On 31st of March 2022, Korean Minister H.E. KOO Yun-cheol attended the ‘KOICA-WFP Project Ceremony for COVID-19 resilience support’ held at the Sri Lanka Triposha Factory in Ja-ela, which is a joint collaboration between KOICA and WFP to improve the nutrition of vulnerable people in Sri Lanka, especially children and women who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Korean Ambassador H.E. Santhush Woonjin Jeong and Secretary of State Ministry of Women and Child Development Ms. K. M. S. D. Jayasekara attended the event.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have been supporting the Government of Sri Lanka with funding worth USD 600,000 (LKR 117 million) to procure maize for the production of Thriposha. The funding was used to produce Thriposha, a maize-based fortified food product, which will be provided to 1.1 million mothers and children.
Thriposha, which means triple nutrients, is a locally produced supplementary food product, provided free of charge to children below 5 years of age who are underweight or with a slow rate of weight gain and pregnant and lactating women with a low body mass index (BMI), through the public health system.
The grant from Korea helps ensure continuation of the Thriposha programme, which the Government of Sri Lanka has been conducting for almost 50 years to provide nutrition to children and women.
The Korean Minister while conducting the site-visit, commended the numerous efforts of KOICA to develop the quality of life for Sri Lankan people. The wonderful contribution of KOICA and WFP to improve the nutrition of vulnerable people in Sri Lanka was evident during the visit and the Korean delegation was impressed by their commitment to assist those who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
