First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Marianne Ward, Acting Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Office in Ukraine.
The President's wife thanked the organization for supporting the school nutrition reform in Ukraine. Back in 2022, the World Food Programme and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation to implement the school nutrition program. In the new 2023-2024 school year, the project expanded its geography to cover 11 regions and more than 420 schools.
Olena Zelenska noted that the goal now is to provide free meals to 1.5 million primary school pupils and representatives of privileged categories, including 223,000 children who are internally displaced. "In the midst of the trials brought to Ukrainian families by the hostile invasion, schools and kindergartens have become islands of stability for children. They are light and warm, and they will feed children even when there is nothing to cook with at home. Due to the war, lunch at school has become the only nutritious meal of the day for many children. So, together with the school nutrition reform team, we are doing everything we can to ensure that these meals are healthy and of high quality. It should become a basic support, protect against many diseases and help withstand the trials of war," the First Lady said.
The President's wife also emphasized the importance of establishing the School Nutrition Coalition, which has brought together more than 90 countries. Its first summit was held last year in Paris, and the Ukrainian delegation took part in it.
"On the sidelines of the summit, we held talks with representatives of international organizations and governments of other countries that are implementing national school nutrition reforms. As a result of this trip, the school nutrition reform team, which is working to implement changes, has set a goal to organize and hold the next summit of the Coalition here in Ukraine," Olena Zelenska said.