Afega Primary School celebrated the addition of eight new classrooms to its campus and a renovated building on Friday courtesy of a grant from the Japanese Government. 

A small ceremony was held at the school's compound to mark the occasion. 

The event was attended by the Afega village council, residents of the village, the school's committee, students, staff and the Principal.

The First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, Junsuke Suzuki represented the country at the ceremony.

The Japanese Embassy said it intends to continue to provide development assistance for communities and within the educational sector, to the benefit of villages, schools, hospitals, and non-Government organisations across Samoa.

“Japan’s assistance was formalised in 2019, with a grant amount of US $102,617 (approximately SAT $270,000) provided under its Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (G.G.P.),” a statement from the Embassy read. 

The Embassy said that education has always been placed highly on Japan’s priority list for foreign assistance because it sees it as the basis for developing a child’s capability but also a nation’s.

“Thus, the assistance through this project indicates Japan’s commitment to the improvement of educational facilities to provide equal learning opportunities," the statement read. 

“It is anticipated that the project will empower the school with the best of resources to achieve academic excellence and will greatly assist in the improvement of literacy in the community as well as accommodating the school’s growing role.

“Japan’s G.G.P. was introduced in 1991 to respond directly to the basic human needs at the grass-roots level with 206 projects at a total value approximately  US $17 million (SAT$ 43 million).”

The Japanese Ambassador to Samoa, Terasawa Genichi, has previously noted that under the G.G.P. programme Japan continues to provide small and flexible grants to support development projects at the grassroots level which are specifically designed to help meet basic human needs. 

He said that a focus on such assistance will greatly contribute to the improvement of the everyday life of the people of Samoa.

Some of the recipients under the G.G.P. so far have included: Palauli Sisifo College School; Falefa Primary Schooll Aana No.1 College; the Samoa Recycling and Waste Management Association; the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority. All organisations received grants to conclude a variety of individual projects. 

G.G.P. fund grants are generally capped at donations of 10,000,000 Japanese Yen per project (approximately $230,000).

Recent projects completed under the programme include the construction of a new water supply system the procurement of medical devices; and protective wear for firefighters.