The 'Project for Improving Environment of Child Education in Nuwara Eliya District' will be implemented by the Plantation Rural Education and Development Organization (PREDO) while the second project titled 'Early Childhood Care and Development Project in Trincomalee district, Phase 2' will be implemented by a Japanese NGO, Save the Children Japan (SCJ), the Japanese Embassy said.

Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Kunio Takahashi, Chairman of PREDO Michael Joachim and Operations Manager of SCJ Shunsuke Yamamoto signed the relevant grant contracts yesterday (08) at the Japanese Embassy.

The first project is supported by the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme.

The project aims to assist 11 plantation communities in Nuwara Eliya District to provide better early childhood care for more than 300 children. It plans to construct three pre-schools, provide study materials for 12 pre-schools, and train about 130 existing and newly employed teachers.

The second project in Trincomalee district is a follow up of the Phase 1 project that helped resettled communities to construct and renovate pre-schools. Phase I has been successfully completed in June, 2010.

The Phase 2 will include the construction and renovation of pre-schools, enhance teachers' trainings, community participation, and management of the pre-schools effectively, and also provide livelihood support for communities, the press release said.

The Phase 2, supported by the Japan-NGO Cooperation Grant Scheme, which supports economical and social developments and emergency humanitarian relief through Japanese NGOs, is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 resettled families in Trincomalee district.