At least 64 schools in Osh region will receive 135 tons of lentils, peas, sunflower oil, flour and rice for hot meals for primary school students. U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie and Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in Osh region Ernis Toltoev launched the delivery of food at the secondary school 139 named after K. Ermatov in Kara-Suu district.
This is the second tranche of food delivery under USDA-funded McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
The products complement the funding provided by the Kyrgyzstan’s government for hot meals for primary school students. «Good nutrition for every child in elementary school is our common goal. Thanks to our partnership with the government of the Kyrgyz Republic, our efforts are reaching their goal,» said U.S. Ambassador Lesslie Viguerie.
There are 280 children in elementary grades at school 139 named after K. Ermatov in Ak-Orgo village, receiving hot meals under a program funded by the U.S. government. Ernis Toltoev noted that to date 37 percent of schools in Osh region do not provide students with hot meals.
During the first phase of the McGovern-Dole program in 2021-2023, 124 schools across the country received modern kitchen equipment, trained cooks and kitchen staff, and began providing daily hot meals to elementary school students. Within five years, the program will cover more than 400 schools and 100,000 children in Batken, Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, Naryn, Osh and Chui regions. The new round of the five-year program of the U.S. government is planned for 2021-2026.
