JFY2019 GGP “The Project for Procurement of School Buses for Head Start Centers”
2026/2/2
The 5-Year Follow-Up
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 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.
The Handover Ceremony
On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, His Excellency, KARASAWA Akira, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan in Palau, formally handed over two brand new 15 seater micro buses to Melekeok and Ngaremlengui Head Start Centers respectively. The handing over ceremony for “The Project for Procurement of School Buses to Head Start Centers” was held at Melekeok Head Start Center, and was attended by officials from Palau Community Action Agency.
Through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP), grant two new 15 seater micro buses and spare tires were purchased in the total cost of $79,917.
The Buses that Melekeok and Ngaremlengui Head Start Centers uses are deteriorated due to the heavy usage of over 10 years and also poor road condition since each bus had to run across 3 states where their students reside. As a result, the buses often need to be repaired, and the centers were unable to provide transportation for their students. This issue results of a drop in the attendance at each center. And what is worse, students had to stay in buses without air conditions during their bus ride that ranges from 90 to 120 minutes and this was many parents and staff concerns for students’ health.
In his remarks in the ceremony, Ambassador Karasawa stated that this grant will contribute to solve the current issues. The brand new buses with air conditions will comfort children while they commute and enhance their health conditions. Furthermore, he expressed his hope that two centers will be able to provide a safe and reliable transportation and that leads to enhancing the function of the centers and improving welfare of families and their children in Palau.
The Government of Japan launched GGP in 1999, for the purpose of responding to various development needs engaged in grassroots activities in Palau. As of November 4, 2020, the Embassy has signed 83 grant contracts with schools and hospitals as well as state governments and non-profit organizations. Education, health care and environment are the primary fields prioritized by Japan for GGP in order to contribute to sustainable development of Palau. For further information about GGP, please contact 488-6455 or visit the Embassy of Japan’s GGP website at https://www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/about_ggp.html .
The Signing Ceremony
On March 5, 2020, Chargé d'affaires OGINO Takeshi of the Embassy of Japan and Ms. BOHMAN Kelsey, Executive Director of Palau Community Action Agency (PCAA), signed the grant contract for “The Project for Procurement of School Buses for Head Start Centers”, valued $79,917, under the Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). The signing ceremony was held at the Embassy of Japan and was witnessed by PCAA personnel.
The PCAA plays a very important role for early child education in Palau. The Head Start Program operated by PCAA is a free educational program that provides childcare and other services for children ages 3 to 5. This program also enables their parents to maintain their jobs while letting their children receive a quality education. The program also offers free transportation for the children between the school and their homes. Additionally, these buses are sometimes used to provide transportation for Head Start children in Babeldaob to get doctor’s treatments in Koror.
However, the buses for Ngaremlengui and Melekeok Centers are deteriorated and facing many mechanical problems since these buses need to travel across the different states because the residences of children are dispersed on the island and many school roads are unpaved. Many parents are also concerned about their children’s health because of no-air-conditioning environment inside of the bus.
In light of this, the Embassy of Japan decided to grant a brand new 15 seater micro bus to both centers. Procurement of these buses will allow each center to provide safe and reliable transportation for children to commute from their home every day.
At the ceremony, Charge d'affaires Ogino expressed his hope that the implementation of this project would lead to further development of PCAA, its children and their parents, and also requested PCAA to take good care of the buses in order to serve at two centers for a long period of time. Executive Director Ms. Bohman showed her appreciation for Japan’s grant to the Head Start Program and emphasized the importance of school buses as they largely contribute to the program.
The Government of Japan launched GGP in 1999, for the purpose of responding to various development needs engaged in grassroots activities in Palau. As of March 6, 2020, the Embassy has signed 82 grant contracts with schools and hospitals as well as state governments and non-profit organizations. Education, health care and environment are the primary fields prioritized by Japan and its GGP. For further information about GGP, please contact 488-6455 or visit the Embassy of Japan website at http://www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html .