The government of Japan, through its Embassy in Accra has awarded USD $103,388 grant to the Dormaa Municipality, in the Brong Ahafo region, for the construction of a girls' hostel and provision of beds for Domaa Vocational Training Centre.

The dormitory will house up to 80 girls. "Girl child empowerment is a key to holistic national development and the government of Japan is happy to contribute to such areas of national development," Mr. Keiichi Katakami, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana said at a signing ceremony in Accra yesterday.

The ambassador stated that the construction of the new facility will "significantly increase enrollment of girls from the Dormaa Municipality." "I believe that if students are housed at the centre during their training, they will spend more time on their training," Mr. Katakami said.

He explained that the Government of Japan expects nothing in return for the grant but the assurance that the building would be completed and fully utilized.

Mr. Richard Addo-Gyamfi, centre manager of the Dormaa Vocational Training Centre, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan for the facility. "It is an obvious fact that the completion of the 8 unit girls' hostel facility will go a long way to increase girls' intake at the centre," he noted.

According to Mr. Addo-Gyamfi, in the past, many of the girl applicants from within and without the Dormaa traditional area were denied admission to the school, on the basis of limited residential housing.

"We are pledging that the said amount for the project will be used judiciously for what it is intended for," Mr. Addo-Gyamfi said. "We also pledge that after completion of the project, the facility will be maintained to ensure a long life span for generations to come."

To date, the Japanese government has implemented 20 projects in the Brong Ahafo Region, and a total of 222 projects nationwide.