KARACHI, Sept 18: The Japanese government is providing funds for four projects in Karachi and is also looking to expand its network in the interior of Sindh.

“We have funded some 200 projects in Balochistan and Sindh, mostly in Karachi, but we are going to expand our work in the interior of Sindh soon,” said the acting consul-general of Japan, Masamichi Abe, while briefing the media about a few projects on Tuesday.

“We had been very active there during the 2010 and 2011 floods.”

The projects being funded include the construction of a vocational centre for the Christian community in SITE, installation of water filter plants for the Al-Khidmat Foundation, equipment for the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation’s blood bank and building a state-of-the-art intensive care unit for children admitted in Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation.

The vocational training centre is a project of Starfish Karachi, a Christian NGO. It has received Rs8.6 million from the Japanese government for the construction of the centre and is buying the necessary equipment. The centre adjoins the Holy Shepherd Grammar School, also owned by the NGO. According to Beverly D’Souza, the vice chairman of Starfish, Karachi, the vocational centre will provide courses in auto mechanics, mechanics, electronics, computer software designing, computer repair, sewing and grooming.

“The basic idea is to improve the lifestyle of people who are mostly from families of labourers,” she explained.

Al-Khidmat Foundation has been provided with Rs7.7 million for installation of seven water filtration plants in the city to provide potable water to people at minimal rates. Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation’s Nazeer Hussain Hospital also received Rs9.1 million to help it buy 26 high-performance items, which include an automatic blood cell processor, cryofuge, haematology analyser, Elisa for screening, clinical chemistry analyser, incubator, blood bag tube sealers, blood bag shakers, microscope, refrigerator and freezer.

Likewise, the Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation received a grant of Rs9.5 million to establish an intensive care unit.

Japan has been providing millions of rupees to fund projects in Pakistan under their Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme. The GGP scheme is different from the work of other NGOs since Japanese officials are not directly involved in the work but stay behind the scenes. “We see the work being done by the NGOs here and if we think it is important enough we provide monetary help,” Abe explained.

When asked how the projects were chosen he said that they only saw where their help was required. “It is definitely not a case of pleasing any community or political party.”

When asked if the recession would affect their funding, Abe said, “Japan doesn’t think like that. My salary may get slashed due to the recession but the good work will carry on.”

Japanese Consul Ryo Ishikawa added, “It is great for us, the people of Japan, to know how the taxes they pay are put to good use across the world.”