Swiss Ambassador and DECIDE Project Manager participate in government meeting on School Nutrition Reform

On 16 December, H.E. Felix Baumann, the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine and the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project Manager, took part in a government meeting on school nutrition reform, which was attended by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, representatives of central executive authorities, heads of regional military administrations, and international partners.

The following were presented during the event:

• Interim outcomes of the implementation of the School Nutrition Reform Strategy;

• key changes to the Strategy, in particular the ones that are aimed to ensure access to free hot meals for 3 million schoolchildren;

• further steps in the implementation of the reform until 2027;

•   infrastructure projects to renovate school kitchen units as part of a comprehensive school renovation programme, as well as the construction of factory kitchens;

• best practices of regions and communities in implementing the Reform.

DECIDE Project has been a long-standing partner for school nutrition reform, and has provided systematic support, particularly through:

• expert and organisational support for the development of the Reform Strategy in 2022–2023;

• support in developing the ZNAIMO portal;

• analytical support and research;

• training and consulting for community leaders and education managers (webinars, guides, professional development courses);

• renovation of the school kitchen unit at School No. 13 in Chernihiv within the framework of DECIDE:VIDBUDOVA initiative;

• creation of three culinary hubs at vocational education institutions in Vasylkiv, Sokal, and Chernihiv within the framework of the DECIDE:VET initiative;

• development of the course ‘Effective Organisation of Nutrition in Educational Institutions’ on PROMETHEUS platform, which has already reached about 11,000 education managers and reform participants.

DECIDE Project will continue to support the development of the reform. Thanks to the reform, children, especially in frontline regions, now have the opportunity to receive adequate, high-quality nutrition. This is an important form of social support.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

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