Paul Howe, WFP Lao People’s Democratic Republic deputy country director, said: “To help Lao PDR become a country free from undernutrition, raising awareness and sharing knowledge is essential. Working with our partners in the Lao Government and NGOs, we are able to reach more people in remote rural communities, where improvements in the area of nutrition are needed the most.”
The trainers are now fully qualified to empower villagers throughout Lao PDR to improve their diets by educating them about the dangers of malnutrition and how to prevent it. They are also equipped to monitor and evaluate progress, and to continue working with villagers in regular refresher trainings.
The Feeding the Future education programme takes a community-based approach. The goal is to teach women of child-bearing age and other care-givers in the family about good nutrition practices which are culturally acceptable. The training will reach more than 120 villages in 10 provinces throughout Laos.
In the village trainings women learn how to use locally available foods from forests, gardens and markets, to cook in a way that maximises nutrition and to make their diets more diverse. The trainings are tailored to different ethnic groups and delivered in their ethnic languages. The trainers use culturally specific, interactive and enjoyable training tools. Training messages are reinforced through cooking sessions, role playing, as well as a variety of games which drive home nutrition messages.
Source: WFP
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