KARACHI, Feb 28: NGOs and community-based organisations can send their human development projects involving funding up to $ 60,000 to the Japanese Embassy for funding.

Speaking at the inauguration of the HOPE Community Centre in Zia Colony on Thursday, the embassy’s consultant Sardar Waseemuddin Khan said the Grass Roots Assistance (GRA) scheme was instituted by the embassy in 1989 and so far over $ 5.4 million have been provided to NGOs for some 139 development projects in the country.

The funding ($ 75,000) for the community centre, that was inaugurated by the deputy consul-general of Japan, Kaoru Tsurita, on Thursday has been provided under the GRA scheme and it has been constructed by the NGO, Health Oriented Preventive Education (HOPE).

He said that besides these 139 projects over $ 1.8 million will also be released for a few other projects in next few weeks. He said that last year over 600 projects were submitted with the embassy and out of them, some 40 projects involving approximately $ 1.7 million were selected for funding.

He said that roughly around $ 2 million were available under the GRA scheme in a year. He urged the representatives of the NGOs, CBOs and the local government organisations to submit their projects which would be scrutinised and if qualified these would be funded.

Mr Khan said that but if the funding was not available in that particular year, then these projects would be brought forward for consideration, and would compete with the newly submitted projects next year.

He said that areas given priority under the GRA scheme were health, education, population planning, women development, special education for handicapped, clean drinking water, vocational training, environment, agriculture, etc.

He said that the maximum amount for a project given under the GRA was $ 190,000 while the minimum was $ 1,200. The region-wise break-up of the 139 projects was: Punjab (63); Islamabad (4); NWFP (28); Northern Areas (19); Sindh (19); and Balochistan (6).

HOPE chief Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, giving details of the centre, said that it comprised maternity home, labour room, mother and child clinic, 10-bedded hospital, operation theatre for minor surgeries, classes for boys and girls who could not go to school, a vocational training centre where girls would be taught cutting, sewing, embroidery, etc.

She said that over 150,000 residents of Zia Colony and next door kutcha adabis would benefit from the maternity home and other facilities at the centre. She said that the health facilities would be provided at a subsidised rate round-the-cloak at the centre.

She said that the HOPE had purchased the 240 square yards plot, while the two storey building, had been constructed and equipment and furniture had been purchase with the GRA funding.