◆Japan's GGP Sponsors School Bus for Aimeliik Elem. School
Finally, the students and parents of Aimeliik Elementary School (AES) are guaranteed safe transport to and from school on a daily basis. Through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project or GGP, the Government of Japan is funding “The Project for School Bus Provision to Aimeliik Elementary School” for the purchase of a 29-seater school bus for the use of the school. The assistance was made official at the signing ceremony at the Embassy on October 20, 2010 between the Mr. Masayuki Takashima, Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan and Mr. Mashon Mongami, Principal of Aimeliik Elementary School.
Valued at $ 76,795, the grant assistance will cover the cost of purchase and shipment of the said bus from Japan to Palau. The 29-seater bus will replace the aging school bus used by the school and will be used primarily to transport 23 students from the northern villages of Aimeliik State. The current school bus has been used by the school since early 1970’s and therefore has numerous mechanical and other problems. Due to these problems, the students of AES have had to endure shorter instruction days on occasion. As early as 2011, this will no longer be an issue as the students of AES can look forward to riding in a comfortable and safe bus to and from school.
The strength of this project proposal was the very impressive yearly maintenance plan for the school busses that the Ministry of Education (MOE) follows. Since GGP only funds installation costs, excluding operation and maintenance costs, our greatest concern is that the equipments or facilities provided by the grant scheme will be abandoned after a few years due to poor maintenance and operation. According to the maintenance plan of MOE, the bus will have daily oil and fluid checks, engine diagnosis and tune-ups every three months, tire changes every six months among numerous other maintenance checks. These steps will ensure the longevity of the school bus use as well as the safety of the students riding in the bus. Moreover, the Embassy received confirmation from Mr. Sinton Soalablai, Chief of School Management that the Ministry of Education will take full responsibility for all maintenance and repairs of the new Aimeliik Elementary School bus.
According to Mr. Takashima, “One of the principle objectives of the GGP grant scheme is to support primary education. What better way to support this objective than to provide safe transport for the students. I hope that this gift from the Government and the people of Japan will ensure a bright future for the students of Aimeliik Elementary School for many years to come. ”
The Government of Japan has been offering financial assistance to developing countries through GGP schemes, by directly funding non-government organizations. GGP has been available in the Republic of Palau since 1999 and to date; numerous projects have been funded for the benefit of the locals. The focus areas of GGP in the Republic of Palau are primary education and primary health care. For more information regarding GGP, please contact Ms. Naoko Hayashi, GGP Coordinator at the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Palau at 488-6455/56 or download information and application form from the Embassy’s official website at www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp.
©Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Palau
P.O. Box 6050 Koror, Republic of Palau 96940