The Charge d'Affaires ad interim of Japan to Nepal, Mr. Yuzo Yoshioka, handed over Braille printers to the Nepal Association for the Welfare of the Blind, a Nepali NGO which is located in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu.
The Project for the Installation of Braille Printers for the Visually Impaired Students in Nepal is funded under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Government of Japan. The total grant assistance is USD 82,257 (approximately NPR 8.4 million).
The project supported the installation of high quality Braille printers in order to enhance the printing capacity and efficiency of Braille textbooks for visually impaired students. Before the implementation of the project, due to the high volume of demand, the organization had difficulty to supply all the required Braille textbooks before the beginning of a new school semester. The new set of equipment has improved printing speed and volume which enables the organization to produce and deliver the braille textbooks on time. These new equipment will also enable the organization to print Braille text books a broad subjects and make them available for senior classes.
The NAWB, established in 1992, has been supporting visually impaired students by providing Braille textbooks, trainings and scholarships. These books can enable visually impaired students to study in the same classrooms with other students.
“The Embassy of Japan hopes that this project will contribute to ensure the timely distribution of Braille textbooks to visually impaired children all over the country and that the friendly relationship between Japan and Nepal will be further enhanced by the successful implementation of the project,” said The Embassy of Japan.