The Japanese government has pledged to grant nearly 700,000 USD in non-refundable aid to Vietnam in the 2014 fiscal year, with a view to supporting the country to mitigate natural disaster risks and improve primary education.

Documents to this effect were signed in Hanoi on December 24.

Of the aid, 214,345 USD will come to the project on enhancing education capacity on natural disaster risk mitigation for schools and the coastal community in the central province of Quang Nam.

The project’s beneficiaries are six coastal areas, namely Hoi An and Tam Ky cities, and Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen, Thang Binh and Nui Thanh provinces.

Through the project, Japan’s lessons and experience in natural disaster fight will be shared to local residents.

Meanwhile, over 482,000 USD will be funded to the project on improving primary education for ethnic minority groups in northern Ha Giang province and central Quang Binh and Quang Ngai provinces.

Plan Japan, a non-governmental organisation ensuring children’s rights, will coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training and relevant agencies to carry out the project.

The project will focus on the improvement of education environment by building classrooms, installing sanitary equipment and supplying clean water as well as providing textbooks and training courses for teachers.

A series of workshops will be held to discuss measures to improve programmes and share teaching methods among teachers while promoting educational activities in the localities such as reading festival.-VNA