BISHKEK (TCA) — The U.S. government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has allocated over one billion Kyrgyz som to support healthy nutrition for children — the future of Kyrgyzstan — in schools and kindergartens throughout the country. The key objective of this program is to improve nutrition and literacy and primary education in the country, the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek said on February 5.
By providing school meals, teacher training and related support, these projects boost school enrollment and academic performance. At the same time, the program also focuses on improving children’s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and preschoolers. Sustainability is an important aspect of the program; NGO Mercy Corps and implementer Save the Children work to ensure that the communities served by the program can ultimately continue the sponsored activities on their own or with support from other sources such as the host government or local community.
This U.S. government program will provide Kyrgyzstani pupils and children with enriched wheat, rice and butter to schools, kindergartens and orphanages across the Kyrgyz Republic. The products will be included in the lunches of hundreds of thousands of pupils of children’s institutions.
The official launch of the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition 2017-2021 will take place on February 6 in Bishkek with the participation of representatives of the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic; Ministry of Education and Science; Ministry of Health; as well as the Department of Social Development, Education and Health of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic.
