DUSHANBE, April 20, 2015, Asia-Plus – Key stakeholders of Tajikistan’s School Feeding Program, which benefits almost 360,000 schoolchildren with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), have gathered in Dushanbe, to evaluate the current program, share experiences, address challenges and draft an action plan for the future.
WFP CO in Tajikistan says the workshop – part of the World Bank’s Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) – was chaired by Ms. Lola Bobohojiyeva, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection and attended by a broad range of people including, Mr. Fathiddin Ismonov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Mr. Vladislav Kurnushko, Adviser to the Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan and Representative of the Rossotrudnichestvo, and Mr. Nicolas Oberlin, WFP Country Director. Other participants included representatives from ministries, district education departments, the national Nutrition Institute, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) and the private sector.
“This a landmark event, not only to identify all the challenges and opportunities facing Tajikistan in the transition phase to a nationally owned School Feeding Programme, but also to gather meaningful support from all stakeholders in this crucial phase,” said Ms. Lola Bobohojiyeva, First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection and Chairperson of the National Inter-ministerial Council on School Feeding.
The workshop gave participants an opportunity to address some of the challenges of the program while contributing concrete recommendations for the future. The participants reviewed internationally-recognized quality standards related to the legal framework, institutional capacities, design and implementation of the program, as well as budgetary aspects and community involvement.
The workshop looked at ways to integrate school feeding in per capita financing scheme for schools; the development of national standards for hygiene and sanitation in educational institutions; and the role of PTAs. The stakeholders’ recommendations on these issues will be reflected in the forthcoming national school feeding strategy and will guide program adjustments and implementation.
Tajikistan’s school feeding program is the largest activity supported by WFP in the country. It provides a daily hot lunch to almost 360,000 schoolchildren in over 2,000 schools in rural Tajikistan. The program started in 1999 with just 5,000 schoolchildren in 33 schools and has since expanded to reach 60 percent of all rural schools in the country in 2015. The Russian Federation has been a major donor to Tajikistan’s School Feeding Program since 2005 and actively supports the current transition process.
