The Government of Japan has donated over USD 39,000 to Maldives Autism Association.
At a ceremony held at Autism Association, the donation was handed over by the Japanese Ambassador to Maldives Keiko Yanai to the CEO of Autism Association Dr. Ismail Shafeeu. The donation was made under the Grant Assistance for Grassroot Human Security Projects (GGP) initiation of the Japanese government, according to the ambassador. The donation was given to the association for the provision of a visual screener and a hearing screener.
Speaking at the ceremony held to hand over the donation, Ambassador Yanai said in addition to providing financial assistance for the hearing and visual screener, the Japanese embassy will conduct a familiarization programme for members of the association. Shedding light on the GGP scheme, the ambassador noted 16 projects of Maldives have so far been funded by the scheme while 5 more projects will receive funding this year.
Meanwhile, CEO of Autism Association Dr. Ismail Shafeeu appreciated the generous funding provided by Japan, noting the importance of visual and hearing screening to ensure the skills necessary for the age group are being developed.
The Government of Japan has provided numerous assistance to Maldives under the GGP programme since 1996, in various sectors such as education and social welfare.