Japan Provides Aid to Support Persons with Visual Loss

The Government of Japan on Monday extended a grant of USD 87,350, approximately Tk 6.98 million, to Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO).

Ambassador ITO Naoki signed Grant Contracts for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) at the Embassy of Japan with Md. Saidul Huq, Executive Director of BERDO.

BERDO has been awarded the grant for ''The Project for Procurement of Braille Press and Training to Promote Education of Persons with Visual Impairments in Dhaka District'', said a press release of the Embassy of Japan.

BERDO has been working for a long time with persons with disabilities and also working to promote the education of visually impaired persons using the brail method, to mobilize and to sensitize communities, and to develop skilled manpower in the different trade.

With the assistance of the GGHSP funding, BERDO will procure and install a Braille Press and provide technical guidance on operating the machine to contribute to the self-reliance and livelihood improvement of visually impaired persons.

The students of BERDO Blind School and BERDO Library members as well as persons with visual impairments nationwide will be able to access Braille books and textbooks through this project.

Japan has supported 198 NGO projects through its Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) since 1989 with the view to enhance economic and social human security at the grass-roots levels.

The total sum of these GGHSP grants extended to NGOs in Bangladesh to date amounts approximately to $16 million.