What do a school breakfast, a family dinner, and a child’s well-being have in common? Third-grade children, parents, teachers, older students, and school cooks across Kyrgyzstan will explore this question together.
From May 14 to 21, schools in Bishkek and the Batken, Issyk-Kul, Osh, and Talas provinces will host a series of interactive educational events titled Magic Kitchen: The Secrets of the Rainbow on Your Plate. The events are dedicated to the International Day of Families and World Digestive Health Day.
The initiative is being implemented as part of the Optimization of School Meals project with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the Russian Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute (SIFI), which acts as the CIS Base Organization for School Feeding.
The events are designed as lively and engaging school experiences where healthy eating is discussed not through rules and restrictions, but through games, creativity, movement, and open conversation. Children will learn why breakfast supports academic success, how fruits and vegetables bring colour and balance to a plate, why fiber matters, and how healthy digestion affects energy, mood, and growth.
The program will begin with an interactive classroom session focused on balanced nutrition and healthy digestion. Together with older students, primary school children will embark on a playful educational journey: uncovering the secrets of the “rainbow on the plate,” completing team challenges, participating in tastings, and debunking common myths about food.
Special attention will also be given to families. Parents will take part in the seminar titled Smart Kitchen: How to Feed Your Family Well — Quickly, Affordably, and Without Stress. The session will demonstrate that balanced nutrition can be simple, practical, and accessible in everyday life. Participants will discuss how to prepare healthy meals without excessive time or financial costs, diversify family diets, and support healthy habits at home.
The events will conclude with the interactive festival Unsung Heroes: Operation “Thank You, Cook!” — the warmest and most unusual part of the initiative, dedicated to the cooks and kitchen staff who often remain behind the scenes of school life.
In the days leading up to the festival, children will conduct a real “investigation” into the work of school cooks. They will learn how a cook’s day begins, how much effort goes into preparing a bowl of hot porridge or soup, and what knowledge and skills are required in a school kitchen. Children will create creative portraits, thank-you cards, interviews, and short stories about their school cooks.
During the festival, children will reinforce the knowledge gained during the classroom sessions and present the results of their observations of school kitchen staff. Through interactive game stations, they will demonstrate what they have learned about healthy eating, the benefits of water and fiber, school meal recipes, and the work of school canteens. The event will conclude with presentations of the children’s creative projects and expressions of gratitude to school cooks for their daily care and dedication.
The events will take place in the following schools:
The Magic Kitchen: The Secrets of the Rainbow on Your Plate project aims to create a shared space for children, parents, teachers, and school cooks to talk about health, family, and the everyday care that supports a child’s well-being. Organizers hope these events will help children better understand the importance of healthy habits, while encouraging adults to recognize the value of shared attention to nutrition, daily routines, and the atmosphere around both the family and school table.
From May 14 to 21, schools in Bishkek and the Batken, Issyk-Kul, Osh, and Talas provinces will host a series of interactive educational events titled Magic Kitchen: The Secrets of the Rainbow on Your Plate. The events are dedicated to the International Day of Families and World Digestive Health Day.
The initiative is being implemented as part of the Optimization of School Meals project with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the Russian Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute (SIFI), which acts as the CIS Base Organization for School Feeding.
The events are designed as lively and engaging school experiences where healthy eating is discussed not through rules and restrictions, but through games, creativity, movement, and open conversation. Children will learn why breakfast supports academic success, how fruits and vegetables bring colour and balance to a plate, why fiber matters, and how healthy digestion affects energy, mood, and growth.
The program will begin with an interactive classroom session focused on balanced nutrition and healthy digestion. Together with older students, primary school children will embark on a playful educational journey: uncovering the secrets of the “rainbow on the plate,” completing team challenges, participating in tastings, and debunking common myths about food.
Special attention will also be given to families. Parents will take part in the seminar titled Smart Kitchen: How to Feed Your Family Well — Quickly, Affordably, and Without Stress. The session will demonstrate that balanced nutrition can be simple, practical, and accessible in everyday life. Participants will discuss how to prepare healthy meals without excessive time or financial costs, diversify family diets, and support healthy habits at home.
The events will conclude with the interactive festival Unsung Heroes: Operation “Thank You, Cook!” — the warmest and most unusual part of the initiative, dedicated to the cooks and kitchen staff who often remain behind the scenes of school life.
In the days leading up to the festival, children will conduct a real “investigation” into the work of school cooks. They will learn how a cook’s day begins, how much effort goes into preparing a bowl of hot porridge or soup, and what knowledge and skills are required in a school kitchen. Children will create creative portraits, thank-you cards, interviews, and short stories about their school cooks.
During the festival, children will reinforce the knowledge gained during the classroom sessions and present the results of their observations of school kitchen staff. Through interactive game stations, they will demonstrate what they have learned about healthy eating, the benefits of water and fiber, school meal recipes, and the work of school canteens. The event will conclude with presentations of the children’s creative projects and expressions of gratitude to school cooks for their daily care and dedication.
The events will take place in the following schools:
- T. Satylganov Secondary School No. 69, Bishkek;
- Jusup Balasagyn Secondary School No. 85, Zhenish village, Kadamjay District, Batken Province;
- Chingiz Aitmatov Secondary School No. 5, Balykchy, Issyk-Kul Province;
- A. S. Makarenko Secondary School No. 6, Osh;
- Chingiz Aitmatov Secondary School, Amanbaev village, Aitmatov District, Talas Province.
The Magic Kitchen: The Secrets of the Rainbow on Your Plate project aims to create a shared space for children, parents, teachers, and school cooks to talk about health, family, and the everyday care that supports a child’s well-being. Organizers hope these events will help children better understand the importance of healthy habits, while encouraging adults to recognize the value of shared attention to nutrition, daily routines, and the atmosphere around both the family and school table.