Life Care Ghana in the Dignafuro in the  Wa Municipality; and the Wassa Amenfi East District Assembly.

The GGHSP, is a small-scale assistance programme to address the basic needs of human security purposes, from the people of Japan to community folks in Ghana.

Mr Tsutomu Himeno, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, signed for his country; while the representatives of the beneficiary communities initialed for their sides. Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, the Member of Parliament for  Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom  in the  Ga Central Municipality, also witnessed the ceremony. 

The Avatime Gemi–Otoga Eco Tourism Society, which received the highest amount of $90,509, would build a Community Health-based Planning and Services (CHPS) compound in the Ho West District Assembly, which is expected to benefit about 16,000 people within the catchment area.

The  Ga Central Municipal Assembly received $88, 986 for the construction of drains at Nsunfa-Sowutum, which is expected to benefit about 17, 210 residents.

Life Care Ghana also received $84,418 for the construction of a six-unit classroom block at Dignafuro, in the Upper West Region; the completed facility is expected to benefit 450 school children, their teachers and non-teaching staff.

The Wassa Amenfi East District Assembly received $ 79,584 for the construction of a mechanised borehole that would provide safe drinking water for 10 beneficiary communities; the assistance is also expected to ease the burden of women and children of the walking distance and waiting in queues to access safe drinking water.

Ambassador   Himeno  explained that the assistance was part of Japan’s efforts in promoting socio-economic development for Ghanaians.

For more than for 30 years, the GGHSP has been directly assisting grassroots level development projects.

He said the GGHSP mainly targeted programmes that aimed to improve basic human needs and required timely support on humanitarian grounds.

“We received 100 applications but we had to choose from all applications where we selected these four that need timely support on humanitarian grounds,” Ambassador Himeno explained.

Madam  Botchway, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, thanked Japan  for the assistance , saying it would help alleviate the challenges affecting the various beneficiary district assemblies.

Madam Botchway, expressing happiness about her constituency being part of the top four selected applications, said: “The signing of this grant directly benefits me as the MP because the community is in my constituency. However, I had no influence on our success, I only came in at the tail end.”

She thanked her community members for taking the steps that enhanced good governance and ensured development at all levels.

“We are excited and extremely grateful to the Japanese Government for solving our community’s infrastructure challenge, especially to stop what happens when it rains,” she said.

The beneficiaries thanked Japan for the assistance and pledged to ensure the smooth and quality implementation of the projects.

“We will also ensure that we will complete the projects on schedule,” Dr Emmanuel Lamptey, the Municipal Chief Executive Officer of the  Ga Central Municipal Assembly ,said on behalf of his colleagues.