Japan Blesses Leauvaa Primary School

September 6, 2020

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(4th SEPTEMBER 2020); The Government of Japan continues to provide development assistance for communities and the educational sector with benefits to villages, schools, hospitals, and NGOs across Samoa.

The village of Leauvaa and the Principal and staff of Leauvaa Primary School celebrated the handing-over of a reconstructed school building last week, in a ceremony held at the school compound.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Samoa, H.E. Mr. TERASAWA Genichi represented his government at the handover ceremony attended by Hon. Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Fatialofa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, Hon. Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio, Cabinet Ministers and CEO of Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, Afamasaga Dr. Karoline Afamasaga.

Japan’s assistance was formalized in March last year, with a grant amount of USD$ 95,736 (approximately SAT$246,805.88) provided under its Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (GGP) to fund reconstruction of 8 new classrooms, a staff room and a library.

Japan’s development support has always prioritised education and many villages in Samoa habe benefited over recent years.

“Japan believes that education is the base for developing a child’s capability and also a nation’s capacity”.

“Thus, the assistance through this project indicates Japan’s commitment to the improvement of educational facilities to provide equal learning opportunities and dispatching experts for capacity development of teachers particularly in the fields of science and mathematics”.

The two academic subjects are essential for higher education including university and studying abroad.

It is anticipated that the project will empower the school with the best of resources to achieve academic excellence and will greatly assist in the improvement of literacy in the community as well as accommodating the school’s growing roll.

Japan’s GGP was introduced in 1991 to respond directly to the basic human needs at the grass-roots level with 196 projects successfully completed at a total value approximately USD 16m (SAT 40m).