KATHMANDU,Feb 20: Japan has agreed to extend grant assistance of USD 3.2 million to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Nepal for implementing the National School Meals Program in Nuwakot district.
Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Saigo Masamichi and Representative and Country Director of WFP Nepal Phillipa Jill Bradford signed a grant contract amid a ceremony in Kathmandu today.
Rs 308m Japanese grant for school sector
During the ceremony, Saigo Masamichi said the grant will improve the learning environment for nutrition situation of students in Nuwakot district, which was badly affected by the 2015 earthquake. He also informed the audience about the Nutrition for Growth Summit to be held in Japan this year.
Meanwhile, the WFP country director thanked Japan for their contribution and said that this partnership between the Japanese Government, the Government of Nepal, and WFP has the potential to improve the lives of more than 2 hundred thousand people. “By investing in school meals, we give children an incentive to go to school and keep learning. It also helps them stay healthy and nourished, and be better prepared for their future,” she added.
According to a joint press release issued by WFP Nepal Country Office and Embassy of Japan in Nepal, the new funding will be utilized in improving school infrastructure and strengthening the capacity of local governments and schools that offer school meals to their students.
It also seeks to foster sustainability through a homegrown school feeding approach, where local farmers are empowered to produce and supply food to the local schools.
The Embassy of Japan and WFP Nepal have expected to assist in improving nutrition while also contributing to the friendship that exists between the peoples of Japan and Nepal.
