Miss Laos sashays into battle against rural poverty
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Just 20 years old, Christina Lasasimma - better known as Miss Laos 2012 - has been appointed as Goodwill Ambassador to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) in Laos.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during an IFAD-hosted press conference at UN House in Vientiane.
Lasasimma joins a group of celebrities around the world who volunteer as Goodwill Ambassadors to promote the key values and messages of UN agencies.
As IFAD Goodwill Ambassador, she will raise awareness of the need for improved food and nutrition security in Laos.
IFAD’s aim is to empower rural people to move out of poverty, with a particular focus on improving agricultural productivity, strengthening links to markets and securing reliable access to nutritional food.
“Christina will visit IFAD projects to learn more about our work and deliver key messages on food and nutrition security to the Lao public,” said IFAD country manager Stefania Dina.
“We anticipate that her participation will highlight the need to prioritise these issues in Laos and we very much look forward to working with her.”
Lasasimma’s first assignment will be to launch an IFAD photography exhibition, titled “A Rural Perspective”, in Vientiane on September 25.
The exhibition will portray the daily lives of smallholder farmers as they grow and sell more nutritious food, learn new skills and start small businesses.
Lasasimma will also participate in a documentary about IFAD’s work later this year. The beauty queen said she was very proud to have been given this responsibility and the chance to make a useful contribution to society.
Her hope is to see Lao people change their daily habits so they eat more nutritious food, become healthier, and move out of poverty.
