The United States government, in partnership with the Asia Foundation, delivered books to four local organizations late last month. The books are from the Asia Foundation as part of the Foundation’s contribution to the USAID-supported Pacific Regional Initiative.
The Pacific Regional Initiative strives to counter trafficking in persons by focusing on prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership. Literacy is a core element in helping prevent trafficking.
The Foundation donated 2,000 books to the Marshall Islands ranging in educational topics for all ages, with a value of $170,000. The topics include business, IT, political science, good governance, history, geography, education, self-help, literature, arts, and children’s books. Participants in the hand over ceremony included the US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Henry Hand and Deputy Chief of Mission Lance Posey, James Ley of USAID, and Peter Fennell and Jasmine Henry from the Asia Foundation.
The recipients included Public School System Director Asena Ketedromo, Alele Museum Representative Lola Shutz, College of the Marshall Islands Librarian Verenaisi Bavadra, and Majuro Cooperative School Principal Amy Ishiguro.
“Thanks to the efforts and assistance from The Asia Foundation, progress has been made in combatting trafficking in persons,” Hand said at the book handover. “The US is proud to stand with the RMI, our implementing partners, local NGOs, and the Marshallese people themselves to address this serious human rights issue. I invite all of us to learn more about this issue, including the business community and citizens. We all need to be part of this conversation.”
“As a librarian, there are never enough books,” said CMI’s Bavadra. “I remember being in Fiji and seeing most of the books donated by the Asia Foundation, and it feels like a full-circle moment to be here in the RMI. Once again, I have the pleasure of seeing books from the Asia Foundation on behalf of the College. We thank you.”
Ketedromo thanked the Asia Foundation for the generous donation: “Although I am not a librarian, I work with curriculum development for RMI public schools, and when we create the budget, we can never budget for library books as it is considered a luxury. So I just know the kids will so appreciate receiving these beautiful books.”
In closing, Asia Foundation Chief of Party Peter Fennell, concluded, “the Foundation has had a book donation program, Books for Asia, running for over 50 years and there is nothing better than giving children the opportunity to read a physical book in this day and age. These books represent a contribution to our program. We are very appreciative in collaborating against this pervasive problem in the Pacific and around the world.”
The Asia Foundation is now focused on its Let’s Read Program, a free digital library of books produced by local authors and illustrators in Asia and the Pacific. For more information: asiafoundation.org.
In US government grant funding news:
- The US government is injecting over $5 million for Marshall Islands programs, including nearly half a million dollars for outer islands projects. The US Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs has approved $5,218,185 in Technical Assistance Program grant funding for the current fiscal year for programs and projects to benefit the RMI through local governments, a non-profit organization, the US Department of Energy, and the US Bureau of Reclamation.
“We are very pleased to support several outer atoll populations with solar and water projects that will help improve lives,” said Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor. “We are also providing funds to the US Department of Energy as called for by Congress to monitor groundwater at Runit Dome and the Four Atoll Healthcare program, both of which are related to the nuclear legacy that we share with the Marshall Islands.”
Projects and programs funded through Technical Assistance Program include:
- $2,240,225 to RMI national government for Four Atoll Healthcare program
- $200,000 to the RMI Love Animals (Iakwe Menin Mour) for the Majuro SNIP project to manage the feral dog population on Majuro
- $200,000 to the US Bureau of Reclamation for the Majuro Atoll Hydraulic Modeling Refinement Support project
- $150,000 to Aur Atoll Local Government for a community solar energy enhancement project
- $137,820 to Ailinglaplap Atoll Local Government for the Ailinglaplap water catchment project
- $111,777 to the Ebon Atoll Local Government for Ebon teacher housing
- $96,000 to Wotho Atoll Local Government for the Wotho solar project
- $82,363 to the RMI Environmental Protection Authority for the water quality monitoring laboratory program.
Close to 40 percent of the funding goes to the US Department of Energy for monitoring the Runit Dome nuclear waste facility. The DOE’s Runit monitoring is due to a law the US Congress passed 12 years ago requiring monitoring of the dome at Enewetak Atoll.
The $2 million in Technical Assistance Program funding was provided to the Department of Energy as required under Public Law 112-149, the Insular Areas Act of 2011, which directs, among other things, that DOE perform periodic radiochemical analyses of the groundwater surrounding and in the Cactus Crater Containment Structure commonly known as “Runit Dome” in Enewetak Atoll and to report to Congress on its findings. The overall objective of this project, which remains the responsibility of the Department of Energy, is to develop and implement a long-term groundwater monitoring program for Runit Dome, said Interior in its release.
- US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland spent a week visiting US-affiliated islands in the region last week, wrapping up in Pohnpei for the inauguration of the new FSM President Wesley Simina. While in Pohnpei, she announced nearly $1 million in grants for FSM projects.
Haaland visited the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Republic of Palau and the FSM.
A total of $976,918 in Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assistance Program grant funds will support projects in Pohnpei and Yap States, including:
- $250,162 to Pohnpei State Government to meet requirements for a management unit for the Nan Madol World Heritage Site and conduct vegetation removal and management training
- $198,304 to the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation for technical assistance support to Yap State to conduct a comprehensive review of the Dinay Water Reservoir
- $195,492 to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for technical support to Pohnpei State for Pohnpei Utility Corporation’s Photovoltaic and Island Energy Systems optimization project
- $176,960 to The Nature Conservancy in support of developing capacity among local conservation partners who manage marine and terrestrial resources across the FSM
- $156,000 to the Pohnpei State Office of the Public Auditor for training.