(KPL) Thousands of primary school children in Sangthong district, Vientiane will benefit from School Meals Programme following the launch of School Lunch Cooking at Sanot Primary School on Mar 22.

This programme has been implemented under McGovern-Dole School Feeding Project 2020-2025.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Khanthaly Siriphongphanh and U.S Ambassador to the Lao PDR Dr. Peter M. Haymond, the World Food Programme (WFP) and Deputy Governor of Sangtong district.

Teachers and school children also attended the event.

In order to implement this programme, U.S Embassy and WFP to Laos strongly worked together with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos, concerned sectors and local authorities.

This official event aims to launch its next phase of support to the Government of the Lao PDR’s school meals programme, with daily healthy lunches provided to 64,000 primary school children in 707 schools around the country through support by the United States Department of Agriculture’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme.

In a ceremony held at Sanot Primary School in Sangthong District, Vientiane, the support to 17 priority target districts, identified by the Ministry of Education and Sports, was signalled by a ribbon-cutting and gong-beating ceremony.

Schools across the country have now begun cooking daily mid-day meals as part of this new project.

The support to schools comes in the form of a holistic package of services. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), WFP provides a package of school health and nutrition services, including school meals, installation of safe school water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, supporting communities to build dining rooms, storage facilities and kitchens, setting up school gardens, community green houses, as well as running literacy activities. WFP also provides agricultural and policy support to communities and authorities.

“The Ministry of Education and Sports’ main aim is to develop capable staff members for a productive society. Promoting school meals is an important part of this. Through implementing school meals for almost 20 years, we have gathered much experience and seen clear success in enhanced enrollment rates, lowered dropout and repetition rates, as well as better health and nutrition of children and communities,” said Deputy Minister Khanthaly.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s McGovern-Dole programme has funded WFP’s support to the Government’s school meals programme since 2008, with contributions totaling over US$85 million. Children receive a daily nutritious meal prepared with the rice, lentils, canned fish and vegetable oil donated by the U.S. Communities enrich the meals with eggs, vegetables and condiments. Produce from school gardens, small livestock activities and fish ponds, which will be established through collaboration between the Government and WFP, will add further colour to the children’s plates.

“In line with the U.S.–Lao Comprehensive Partnership, we stay commited to the health and nutrition of children in the Lao PDR. School meals help to build a healthy next generation, which is the foundation of a functioning economy,” said U.S. Ambassador Haymond.

“This project is a further step in WFP’s coordinated transition towards the National School Meals Programme, with the ultimate goal of helping the Government provide healthy daily lunches to children in schools all over the Lao PDR. We are guided by our mandate to reduce malnutrition and improved learning. For the first time, we are using fortified rice in our support to schools,” said Jan Delbaere, WFP Country Director and Representative.  

Fortified rice contains added vitamins and minerals, which has no effect on taste, but a big impact on helping to eradicate micronutrient deficiencies. Together with the Ministry of Health, WFP is currently working on local production of fortified rice in Laos.

KPL