Lions, WFP strengthen food security in Sri Lanka

Representatives of Lions International and the WFP at the press briefing of the joint national initiative to improve food security in Sri Lanka 

For thousands of schoolchildren across Sri Lanka, a daily meal is more than nourishment—it is the foundation for learning, growth, and a more secure future. It is within this context that the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) recently convened a press conference in Colombo to highlight the scale of national impact achieved through Lions-led initiatives, specially its collaboration with the UN World Food Program (WFP).

The collaboration with the WFP is part of a $ 2 million partnership between the WFP USA and LCIF, targeting Sri Lanka and Nepal. Under this initiative, WFP Sri Lanka received $ 1 million to support its HomeGrown School Feeding Program, strengthening local caterers, farmers, and improving the nutritional quality of school meals for children.

Furthermore, Lions of Sri Lanka are currently conducting a LCIF-designated grant project ‘Protect Child Nutrition’ valued at around $ 400,000 and offers daily school meals to almost 5,000 children throughout Sri Lanka. The program, which was created as a three-year intervention, is vital for enhancing community resilience, promoting education, and improving child nutrition. 

The briefing highlighted how large-scale, sustainable interventions are made possible by LCIF’s global grant processes, especially when it comes to addressing food insecurity in Sri Lanka. It also reiterated the Foundation’s contribution to systemic, high-impact initiatives by demonstrating how local service is enhanced through global partnerships. 

The press conference was attended by LCIF Chairperson and Immediate Past International President Fabricio Oliveira, alongside the representative and Country Director of WFP Sri Lanka and senior Lions leadership, including Past International President Mahendra Amarasuriya and LCIF Trustee Mahesh Pasqual.

Oliveira emphasised the transformative power of partnerships: “By collaborating with the WFP, we are investing in communities’ long-term well-being in addition to meeting their current nutritional needs. Sri Lanka is a great example of how local leadership and international collaboration can have meaningful and lasting impact. We are collaborating to ensure that no child experiences food insecurity in the future.” 

Since its inception, LCIF has contributed to Sri Lanka with grant funding totalling approximately $ 17 million. Several large-scale development projects, including disaster relief initiatives like the $ 300,000 major catastrophe grant for Cyclone Ditwah recovery, gained support from these funds.

LCIF’s commitment to impact and transparency, which guarantees that every dollar donated goes solely towards service initiatives without any deductions for administrative costs, is a defining feature of its operations. This model maximises the impact and reach of each donation while boosting donor confidence. The event highlighted a crucial point: Lions’ service goes well beyond obvious charitable deeds and develops into organised, nationally significant interventions powered by collaboration and expertise.

Partnerships such as that between LCIF and WFP underscore the value of coordinated, sustainable action in addressing Sri Lanka’s social and economic challenges. Through unity, strategic investment, and a shared commitment to service, Lions are helping lay the foundation for a more resilient and foodsecure future for the nation.