News Today: US Expands Child Nutrition Support Across Colombo School

The U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, highlighted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program as it expands into Colombo schools. This initiative, part of the PALAM/A II project led by Save the Children, aims to support child health and education in vulnerable urban areas by providing nutritious daily meals.

Ambassador Chung met with students, teachers, and meal providers to see how the program benefits children’s health and academic progress. “The United States is proud to support initiatives providing nutritious meals and creating a better learning environment,” Chung said, emphasizing the positive impact on Colombo’s urban communities. Since 2018, the U.S. has committed $60 million to this program in Sri Lanka, contributing over 10,260 metric tons of U.S.-donated goods, including fortified rice and canned fish.

The expanded program now benefits 16,231 students in 44 Colombo schools and supplements the National School Meal Program. PALAM/A II also aims to increase school enrollment and reduce dropout rates by addressing short-term hunger. Between 2024 and 2028, the initiative will reach 199,136 primary school children and 23,200 early childhood students across Sri Lanka.