Close to 700 families in Oudomxay this week received a total of LAK331 million (around US$41,000) from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on the successful completion of Cash for Assets projects that were implemented in close cooperation with the Oudomxay Department of Planning and Investment and the Lao Postal Service. In 15 villages across Beng and Hoon districts, communities worked together to create assets such as irrigation systems and gardens that improve their food and nutrition security in the long term. In return, they received not food assistance or monthly rations, but cash to allow them to meet some of their short-term food needs buying from local shops and markets.

“Where markets are functioning and close to the communities WFP assists, we try to distribute cash instead of food to give people the choice how to use their money to fulfil their immediate nutrition needs, said Ms Eri Kudo, WFP Representative in Lao PDR, in a statement. “To help people make a healthy choice WFP also provides nutrition education, giving people an opportunity to make their families’ diets more nutritious.”

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Photo: Cash for Assets participant in Namdor village receives his money after helping in the construction of an irrigation system. Photo credit: WFP/Sengpaseuth Simmanivong