Airai Elementary School Welcomes a New School Bus Provided by Japan’s Grassroots Grant Project
2024/8/7
On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, His Excellency ORIKASA Hiroyuki, Ambassador of Japan to Palau handed over a brand new 30-seat bus to Airai Elementary School. This Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project’s (GGP) handover ceremony was held on the campus of Airai Elementary School and was attended by the Honorable Dr. Dale Jenkins, Minister of Education, representatives of the Ministry of Education management team, and other guests who joined the students and teachers to celebrate this occasion.
For Airai Elementary School, improving the safety, efficiency, comfort and reliability of its school transport was one of the most important issues to benefit the community it serves. As a response to the request from Ms. Norma Marsai, Principal of Airai Elementary School, the Government of Japan provided a grant of USD 90,745 for the purchase of a school bus. With the brand new 30-seat school bus, in addition to the existing 30-seat bus also provided by the Japanese GGP in 2017, the school is now able to provide safer, and more reliable school transport for its students.
“The yellow color stands out more than the other colors, and it sends a message to all other motorists that the vehicle is carrying school children. It is the community’s duty to protect children, and providing better transportation to help students get to school is indeed an important responsibility for us,” said Ambassador Orikasa. “As a child growing up in the Japanese countryside, I walked a very long distance to and from school every day, and I know how important it is to provide safe and reliable school transport. I hope the students will enjoy the school field trips and extracurricular activities as well as the daily commute with the new addition.” 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. For further information about GGP, contact 488-6455 or visit the Embassy of Japan website at https://www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/about_ggp.html.
For Airai Elementary School, improving the safety, efficiency, comfort and reliability of its school transport was one of the most important issues to benefit the community it serves. As a response to the request from Ms. Norma Marsai, Principal of Airai Elementary School, the Government of Japan provided a grant of USD 90,745 for the purchase of a school bus. With the brand new 30-seat school bus, in addition to the existing 30-seat bus also provided by the Japanese GGP in 2017, the school is now able to provide safer, and more reliable school transport for its students.
“The yellow color stands out more than the other colors, and it sends a message to all other motorists that the vehicle is carrying school children. It is the community’s duty to protect children, and providing better transportation to help students get to school is indeed an important responsibility for us,” said Ambassador Orikasa. “As a child growing up in the Japanese countryside, I walked a very long distance to and from school every day, and I know how important it is to provide safe and reliable school transport. I hope the students will enjoy the school field trips and extracurricular activities as well as the daily commute with the new addition.” 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. For further information about GGP, contact 488-6455 or visit the Embassy of Japan website at https://www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/about_ggp.html.