The GNH commission and the Tarayana foundation received USD 315,650 (Nu 13.5 million) from the Japan international cooperation agency (JICA) on June 12 for a two-year project targeted at community development and local governance initiatives to reduce poverty. The Tarayana foundation, to receive USD 160,000, will open learning centres, provide non-formal education for school dropouts and skill development courses to farmers in the remote communities of Lawa, Lamthang, Metakha, Thaphu and Samthang in Athang gewog of Wangduephodrang. The five communities, located a day's walk of eight hours from the nearest road, are amongst the most economically challenged and vulnerable communities in Bhutan, in terms of access to road, market, education and health facilities. "We've asked farmers from the communities to list down their priorities so that we can work according to their needs,' said the secretary general of the Tarayana foundation. The project will support 40 households of these vulnerable communities to achieve socio-economic security through the improvement of access to education, artisan skills and other services related to the promotion of income generation activities. The rest of the budget will be utilized by the GNH commission for capacity building initiatives like development of dzongkhag- and gewog-based government staff, including village functionaries. "The dzongkhag and the gewog staff will be given training on planning and prioritization and other issues such as financial management. Infrastructure like computers will also be provided to the gewog offices,' said a GNH commission official. By Tandin Wangchuk