GGP 5th Year Follow-up Visit to the Head Start Centers

On January 29, 2026, the Embassy of Japan had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Eydeline Ikeya, Head Start Director of the Belau Head Start Program and the Palau Community Action Agency (PCAA), together with Head Start school bus drivers, at the Head Start Centers in Melekeok and Ngeremlengui States. The visit was conducted as part of the fifth-year follow-up for “The Project for Procurement of School Buses for Head Start Centers.”
 
Through the Government of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), PCAA received two school buses in January 2021 under a grant totaling USD 79,917.
 
The buses were provided to Head Start Centers in Ngeremlengui  and Melekeok to ensure a safe commuting environment for children and to support the employment of their parents by reducing time required for pick-up and drop-off. The bus route for these centers covers wide area where some roads are unpaved, but the buses remain in good condition after five years, thanks to thorough inspection and maintenance conducted by the kindergarten principals and dedicated drivers. The buses are used for the daily transportation of 13 children at the Ngeremlengui Head Start and 15 children at the Melekeok Head Start. They are also utilized as local transportation for school events, which allows the community to get even closer.
 
The Embassy hopes the buses will continue to serve as an important means of transportation for children and the local community for many years.
 
Japan’s GGP was launched in Palau in 1999 to address grassroots development needs, including education, healthcare, and community welfare. This assistance marked the 82nd project out of 105 GGP projects in Palau.