President Anura Kumara Dissanayake engaged in discussions with the International President of Lions Clubs International, Fabrício Oliveira, at the Presidential Secretariat today (26 May), focused on strengthening collaboration on youth mental health and social welfare initiatives in Sri Lanka.

According to the President’s Office, the discussions centred on expanding joint efforts to enhance mental health support systems and improve social welfare programmes targeting children and youth across the country.

During the discussion, Fabrício Oliveira reaffirmed Lions Clubs International’s commitment to promoting mental health resilience and social well-being among youth. He highlighted the organisation’s ongoing efforts in Sri Lanka, including initiatives on food security, disaster response and education, which he said would remain key priorities moving forward.

President Dissanayake expressed appreciation for the organisation’s sustained partnership and commended its contributions to national development.

Also present at the meeting were Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development; Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President; Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President; and a delegation from Lions Clubs International. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s national school meal programme has been bolstered through a contribution of US$1 million from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), in partnership with World Food Program USA.

The funding supports the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sri Lanka’s Home Grown School Feeding and rice fortification projects that allow children to receive nutrient-rich food in school.

Through this generous contribution, 100,000 children in selected schools are receiving rice fortified with iron and folic acid. Additionally, 2,700 smallholder farmers are receiving agriculture and poultry farming tools and training, empowering them to supply food for school meals.

“School feeding programmes are a game changer in strengthening fragile food systems,” said Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, WFP Sri Lanka’s Representative and Country Director. “By empowering school meal suppliers and farmers to produce food for the meals, we are creating a formal system that boosts livelihoods and enhances the sustainability of school feeding. We are grateful for the support from the Lions Clubs International Foundation and the World Food Program USA, which enables us to continue this work.”

Launched in 2020, WFP’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme provides suppliers and smallholder farmers with the tools, training and other resources needed to grow food and rear poultry. By integrating farmers within the national school meal programme system, they are guaranteed a steady income while schools are assured of an uninterrupted supply of fresh ingredients for their meals. This model helps improve child nutrition, boosts local economies, and financially empowers communities.

For many poor families, school feeding substitutes a considerable portion of their food expenditure. Making fortified rice available in the meals greatly improves their nutritional value, boosting children’s consumption of essential vitamins and minerals. 

WFP has been supporting Sri Lanka’s national school meal programme for over 20 years, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, as part of broader efforts to address malnutrition. 

This latest project is jointly supported by World Food Program USA—an organisation that mobilises American policymakers, businesses, and individuals to support WFP’s mission—and LCIF, which empowers humanitarian service through grants, programmes, and partnerships leveraging their worldwide network of volunteers. (Newswire)

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