Japan gave more than $480,000 to fund four projects that help struggling groups in Zimbabwe. Since 1989, Japan has funded 156 projects through its grant program for Grassroots Human Security. They spent over $15.9 million in total, which brought both countries closer as friends and business partners.
Yesterday, Japanese Ambassador Shinichi Yamanaka handed $486,239 to four local groups working on landmine removal, schools, gender issues, and health care. The HALO Trust received the biggest amount—$252,087—because it removes landmines across Zimbabwe. The country still has about 4 percent of its land with buried explosives that need cleaning up.
Zimbabwe faces a $23.79 million money shortage, which might limit landmine cleanup to just...