The Japanese government has granted its two NGOs in Cambodia $692,522 to fulfil their projects, and guarantee food and nutrition security for participants.

The agreements were signed on Thursday, Dec.27, within the framework of the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO projects. The Heart of Gold and the Foundation for International Development/Relief (FIDR) are the beneficiaries.

As stated by the Japanese Embassy, the Heart of Gold gets $396,033 to support the National Institute of Physical Education and Sport. This will help improve curriculum, train teachers, and extend facilities for physical education. Approximately 65 staff members and 200 trainee teachers get a better environment and the 800,000 Cambodian students get more effective physical education.

The second project (by the FIDR) is in Kampong Chhnang and is allotted $296,489. With the aim of increasing rice farm productivity and diversification, improving children’s nutrition, and promoting farmers’ networks and agriculture cooperatives in Rolea Pheir, Tuek Phos, and Boribo districts.

Furthermore, approximately 250,000 people in the target areas are to get sufficient nutritious food through these grants.

Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, Horinouchi Hidehisa, expressed his pleasure at granting this aid, “I hope that the teacher training project in Cambodia will grow and the physical education project flourish. I expect the second project will improve the livelihoods of the people in those areas, and afford them enough food and health.”

Tezuka Koji (Heart of Gold) and Minami Yumiko (FIDR) committed their organizations to efficiently operate the projects, saying that the Japanese taxpayers’ money will be put to good use.