Thanks to the new modern equipment, this bakery will be able to feed nearly 9,000 students from 31 schools in the Pyanj district with fresh, high-quality bread.
The ceremony of the bakery opening was attended by Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan Zavki Zavkizoda, Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tajikistan Shamil Shamsutdinov, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan Zulfiya Abdusamatzoda, Acting WFP Representative in Tajikistan Arsia Khan, representatives of local authorities and SIFI.
“WFP has been providing significant financial assistance for nine years in strengthening the material and technical potential of the school feeding system in Tajikistan. This is a manifestation of our friendly concern for the growing generation of the republic residents, on whom its future depends. It is especially important for us that now the residents of the Pyanj region, located in the immediate vicinity of the border with troubled Afghanistan, will feel our support,” - Shamil Shamsutdinov emphasized.
“Today we are celebrating another achievement in the implementation of the WFP School Feeding Programme in Tajikistan. The construction and renovation of bakeries in the regions, in partnership with the private sector, saves time and money when making bread for schoolchildren. Besides, it creates additional employment opportunities for local residents, which is especially important in the current difficult socio-economic situation, and also contributes to the emergence of demanded skills in working with modern bakery equipment,” - Arsia Khan noted.
The renovation of the Pyanj bakery has become an important part of WFP's School Feeding Programme. To date, in partnership with the private sector, eight bakeries have been built and renovated in the Pyanj and Yavan districts of the Khatlon region, as well as in the Bobojon Gafurov, Spitamen, Jabbor Rasulov, Devashtich districts and in the cities of Istaravshan and Isfara of the Sughd region.
More than 110,000 primary school students in more than 300 schools in Tajikistan are planned to provide with the products of such bakeries.