The Covid-19 epidemic and the restrictive measures taken to control it have made it significantly more difficult to implement the planned work program for the 3rd tied aid project. In the emergency, situation VAA management strengthened the management structure, especially the direct contact between the Hungarian and Lao leading experts of each project component, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by ICT. To facilitate the implementation of the cattle breeding program, a key component of the project, VAA management sent an expert to Laos for longer-term work. Undertaking the mandatory two-week quarantine in Laos and using the opportunity offered by the World Food Program humanitarian flights between Kuala Lumpur and Vientiane 11 Hungarian experts worked in Laos for a total of 24 months since the outbreak. The Hungarian staff of VAA office in Vientiane spent only a short period of time in Hungary. In view of the emergency, the development of distance learning programs was given a prominent role in the work program of the Human Resources Development component of the project. Thanks to the measures and the constructive cooperation between VAA and DLF, despite the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, the completion of the project work program was 51 percent at the end of May 2021.

Hungarian experts on the World Food Program humanitarian flight to Vientiane

Online discussion of experts with VAA leaders during their quarantine time

At the time of the epidemic, imports of breeding cattle from Thailand started

The epidemic did not prevent the start of a new irrigation system on the PPC family farm