Russian Ambassador Vladimir Kalinin (right) and United Nations’ World Food Programme Representative and Country Director, Marc-André Prost. - Photo: Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE: The Russian government has given 47 metric tons of cooking oil to the Ministry of Education and Sports, to be used in the preparation of lunches for primary school children in 12 districts of Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces.
Schools in these areas are still suffering from the effects of the recent floods and many are affected by food shortages.
The shipment of 3,400 boxes, each containing 15 bottles of fortified vegetable oil, is part of a larger donation from Russia to the school meals programme in Laos, and includes canned fish, with a total value of US$2 million.
The food is arriving in Laos in two consignments, and distribution to schools will begin at the start of the next school term.
Russian Ambassador Vladimir Kalinin handed over the cooking oil at the United Nations’ World Food Programme’s (WFP) warehouse in Vientiane on Tuesday (Oct 22).
Russia has been a partner of WFP since 2018, supporting the Lao government’s work in community resilience building and school meals.
Ambassador Vladimir Kalinin said “This food donation for children in schools in rural areas of Laos is going hand-in-hand with Russia’s ongoing systems strengthening and capacity building support to school meals in four northern provinces of the country.”
“The Russian government believes that access to a daily healthy meal in schools is a good way to counter malnutrition on scale and create a strong workforce for the future.”
WFP Representative and Country Director, Marc-André Prost, said “School meals play a vital role in keeping children in school, because they take pressure off families who are struggling to put enough healthy food on the table.”
This is all the more important in the communities who were hit by the recent floods, losing their food stocks and their next harvest.
The food donations from Russia also help the National School Lunch Programme of the government of Laos continue in areas that are challenged by high malnutrition rates and seasonal food insecurity, he said.
Since 2002, the Lao government has been building a system of school nutrition, with support from many partners. With their help, the country has made significant progress in improving education outcomes while addressing malnutrition.
By allocating national funding to the programme and by joining the international School Meals Coalition, Laos is now entering a phase of consolidation of its school meals programmes, with the help of expertise and resources from over 100 countries. - Vientiane Times/ANN
