【Grassroots Project Handover Ceremony to Meyuns Elementary School held; the project for reconstructing cafeteria】

    On  May 7, 2024, the handover ceremony for “The Project for Reconstructing Cafeteria for Meyuns Elementary School ” worth $487,000 under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) was held at the Meyuns Elementary School. His Excellency ORIKASA Hiroyuki, Ambassador of Japan to Palau, Honorable Dr. Dale Jenkins, Minister of Education,Ms. Sarah Sugiyama, Principal of Meyuns Elementary School, representatives of the Ministry of Education management team, and other guests joined the students and teachers to celebrate the completion.
 
    A common practice in Palau, school food programs are well-known for their benefits. Many elementary school students in Palau eat not only lunch but also breakfast at school. This was also the case at Meyuns Elementary School, but its operation posed a difficulty since the meals were prepared at the nearby Palau High School and then delivered to the Meyuns Elementary School after its own cafeteria was severely damaged by Typhoon Surigae in April 2021.
 
    The cafeteria also served other purposes such as a venue for seasonal events, including the Christmas program, the graduation ceremony, and PTA meetings, as the only room large enough to accommodate many students and teachers.
 
    Through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), Meyuns Elementary School now has a new cafeteria for freshly cooked and served breakfast and lunch.
 
    “I am very pleased to be able to handover the cafeteria today. School meals do not only keep students’ bellies full, but also serve as a real fuel for learning opportunities. Students can also learn how to make healthy food choices through the school meal program, thereby supporting the long-term health and well-being of children,” said Ambassador Orikasa in his remarks. “I hope that the students, teachers, and parents will have many joyful events in this cafeteria in the years to come,” Ambassador Orikasa continued.
 
    The Government of Japan launched GGP in 1999 to meet development needs in grassroots activities in Palau. Since then, the Embassy of Japan in Palau has signed 102 grant contracts so far with schools, hospitals, state governments and NGOs.