The Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Masamichi Saigo laid the cornerstone of a rehabilitation center for visually impaired people in Gorkha Municipality, Gorkha District. Along with Ambassador Saigo, Lekh Bahadur Thapa Magar, Minister of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Land Management of Gandaki Province, attended the ceremony.

The Project for Construction of a Rehabilitation Center for the Blinds in Gorkha District is funded under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Government of Japan. The grant assistance amounts to USD 85,315 (approximately NPR 8.8 million).

According to a press release issued by Embassy of Japan, the rehabilitation center will not only offer various types of income generation trainings, such as jam and soap making, but also rehabilitation programs for visually impaired people, in close coordination with Gandaki Province, Gorkha District, Gorkha Municipality and local hospitals. The center will also provide accommodation to visually impaired people who do not have family members to take care of them.

The project is being implemented by the Gorkha Association of the Blind (GAB), a branch organization of the Nepal Association of the Blind. Since 2002, GAB has been working for the empowerment of visually impaired people by providing counselling services and trainings so that they can pursue an independent life and participation in economic activities. Currently, around 1,500 visually impaired live in Gorkha District.

“The Embassy of Japan hopes that this project will contribute towards enhancing the income generation and capacity development of visually impaired people in Gorkha District. We also hope that, with the success of the project, the bilateral friendship between Japan and Nepal will be further enhanced,” said a press release.