Projected School Lunch Program-2010/2011

August 18, 2010

School lunch is not a part of the Laos Ministry of Education school system.  Students hike long distances back to their village for their lunch break, making the same exhausting return trip back to school for the afternoon session.  Maybe there is something to eat, other times not.  Indigo Threads is the only Organization in Southern Laos supporting a reliable ‘hands on’ school lunch program.

Indigo Threads has provided a nutritious School Lunch Program for impoverished primary school students at their rural schools since 2005, initiating the Program with one school and 165 students.  Each year more schools and students are added to our successful Program.  This year 5 poor ethnic schools with an estimated 700 undernourished students per day will be the recipients of the Lunch Program.

Photo:  Diana and Kim, Indigo Threads Volunteers, nervously serve the students school lunch.  "Are we going to have enough for everyone?"

As important as nourishing student’s mind and body with a healthy diet allowing her/him to learn and develop everyday, Laos is experiencing a drought.  Although the monsoon season eventually arrived during August, the rains are 3 months late, preventing families from planting their annual life sustaining rice crop.  Glutinous rice is 70% of Laotian’s diet.  Already overburdened parents will have insurmountable challenges feeding their family for the coming year, making Indigo Threads School Lunch Program more imperative then any other year.

Photo:   An example of Laotian ingredients purchased daily at the local morning market (huge quantities) with an emphasis on protein and dark green vegetables.  Like all children, greens are not their favorite but suffer from severe vitamin deficiencies.

Addressing students’ chronic malnutrition and hunger, the cost of you and your girlfriend enjoying lunch (without your favorite beverages) at a US restaurant would support 1-2 students with school lunch for the ENTIRE school year.

posted by Mary D. Meyer,Executive Director at mdmeyer@indigothreads.org

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