27 May 2010
Australia Supports School Meals Program in Lao PDR
The Australian Government and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) have signed a new Grant Agreement for USD 350 000 to support school meals in Lao PDR.
The funds will be used to train Ministry of Education officers at all levels, to give them the skills they need to manage a national school meals program. This will help Laos to make a smooth transition from a WFP-managed school meals program to one that is implemented by the Ministry of Education.
“The Ministry of Education is committed to ensuring that the benefits of the school meals program will be sustained over the long run. A Memorandum of Understanding regulating the transition process of the School Meals programme from a WFP-supported programme to a fully owned national programme has been signed this April. Australia’s support during the coming months is crucial to kick-start this initiative, and will facilitate planning and capacity building activities in 2010”, said Mr Lytou Bouapao, Vice-Minister of Education.
This contribution is part of a broader package of over USD 1 million that Australia will provide in 2010 to support school meals. Other funding is channelled through the Access to Basic Education in Laos Program (ABEL) which is fully funded by Australia and has been implemented by the Ministry of Education, WFP and UNICEF in Oudomxay, Phongsaly and Luang Namtha provinces.
Through ABEL, poor children living in remote villages are given mid-morning snacks at school and take home rations. This helps to improve concentration in class and also encourages children to go to school. “Over 130,000 students in the three provinces, and their families, benefit from school meals. We think this is an effective way to encourage parents to send their children - especially girls- to school”, said Ms Raine Dixon, Head of Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy.
The new funding is also part of the Australian Government’s larger program of 20 million USD to the Ministry of Education’s ‘Education for All Fast Track Initiative Program’, which aims to help the Lao Government achieve its Millennium Development Goal for education.
Media contacts: Ms Raine Dixon
Head of Development Cooperation,Australian Embassy
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Tel: 021 353800