Good Afternoon and Kam na Mauri

It is my pleasure to represent the Ambassy of Japan in officiating today’s handing-over ceremony of the newly built Dining Hall at Stephen Whitmee High School. I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for your generous hospitality and the warm welcome accorded to me this morning.

Today marks a very important day in the history of this school,  since its inception in early 1900. Stephen Whitmee Dining Hall deteriorated over the years due to its heavy usage and its expose to asbestos which are hazardous to the student’s health. Japan through its GGP program donated around US$97,000 to construct a new dining hall with basic amenities, replacing the old one, which can be witnessed this morning. This new Dining Hall will enable 500 students to enjoy decent environment while having their meals together.

I am delighted that the Government of Japan was given the opportunity to rebuild not only the dining facilities here but also the confidence of people in Stephen Whitmee High School. This project will certainly empower this school’s journey of success to greater height in the years to come.

To provide flexible and timely support for development at the grass-roots level such as this project, the Japanese Government offers  assistance schemes for development projects designed to meet the diverse needs of developing countries. Known as Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), this scheme supports projects proposed by such bodies as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Local Government Authorities.

Japan acknowledges the financial constraints faced by rural schools in undertaking major capital development projects to make the education system enjoyable and more rewarding for the children. It is therefore, my humble request to all stakeholders of this school to ensure timely maintenance of this dinning complex to keep the educational process and facilities of this School at peak efficiency.

To conclude, this project is the most evident manifestation of the friendship between the people and Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Kiribati. With these few words, I officially declare the newly Built Dining Hall open to the students of Stephen Whitmee High School and I urge all of you to make the best use of these new facilities.