VIENTIANE: All 302 schools participating in the Learning and Engaging All in Primary School (LEAPS III) project in Savannakhet province in central-southern Laos have successfully transitioned to the government’s National School Lunch Programme (NSLP), ensuring the continuation of nutritious school meals for pupils.
The transition was celebrated during a two-day event held during September 23-24, when the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Laos, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), donors and local partners, marked the completion of the LEAPS III project.
The project’s completion marks a significant step towards sustaining the provision of school meals, and improving nutrition, learning and school environments for children in the province, which is the largest in Laos.
The NSLP, which LEAPS III helped design, strengthen and pilot, has now been integrated into the government’s national school meals system.
“The transition of all 302 schools to the NSLP represents more than the completion of a project. It represents a sustainable investment in the future of Lao children,” CRS Laos Country Manager Vatvisa Keosalivong said.
Since 2022, with support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), LEAPS III has provided meals to more than 50,000 students and trained 1,618 school cooks in nutrition, food safety and hygiene.
The project also distributed take-home rations of rice and vegetable oil to nearly 3,000 people, while more than 4,000 people participated in project-related training.
To strengthen local food supplies, farmer groups in all six target districts received support to establish greenhouse production for fresh vegetables used in school meals.
“Through the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Sports, the commitment of communities and the support of our donors and partners, the foundations are now in place for school meals to continue reaching children for years to come,” Vatvisa said.
Beyond school meals, LEAPS III supported improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, teacher training, and literacy instruction.
The project established play-based early childhood learning groups in 33 villages, involving nearly 2,000 children between 2023 and 2026.
Although USDA funding ended in early May 2025, CRS mobilised additional resources to complete the project’s final year.
Financial support from the Australian government through the Lao BEQUAL Programme, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and CRS headquarters enabled the project to fulfil its commitments through its scheduled completion.
The closing event recognised the contributions of the Lao government, communities, donors, development partners and CRS, and highlighted the need for continued efforts to strengthen the NSLP and expand access to nutritious school meals and quality education across Laos. - Vientiane Times/ANN
