By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Nov. 6: Japan has provided grant assistance for the construction of a hostel for blind women in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Charge d'Affaires a.i. of Japan to Nepal, Yoshioka Yuzo, signed a grant contract today to support construction of a hostel for blind women in Kageshwori, Manohara Municipality, read a press release of the Japanese embassy.  

The agreement was signed between the Embassy of Japan and Ramesh Pokharel, President of the Nepal Association of the Blind, a Nepalese Non-Governmental Organization.

On the occasion of the online signing ceremony, Yoshioka said he hoped that the project would provide a place where blind female students can live safely while seeking to enhance their education, according to the embassy.

The Project is funded under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Government of Japan. The grant assistance amounts to USD 95,740 (approximately NPR 1.14 crore), said the embassy

The Nepal Association of the Blind runs a hostel for blind female students who come to Kathmandu from remote areas to seek better education opportunities. Unfortunately, the existing hostel cannot accommodate all, therefore, this project is expected to contribute for blind women by increasing their access to education.

The Embassy of Japan believes that the project will also contribute towards further enhancing the friendship between the peoples of Japan and Nepal, the embassy said.