Phnom Penh: The Government of Japan has agreed to provide a total of USD 527,122 to three recipient organizations under Japan’s economic cooperation framework, the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects “KUSANONE” Grant. The Grant Contracts were signed today between H.E. Mr. MIKAMI Masahiro, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the representatives of the three recipients respectively, to carry out the following projects.
1. The Project for Constructing a Concrete Bridge in Kaoh Thom District, Kandal Province’ (USD 123,835) and Recipient: Lerk Daek Commune Administration.
In this project, a 70 years old wooden bridge will be replaced with a new concrete bridge. As the villages are divided by the river, residents including school-age children and pregnant women have had no choice but to go to school and health centers by crossing this old bridge. Farmers and fishers have faced difficulty bringing their products in the fresh form to local markets because of transportation time. Moreover, due to the danger of the bridge collapse, fire trucks cannot cross it. This project is expected to improve these situations and more than 7,000 people in this area will secure their daily activities.
2. The Project for Constructing a Bridge in Kou Loab Commune, Chitr Borei District, Kratie Province’ (USD 136,791) and Recipient: Kratie Provincial Department of Rural Development.
In this project, the grant will be used to reconstruct a bridge whose abutments at both sides are significantly damaged due to the rainwater and white ants. If the bridge collapses, it will hinder people’s daily activities in the project area. In addition, the existing bridge gets submerged about five times a year, and it becomes difficult to pass the bridge until the water is drained, which hinders the transportation of agricultural products to the market and daily life such as going to school and hospital. This project is expected to improve these situations and more than 3,000 people will have access to public facilities year-round.
3. The Project for Rehabilitating Tean Kam Irrigation Facility in Banteay Meanchey Province (USD 266,496) and Recipient: Banteay Meanchey Provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology.
In this project, the grant will be used to rehabilitate the dam and construct three sluice gates. The irrigation facility was constructed in the 1970s and was renovated by the recipient organization in 2006. However, a part of the dam was broken by the flood in October 2020. Currently, irrigation is impossible during the dry season unless the water is taken from a reservoir which is located upstream of Tean Kam. In addition, the irrigation facility cannot store enough rainwater to prepare for water shortage in dry season. This project is expected to improve these situations and more than 44,000 people in the project area will have benefits from the rehabilitated reservoir.
The Government of Japan started KUSANONE programs in Cambodia in 1991 in order to support Cambodia’s reconstruction and development at the grassroots level. This assistance aims to protect those who are vulnerable due to various factors such as poverty and/or misfortunes that directly threaten their lives, livelihood, and dignity, as well as to promote self-reliance of local communities. Over the 30 year, Japan has provided over USD 65 million for mainly local authorities and non-governmental organizations to implement 668 KUSANONE projects throughout Cambodia.
Source: Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Cambodia
