Monrovia — The Government of Japan through its Embassy in Monrovia has awarded a grant of 86, 590 United States Dollars to the Sustainable Urban and Rural Integrated Development Organization (SURIDO) for the improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at three learning institutions in Jorquelleh District, Bong County namely; Gbelekpalai Public School, Kerkulah Farm Public School, and the St. Matthew Academy
SURIDO is a local Non-governmental Organization founded in 2013 by group of trained WASH professionals who are currently contributing to Agriculture, Water supply, Sanitation, Hygiene and Nutrition programs in the Country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony Thursday, June 1, 2023 at the One-UN House in Sinkor, Japan Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Amb. Mochizuki Hisanobu said the Japanese government is excited to invest in the sanitation and hygiene of school-going children especially girls in Liberia.
According to the Japanese Ambassador, one of the reasons why Japan attaches serious importance to the project is due to its potential to ensure attendance in school especially for girls.
"Having poor access to clean and functioning toilets has shown to be a big challenge for girls due to their privacy needs and special sanitary requirements and as such, the ties between improved access to sanitation facilities in schools and girls attendance in particular is strong, this is why this project is important so that school children and girls in particular have sufficient access to water and sanitation facilities to meet their personal needs as required by the Sustainable Development Goal 6", Amb. Mochizuki Hisanobu asserted during the ceremony.
He said his Country (Japan) is a leading donor in the areas of water and sanitation and over the years his government and citizens have supported many developing countries in their efforts to improve their sanitation systems through grants and technical cooperation.
He also told the gathering that the government and people of Japan will continue to stand with the people of Liberia in its developmental drives particularly in the areas of road construction, Agriculture, water sanitation and hygiene.
The Ambassador commended the collaborative efforts of the Sustainable Urban and Rural Integrated Development Organization (SURIDO) and the District Education Officer for their support for the project adding that in the case of SURIDO, it has an experience in a similar project with the GGHSP in 2019 and hoped that the Organization can use that experience to ensure a successful implementation of the current project in the three schools.
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Signing on behalf of his Institution, the Executive Director of SURIDO Mr. Paul C. Jaiblai expressed excitement for the continuous confidence repose in his organization to implement projects on behalf of the government and people of Japan.
Mr. Jaiblai also assured the Japanese and the Liberian governments that the projects will be sustainable as was done in the past while advising fellow Liberians especially implementing partners to possess high degree of integrity and accountability in partnering with other local, national and International Organizations.
The signing ceremony was graced by the Ministry of Education's Coordinator of WASH school health division Madam Zoe Kanneh and the Assistant Director for compliance Regulation at the National WASH Commission Mr. Mohammed Kamara with both expressing support to the project while assuring that Japanese Embassy of their readiness to monitor the implementation of the project.
