Ambassador of Japan to Egypt held a 30th anniversary event of “KUSANONE” Program in Egypt | Sada Elbalad

On Thursday, June 6, 2024, H.E. Mr. OKA Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt held a 30th anniversary event of “KUSANONE” Program, or Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects at his residence. Amb. Oka welcomed H.E. Dr. Nevine El Kabbag, Minister of Social Solidarity, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, H.E. Dr. Ebdel Hadi El Qasbi, Chairman of Social Solidarity, Family and Persons with Disabilities Committee, House of Representatives and distinguished “KUSANONE” stakeholders.

This event aimed to highlight the 30 years of successful achievement of the “KUSANONE” Program, under which the Embassy of Japan provides small-scale grant to local NGOs and local public organizations to directly benefit people in communities at a grass-toot (“KUSANONE” in Japanese) level. Since 1994, the Embassy of Japan has extended more than US$10 million in Egypt, supporting 179 projects throughout Egypt in cooperation with 129 NGOs in a wide range of sectors including education, health, water and sanitation, vocational training, women empowerment and special need support.

At the event, Amb. Oka expressed his pleasure and appreciation to the cooperation of local NGOs and understanding and support of the Egyptian government, represented by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which enabled the Embassy of Japan to carry out “KUSANONE” Program successfully for 30 years. He explained that Japan places great importance on the approach of human security, which aligns with the core principle of the SDGs, “leaving no one behind,” in the development cooperation and has implemented this “KUSANONE” Program to sustain its equitable development.

Minister of Social Solidarity H.E. Dr. Nevein El Qabbaj: “The Civil society is our partner and we are proud of what has been achieved so far, especially through cooperation with the KUSANONE program, whose motto is “Spreading Smiles throughout Egypt”. The government of Japan has also supported the Egyptian Red Crescent for delivering aid to Gaza. Our mission now is to focus more attention on the small and medium NGOs and those located in remote areas, for pushing the wheel of development in their communities.”

Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al- Mashat: “This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Egyptian-Japanese partnership & the 30th Anniversary of “KUSANONE” program in Egypt, an occasion worth celebrating many years of impactful cooperation. Since its inception in 1994, the KUSANONE has been an excellent example of small projects, with a direct and immediate impact on small-scale enterprises directly benefiting the grassroots level as well as contributing to the socio-economic development in Egypt.”

H.E. Dr. Abdel Hadi Al-Qasabi, the majority leader in the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Social Solidarity Committee, stressed the close historical relations between Egypt and Japan. He emphasized the effectiveness of the Egyptian civil society and its efforts to support development. Emphasizing Japan’s history of supporting humanity and calling for doubling Japan’s support for the defenseless Palestinian people and continuing to support civil society, hoping to develop economic and investment relations and support parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries.

Following these speeches, the event featured presentations from NGOs that have previously implemented “KUSANONE” projects and their beneficiaries, showcasing examples of their work. Additionally, participants interacted each other to expand network and create further connections among the “KUSANONE” community.

The Embassy of Japan will continue this support for more years to come and welcomes to receive applications from NGOs for new projects. For more details, please check the following Embassy website.