THE government of Japan provided US$82,614 under its grassroots grant assistance program to the Educational Development Committee for Kayah on August 17 for the construction of new educational facilities in Moe Bye and Khemaphyu villages in Kayah State.

According to a statement released by the Japanese embassy in Yangon, educational facilities in Moe Bye and Kehmaphyu are insufficient because of the increasing number of students in those areas.

Japan has provided money for the construction of school buildings, toilets, water supply facilities and school furniture for Moe Bye High School and Khemaphyu Middle School, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Japan also provided $53,568 on August 20 for the improvement of living conditions at a home for the aged poor in Kandawlay in Yangon Division.

The home was established in 1898 to provide accommodation and medical care for needy elderly people not only in Yangon but also from the whole of Myanmar. About 170 people live there at the present time.

A statement from the Japanese embassy said the grant money will go towards renovating the men’s toilets, installing solar-powered lighting systems to overcome problems with unreliable power supplies, and purchasing physiotherapy equipment.