An 11-year-old girl from Thetsaban Primary School in Bountai district, Phongsaly province, has been named as one of the winners in the global Children’s Art Competition for 2007, an annual event organised by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). 

Ms Phetsamone Phomvichay received her prize on Wednesday at a ceremony at Thetsaban Primary School - US$100 for herself, and US$200 for her school to purchase stationery and art materials.

The theme of this year’s competition was “The difference WFP school meals make to my life”.

  Five drawings from Laos exploring the theme were originally submitted to the competition judges in Rome, Italy.

They were selected from more than 27 designs by students from schools in northern Laos.

Ms Phetsamone’s winning design (pictured) depicts school children receiving their mid-morning snack provided by WFP– a nutritious corn-soya blend fortified with vitamins and minerals. 

“I love drawing; I’ve been drawing all the time since we got crayons when I was seven,” says Phetsamone. 
Her picture was one of 13 finalists selected from a short-list of 200 drawings by primary school children from 40 different countries.

All the students attend schools participating in WFP’s worldwide school feeding programmes, designed to strengthen the health of primary school children as well as help them study. 

Ms Phetsamone has been receiving take-home rations of rice and canned fish, as well as mid-morning snacks from WFP since she began school in 2002, the same year WFP launched its school feeding assistance in northern Laos.

She says she plans to be a teacher at Thetsaban Primary School when she grows up, just like her mother, who teaches another Grade 5 class at the school.
“These children are our future. It’s important to invest in them,” said the head of the WFP Sub-Office in Phongsaly, Ms Leovigilda Aguilar, as she co-hosted Wednesday’s prize-winning ceremonies along with the provincial Deputy Party Secretary, Mr Douang Manichanh. 

District officials from   the provincial Education  Department also attended the ceremony.
Mr Douang thanked WFP for opening the doors for Phongsaly to enter the art competition.

“All of us here at WFP Laos are very proud of Phetsamone and congratulate her and the other participating young artists for creating such unique and inspiring works,” said WFP Country Representative Ms Christa Räder.

The designs from WFP’s global competition are currently being incorporated into greeting cards, calendars and agendas, all of which will soon be available for sale on WFP’s global website.
--World Food Programme

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