France, Germany bolster nutrition and education for Lao students

Saravan province: The Embassies of France and Germany in Laos have visited United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)-backed school meals and nutrition programmes in Xekong and Saravan provinces.
These initiatives, funded by both governments, are essential in enabling women and young girls to access nutrition and education, especially as they continue to face disproportionate impacts from food insecurity and economic instability.

The Ambassadors of France and Germany to Laos visit the World Food Programme’s school meals and nutrition programmes in Saravan province.

The ambassadors’ visit underscores substantial investments in Laos from the governments of France and Germany and their ongoing partnership with the Lao government and WFP, particularly focusing on women’s empowerment amid deteriorating food security conditions.
In Xekong, the province with the highest recorded levels of food insecurity at 36 percent, one in two children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, with long-term devastating effects on their physical and cognitive development.
In Saravan, an estimated 43 percent of children under five are chronically malnourished. These two provinces are also hardest hit by the impacts of climate change, such as seasonal droughts and floods, which destroy crops and habitats.
Ambassador of France to Laos, Siv-Leng Chhuor said France is pleased to contribute to the government’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 on ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition and sustainable agriculture.
In 2023, France supported 139 food assistance projects around the world at a cost of more than €170 million.
WFP’s school meal programmes have boosted school enrollment and retention rates, contributing to reduced poverty and malnutrition, as the biggest social safety net in the country.
These projects are also aimed at women and girls in ethnic regions who are burdened by domestic and agricultural duties and have limited access to nutritious food due to cultural barriers.
Ambassador of Germany to Laos, Annette Knobloch said “We believe this school feeding programme will not only support local agriculture, access to markets and healthy nutrition, especially for girls and young women, but also improve educational opportunities.”
WFP Representative and Country Director, Marc-André Prost thanks the governments of France and Germany for their continued support towards the school meals and cash assistance programmes for climate resilience and nutrition.
These initiatives are not just about food; they’re about empowering women, employing them as cooks and farmers, and ensuring that they retain their agency and choice, he said.
The government of France committed over €1 million in 2023 to the Cash Assistance and Resilient Livelihoods for Improved Food Security and Nutrition (CARES) project, aimed at bolstering nutrition and resilience among the most vulnerable groups.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 4, 2024)