First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska participated in a major partnership meeting held on Saturday at the country's first kitchen factory in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region. The event was dedicated to discussing the strategic goals of school nutrition reform, the main purpose of which is to ensure quality and healthy nutrition for children in every corner of Ukraine.
heads and representatives of Ukrainian ministries (Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Health), representatives of WHO (World Health Organization), WFP (World Food Programme), UNICEF Ukraine, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, UNOPS Ukraine, DECIDE, U-LEAD with Europe project, World Bank's "Act for Health" project in Ukraine, European Investment Bank in Ukraine, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EU, as well as embassies of Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Finland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Australia, attended the meeting.
"Bucha is a place of our pain, but also of our hope. Tomorrow marks two years since its liberation from Russian occupation. Then we found the city wounded and exhausted. And now we see how it is being restored. People are returning, newcomers are coming. It is incredibly inspiring. And another proof of this recovery that is happening with Bucha is this unique institution, twice unique because it is the first of its kind in the country," said Olena Zelenska.
She thanked all partners and participants of the reform for helping to develop and implement her projects, "not only to survive but also to develop, to look into the future with optimism."
The partnership meeting consisted of two parts: an interactive section, during which participants familiarized themselves with the work of the kitchen factory and delved into the technological processes of meal preparation, and an official section, which included a panel discussion with the participation of ministers and international partners of the reform.
Within the framework of the large partnership meeting, the School Nutrition Reform Project Office, together with First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko, Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Oleksandra Azarkhina, and Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andriy Stashkov, presented four strategic goals of the school nutrition reform: strengthening the financial and institutional capacity of communities, modernizing the infrastructure of educational institutions, ensuring the development of human resources, and shaping a culture of healthy eating. In particular, the reform team and relevant ministries outlined a map of needs (the most pressing needs of the reform), created by the reform team and profile ministries for a better understanding by partners of the priority tasks according to the strategic goals of the reform.
During the presentation of the strategic goals, ministers highlighted the most pressing needs of the school nutrition reform. The panel was moderated by the head of the School Nutrition Reform Project Office, Orest Stepanyak.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized the importance of activating the development of public-private partnerships in the education sector through the adoption of bill No. 7508 and also highlighted the important need to support the business ecosystem through gradual and measured steps towards cooperation with local farmers and local service providers.
Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Oleksandra Azarkhina outlined the overall need for construction, restoration, and modernization of food blocks in educational institutions across Ukraine. She emphasized the necessity of grant support for the development of project cost estimates for construction, reconstruction, and major repairs of food blocks in educational institutions. Additionally, she discussed the need for conducting training events for designers and project organizations, as well as funding for expert support to be provided to communities.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andriy Stashkiv spoke about the need to ensure equal food opportunities for children and the construction of 24 culinary hubs throughout Ukraine by the end of 2027. He emphasized the necessity of organizing training for managers, presented digital projects of the reform, and shared plans for creating the national "Znaimo Awards" culinary prize.
Minister of Health Viktor Liashko highlighted the urgent need to support an informational campaign on healthy eating, emphasized the importance of involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in shaping students' food habits and healthy lifestyles, and underscored the significance of creating educational and didactic materials for Ukrainian schools on the impact of healthy eating.
Additionally, within the framework of the partnership meeting, a panel discussion was held with the participation of international partners of the reform: UNICEF, WFP, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and DECIDE. The panel was moderated by Svitlana Kisiliova, a specialist in social and behavioral changes at UNICEF. Concrete goals for future cooperation were identified, and ideas and initiatives were presented to strengthen the interaction between the state and international partners in the development of the reform.
"To scale up our achievements and results, we need more resources and more partners. We want to find friends who will now help implement similar projects and continue the reform at their level in every community. Schools, kindergartens, and other childcare institutions have become places where, despite the war, healthy eating habits are instilled for life, thus laying the foundation for the future of the entire society," said the First Lady.