Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - The Japanese government on Tuesday extended to five communities a grant totalling 291,815 dollars (about 2.5 billion cedis) for the construction of educational, health and skills acquisition infrastructure.

The beneficiaries are Wataniya English and Arabic School, Living Water's Community Rural Aid, Nkwanta District Health Administration, Centre for Domestic Development Services and Berekum Civic Union. The amount was given under the Japanese Government Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project scheme.

Contracts to that effect were signed by Mrs Kazuko Asai, Japan's Ambassador to Ghana for her government while representatives of beneficiaries signed for their communities.

Under the agreement, Wataniya English and Arabic School in Tamale received an amount of 58,243 dollars (507.9 million cedis) to construct a six-unit classroom block, an office, a storeroom, and a six-seater sanitation facility as well as acquire classroom furniture for the school.

The building will replace the existing dilapidated structure, which was destroyed by rainstorm. It will benefit 881 pupils currently enrolled in the school.

The Living Water's Community Rural Aid, a Tamale based NGO, received an amount of 48,552 dollars (423.4 Million cedis) to reconstruct a six-unit classroom block, a storeroom, a headteacher's office, a staff common room and library for the Nyohine Presby Junior Secondary School in Tamale.

The school building was destroyed after a rainstorm some months back and this is hampering teaching and learning activities in the school. The Centre for Domestic Development Services (CEDODEV), an NGO received an amount of 48,112 dollars (419.5 million cedis) to construct eight hand-dug wells and four boreholes in 14 communities in the Brong Ahafo Region. The beneficiary communities are situated in Sunyani, Wenchi, and Dormaa Districts of the region and an estimated 26,000 inhabitants of these communities to be served with potable water from these projects.

Nkwanta Districts Health Administration in the Volta Region receives an amount of 75,926 dollars (662.1 million cedis) to construct three community Health Compounds and three Pavilions for Community-based health Planning Services Initiative Programme at three zonal centres in the District.

The project will provide better health delivery to the communities and accommodation for health service providers.

Berekum Civic Union, an NGO received an amount of 60,982 dollars (527.9 million cedis) for the extension of pipelines to Nyamebekyere Number Three, a village in the Berekum District of the Brong-Ahafo Region. The project will provide potable water to about 3,500 inhabitants in the community.

Mrs Kazuko Asai asked the beneficiary communities to judiciously use the resources for the intended purpose.