Japanese Ambassador hands over two grants
Late this evening, Terusuke Terada, the Japanese Ambassador to Belize, signed two separate contracts totaling twenty two thousand U.S. dollars with the Community Home Economics Centre of the St. Mary’s Women’s Group and the St. John’s College Music Education Introduction project. The agreements, are among eleven given to N.G.O.s and institutions under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects to Belize. We spoke with the latest recipients, Gweneth Gillett and Andrew Lopez, shortly after the signing at the Radisson Fort George Hotel.
Andrew Lopez, President, S.J.C.
“In this department, the music department, we are lacking behind. This is an opportunity now to use this to expand this program and to do the kind of catching up that we would like, catch up with the other schools in this regard. The kids of St. John’s College will benefit and subsequently the young people of Belize will benefit.”
Gweneth Gillett, Head, St. Mary’s Women’s Group
“As long as school is in session we feed these children but we feel that we should move a step further than just having volunteers cooking and feeding the children. We feel that we should begin to teach the older girls the basic skills in cookery and even in sewing. And after we have gotten this goal for a while we hope to include the parents.”
Terusuke Terada, Japanese Ambassador to Belize
“Each time I come here I try to make a new contact with one of the N.G.O.s. There aren’t many N.G.O.s but each time it gives me a great pleasure indeed to share the experience on a daily basis that each N.G.O. is having. I sense a pleasure in working with that.”
Q: “In your address ambassador you said that each recipient should be held accountable for the proper execution of their project. Do you think the monies that have been granted do far have been well spent?”
Terusuke Terada
“I would say yes. As far as I know, I think I should say everything is well conceived from the start. Of course we study the projects each time we sign the contract and I say that so far money has been well spent. I am planning to visit a renovated swimming pool of which belongs to YWCA. It gives a great joy to the children of the neighboring community.”
St. Mary’s Women’s Group received twelve thousand, seven hundred U.S. dollars, while St. John’s College received nine thousand, three hundred U.S. dollars. Meanwhile Ambassador Terada, resident in Mexico City, will return to Japan to take up a new post on November ninth.
