Lao and Russian officials attend the handover of tinned fish for use in the World Food Programme’s school lunch scheme.

Russia adds protein to students’ lunch plates

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced the donation of 149 metric tonnes of canned fish imported from Russia to the Ministry of Education and Sports on Tuesday.
The fish will be used to make nutritious lunches for 50,000 primary school students in 13 food insecure districts of northern Laos, as part of the National School Meals Programme.
The shipment of seven containers containing over 607,000 cans of sardines arrived in March.
Together with 47 metric tonnes of cooking oil that were delivered in October last year, Russia has provided a support package to school meals that marks its ongoing cooperation with Laos.
Minister of Education and Sports, Associate Prof. Dr Phout Simmalavong, said “The canned fish will provide students in disadvantaged areas of Luang Namtha, Phongsaly and Luang Prabang provinces with much-needed protein, thereby enhancing the nutritional value of their meals.”
Dr Phout said he greatly appreciated the Russian Federation’s support in helping Laos to meet its goal to ensure a healthy foundation for successful learning.
Since 2018, Russia has been partnering with the World Food Programme to support the Lao government’s efforts in community resilience building and strengthening the National School Meals Programme.
This latest contribution is part of a larger commitment from Russia to enhance food security and improve the well-being of children in Laos, worth US$2 million in total.
Russian Ambassador to Laos Vladimir Kalinin said “The Russian Federation has been attaching great importance to providing economic, humanitarian and social assistance to Laos, our reliable partner and close friend, for 65 years.”
“By donating food products, we believe that a daily healthy meal for Lao students is a good way to improve their quality of life and combat malnutrition.”
The Russian government believes their assistance will contribute to the joint efforts of the international community to drive economic and social development in Laos, he said.
WFP Representative and Country Director, Marc-André Prost, said “Over more than two decades, the National School Meals Programme has been instrumental in improving school attendance and academic performance by ensuring that students receive at least one nutritious meal each day.”
“While we are working on establishing a reliable local food supply chain for school meals, we are thankful for food donations in areas that are challenged by high malnutrition rates and seasonal food insecurity.”

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 24, 2025)