The Government of Japan granted financial assistance for construction of two classrooms, two libraries, an ablution block and furniture to two Rishikul Schools in Nasinu under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) programme. The people of Nasinu will celebrate the handing-over ceremony for provision of school facilities at Rishikul Primary and Rishikul Nadera Primary Schools worth $271,710.00.

The First Secretary, Mr. Tatsushi Matsuo, on behalf of the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of the Fiji Islands, His Excellency Yutaka Yoshizawa will be at Rishikul Schools in Nasinu on Friday, 5th February, 2010 at 10.00 a.m. to officially hand-over the new school facilities.

Details of each project are as follows:

1. The Project for Upgrading of Rishikul Primary School

Japan provided funding assistance of $151,000.00, for construction of a new classroom, library and an ablution block to Rishikul Primary School. The School was established in 1931, and is seen as the “Pride and Spirit of Nasinu” with school roll over one thousand two hundred. The new classroom complex will enable the school to relocate children from an overcrowded temporary classroom erected by partitioning the library to accommodate the increasing number of children entering the Rishikul School, and also make way to extend for a fully-fledged library facility. The new seven-pan toilet will ease the pressure on the usage of current toilet facilities, and improve the pupil-toilet ratio at the School.  With the successful completion of this project today, there is renewed hope for the children of Nasinu, as they now have a better opportunity for learning and achieving academic success.

2. The Project for Upgrading of Rishikul Nadera Primary School

Japan also provided funding assistance worth $120,710.00 to Rishikul Nadera Primary School, for construction of one classroom, a library and for provision of furniture to help establish a proper library facility in the school and ease the difficulties faced by students and teachers, generally associated with overcrowded classrooms due to shortage of rooms. The new classroom will empower Rishikul Nadera Primary School to expand size of classrooms presently divided to accommodate 360 students attending the school mainly from Nadera, Nadawa and Kinoya areas. This School was established in 1977 and the new classroom will ensure adequate classroom space available for the increasing children intake and a library with furniture will help the school establish a proper library with approximately 6000 books that were stacked away in shelves and boxes in the past.  

The Government of Japan believes that by providing assistance directly to recipients in Fiji will not only ensure effective use of grant, but also achieve Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy objective of promoting development at the grassroots level. Japan acknowledges education is the key to socio-economic development and hopes to improve lives of people of Fiji through its Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects Programme (GGP). The Embassy is confident that such cooperation will serve to strengthen the friendly ties enjoyed by the Governments and the people of Japan and Fiji.