From April 23 to 25, the Interdepartmental Coordination Council on School Feeding held a field meeting in the city of Nurek, Khatlon region of Tajikistan. The event brought together representatives of the Ministries of Education and Science, Finance, Economic Development and Trade, WFP, and SIFI with the purpose of discussing and evaluating the implementation of the State Programme for the Development of School Feeding in the region.
21 out of 30 schools in Nurek receive food supplies from WFP Tajikistan. Three schools are financed from the state budget. The amount of funds varies depending on the number of students receiving meals: school No. 4 receives 270,351 somoni, school No. 9 receives 339,660 somoni, and school No. 10 receives 58,293 somoni. So far, only six schools in the city do not provide meals.
On the first day of the meeting, the council members visited several schools and a bakery to give some recommendations for improving workflow management.
The region’s exemplary school No. 10 welcomed the council members to share its success. The school that previously received food from WFP now organizes school meals independently. In its garden, the school grows potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, and herbs, providing food for 189 primary school children.
The final session took place on April 25. Government officials, local authorities, and representatives of different organizations discussed current problems and possible solutions and issues related to financing the school feeding development programme. The Deputy Chairman of the Khatlon region and other executives delivered speeches, emphasizing the importance of work being done to improve the quality of school meals.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, Safarzoda Dilshod, said that the draft budget for 2025 will include a revised list of Nurek schools that will receive financing for the organization of meals.
The meeting was another important step towards improving the school feeding system in Nurek.