The Embassy of Japan has delivered a grant assistance of over 2 million Solomon Dollars to the Ado Rural Farmers Association in Falake, Malaita Province.
Delivered under the Grassroots and Human Security Project, the assistance is for the construction of a Micro Hydropower Plant and Power Transmission Facility for the community.
The assistance will go towards the installations of the plant.
Speaking at the grant signing, Japanese Ambassador to Solomon Islands, HE. Miwa Yoshiaki says, providing essential infrastructures is one of the priority areas of the Grassroots and Human Security Project.
“This Micro Hydropower Plant is an essential infrastructure for driving economic growth and for supporting people’s wellbeing. This project also aims to achieve SDG 7 “A Goal for Sustainable Energy”. Japanese Government supports this SDG 7 by providing financial support in making sure communities have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy sources.
"Investment in this field is a critical component of strengthening social economic development and resilience in this country. Therefore, we believe that this project will have positive impacts on the socio-economic development of Solomon Islands,” he said.
Chairman of Ado Rural Framers Association, Mr. Pius Itea, also assured that they will work together with stakeholders to ensure the project is completed on time.
“The Ado Rural Farmers Association is grateful for the assistance, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders in terms of community contributions to make the project reach its successful rate within its 1-year duration.
"I will be coordinating serious of meetings during the project tenure so that if we identify some natural challenge, we must make sure to abide to the agreement,” Mr. Itea said.
This assistance from Japan to Falake community is not the first, as it has also supported the community when it was a pilot site for the governments Sustainable Forest Resource Management (SFRM) project.
Source: Press Release