On December 21, the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam held a grassroots ODA presentation ceremony and donated braille printers and displays to the Vietnam Association of the Blind and other organizations. The braille printers are Nippon Telesoft’s “DOD BASIC ADF,” which is quiet and can print quickly, and will print and deliver a wide variety of information to visually impaired people in Vietnam. The braille displays are “Seika Mini,” which can record in braille and are expected to be effective in learning and other areas.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Yamada said that the total amount of the seven grants for which grant contracts were signed this time is US$1,147,533. Specifically, the projects will cover a wide range of areas, including (1) a project to remove unexploded ordnance in Quang Binh Province, which continues to suffer from the threat of unexploded ordnance even today, 45 years after the Vietnam War, (2) a project to provide portable X-ray equipment to efficiently screen for tuberculosis in remote areas, (3) provision of Braille equipment for the visually impaired, (4) construction of kindergarten and primary school buildings, (5) development of facilities to ensure sanitary water for daily use, and (6) construction of village roads. The portable X-ray equipment and Braille equipment provided this time will utilize Japanese technology, and will contribute to Vietnam’s development in terms of technology as well.