World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

In 2013, WFP launched a new development project in the Kyrgyz Republic aimed at boosting the national school feeding programme that covers over 400,000 children in primary school. The Kygyz government has been administering a national school feeding project since 2006.

WFP, in response to a government request, will be providing technical support to improve the quality, efficiency and sustainability of the national school meals project. WFP will also ensure that the children are receiving meals, all within the government’s current budget allocation. 

Over the next three years, WFP will assist the government in developing a national school meals policy as well as starting up pilot programmes in more than 250 selected schools to introduce more nutritious meals. Those model school meals programmes can then be replicated throughout the country.

During the initial stage of the school meals optimisation project, WFP will be assessing the canteen and sanitation infrastructure in pilot schools as well as supply chains. The assessment phase will be used to develop new menus and find ways of increasing effectiveness, accountability, sustainability and cost-efficieny.

In selected food-insecure areas of the country, where people struggle to get enough food to feed their families, WFP will help renovate school canteens and water and sanitation facilities to improve schools infrastructure. This will help children enjoy meals that are cooked better and served better.

The school meals optimisation project in the Kyrgyz Republic aims at ensuring that every primary school child receives a nutritious meal instead of bread rolls and tea that are currently offered.

These fourth-grade girls are proudly demonstrating their vegetable garden where they plant and cultivate cabbage for their school meals. This vegetable garden is in one of WFP’s pilot schools in Tepe-Koigon village in southern Kyrgyzstan. WFP will help schools, where needed, to develop similar vegetable gardens as a source of fresh produce to diversify the school meals with nutritious fruits and vegetables.