COLOMBO — Some half a million schoolchildren in Sri Lanka are expected to benefit from a fortified rice lunch distribution program to be implemented over an eight-month period.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, the Ministry of Education, the World Food Program, the National Food Promotion Board and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have collaborated on the project, a statement from the president’s office said.
The launch of the program was held in Colombo on Thursday (Feb 1).
“The program seeks to enhance the nutritional status of school children, addressing issues such as anaemia, memory impairment and stunted growth,” the statement said, adding that approximately five hundred thousand school children are expected to benefit from fortified rice lunches over an eight-month period.
Speaking at the event, Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and the Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, said nurturing a healthy future generation was essential and that nutrition was a critical factor in shaping the country’s destiny beyond merely satisfying hunger.
Expressing Sri Lanka’s gratitude for the support received from various stakeholders including the BMGF, Ratnayake said the nutrition program’s roots date back to 2003 with the intervention of the World Food Program and that the ongoing efforts align with President Wickremesinghe’s vision for a poverty-free and healthier Sri Lanka.
The expansion and strengthening of a program initiated to aid war-affected areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces was satisfactory, Ratnayake noted, explaining that originating in four districts, the program had broadened its scope to six districts following the tsunami in 2004, and was supported by various ministries and organizations, the initiative has evolved to encompass a wider geographical area, reflecting its continued impact and success.
“Following the unprecedented economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty levels in Sri Lanka experienced a significant surge. In response, a stabilization program was initiated, spearheaded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, with a primary focus on addressing poverty,” he said.
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