Women Seed Grant 1st Awarding Ceremony of the COVID-19 Response for the Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups through “Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific”

On July 21, 2022, a ceremony was held at the Senior Citizen Center in Koror to award grants to women farmers’ associations under the “COVID-19 Response for the Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups” project by Asian Development Bank (ADB) through “Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific”. The ceremony was attended by President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., Ambassador KARASAWA Akira, Minister of Finance Kaleb Udui, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment Steven Victor, and many other distinguished guests.
 
This project signed in August 2021 assists those who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the total amount of about 2.4 million USD for this project, about 1.6 million USD is allocated for the agricultural project. The Government of Japan is contributing the full amount through the ADB Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific. The agricultural project includes grant programs for women farmers’ associations and construction of facilities for processed food, which is expected to increase farmers’ income and agricultural production, and to improve food security in Palau.
 
At the ceremony, the “Women Seed Grants” worth 10,000 USD each were awarded to six women farmers’ associations based in Aimeliik, Ngiwal, Melekeok, Ngchesar, and Airai. The grant will help women farmers expand production of taro, a traditional staple food in Palau. In total, 20 organizations including six awarded at this ceremony will receive the grant. Some taro will be processed in a food-processing facility that will be constructed in this agricultural project to help increase the income of women farmers and develop local value-added products.
 
At the ceremony, President Whipps said, “this assistance is good timing for all Palauan women farmers. On behalf of the Government of Palau, we are grateful for Japan and our tokubets relations.” Ambassador Karasawa said, “this is one of the new achievements of Japan-Palau agricultural cooperation. I hope our support will contribute to increasing farmers’ income and bringing changes in communities.”