Kyiv region was one of the first to launch a school nutrition reform: Kravchenko tells about the results
Kyiv • UNN
Kyiv region was one of the first to launch a school catering reform. Ruslan Kravchenko, Head of the RMA, spoke about the main achievements, including an increase in the number of students receiving free hot meals.
Despite the war, the situation with school meals in the Kyiv region has changed dramatically. The region was one of the first to launch the school feeding reform initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska. Ruslan Kravchenko, the head of the RMA, spoke about the experience of Kyiv region in school nutrition reform during a visit to Odesa region, UNN reports.
Kravchenko, together with First Lady Olena Zelenska, Vice Prime Minister for Recovery Oleksiy Kuleba, Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk, Head of Odesa RMA Oleh Kiper, representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy, UNICEF Ukraine, the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE, and the school feeding reform team, watched how Odesa Oblast is implementing different models of child nutrition.
According to Kravchenko, despite the constant attacks of the Russian enemy, Odesa region finds ways to do everything possible to ensure that children eat tasty and healthy food.
“Reforms during the war are difficult. But I know that we can all cope. Kyiv region has already passed part of this difficult path and is always ready to help others,” he said.
The head of the RMA told the main things about the achievements of the Kyiv region:
- All communities in the region have approved comprehensive plans for reforming school meals;
- in 2024, the number of students receiving free hot meals increased. Over 149 thousand children were provided with hot lunches;
- in October, the government allocated a targeted subvention for the organization of meals for students in grades 1-4. All primary school students - 84 thousand children - are provided with hot meals;
- this school year, 164 schools from 41 communities will receive partial compensation for the cost of meals from the UN World Food Program. The program covers more than 33,000 children in Kyiv region;
- We are implementing three technological models of catering: factory kitchen, hub kitchen, and basic kitchen. A kitchen factory is operating in the Bucha community. Work has begun on the design of a factory in the Vyshneva community;
- 12 general secondary education institutions operate as a “hub kitchen”;
- 12 communities in the Kyiv region received a subvention to purchase equipment and modernize catering facilities;
- 3 Culinary Hubs were established in vocational education institutions to train staff. 2.8 thousand people have been trained in culinary hubs.
“I will tell even more about our achievements during the European Regional School Feeding Summit to be held on November 12-13 in Kyiv. I am proud of the changes and grateful to everyone who joined this process. Together we are creating a healthy and tasty environment for our children, even in the most difficult times,” said the head of CRMA.
