To enhance the School Feeding Programme in Tajikistan

 Overview

Ensuring food security and access to high-quality products for the population, with special attention to promoting healthy nutrition for children, is one of three key priorities set by the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan until 2030. In 2022, in line with the priority area, the Government of Tajikistan adopted the 6-year State Programme for the Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2022-2027.

Since 1999, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been partnering with the Ministry of Education and Science, implementing the School Feeding Programme. By now, the programme has gradually expanded, covering nearly 400,000 or 50% of primary school students nationwide.

About the School Feeding Unit 

In 2023, the School Feeding Unit was established under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, with support from the WFP. The unit focuses on coordinating and monitoring the School Feeding Programme. It also helps building capacity of the staff of MOES and its structures in the regions and districts. Its opening marked an important step in strengthening the collaboration between the WFP and Government to successfully implement the State Programme for the Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2022-2027 and achieve its goals.

The unit facilitated the unification of efforts aimed at improving children’s health and, as a result, the quality of education. There is no doubt that a healthy and well-fed student is more likely to master school subjects and thereby contribute to the improvement of the education quality and the younger generation’s health. 

The newly created School Feeding unit set clear work objectives. It focused on coordinating with involved departments, ministries, and development partners and strengthening the capacity of education departments and schools in managing school meals, especially in schools received pilot governmental funding, and improving the School Feeding programme implementation.

The Ministry of Education and Science Contribution

The Ministry of Education and Science is strongly committed to developing school feeding in Tajikistan and strengthening the School Feeding unit capacity. The Ministry organized and facilitated meetings on school meals and assigned its representatives and focal points to education departments at regional, city, and district levels. Furthermore, numerous policy-related and technical documents were endorsed such as Operational manual to organize and manage school meals, Cash Based Funding School Feeding Guidelines, School Meal Monitoring Guide for Focal Points and others. 

“WFP and the Russian Federation [WFP School Feeding Programme key donor] are making a significant contribution to the organization of school feeding in Tajikistan. The opening of the School Feeding unit moves our cooperation to a new level. The unit will oversee and coordinate school feeding activities, and it will be directly managed by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan. The Ministry is planning to pilot school feeding funded by the state budget and nationalize the school meals programme, therefore the opening of the center was just in time and very important” said Mr. Jamshed Jurazoda, the Deputy minister of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan

In 2024, recognizing the shortage of cook positions at schools that were previously supported by the parent association assistance, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan introduced new positions for school kitchen staff, including one cook, assistants, and a nutritionist. The nutritionist’s role is to oversee and ensure that schoolchildren receive healthy and balanced meals.

Collaboration to Achieve Goals

Under the State Programme for the Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2022-2027, various ministries, agencies, and stakeholders are taking collaborative actions to achieve effective outcomes. 

While the Ministry of Education and Science prioritizes promoting quality education, ensuring adequate learning conditions, and renovating school canteens, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population monitors children's nutrition quality and works to improve the school diet.

The Government also has an active intersectoral coordination council on school meals, providing a platform to discuss and develop shared decisions among government entities, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economy and Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, the State Investment Committee, and many others.

Governmental Support

Due to enhanced collaboration and coordination, along with the endorsement of the State Programme for the Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2022-2027, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan allocated funding for the implementation of the school meal programme. The size of the government budget and the scope of school coverage have been growing annually. In 2025, the allocated funding reached approximately 19 million somoni, benefiting students in over 90 primary schools, a significant increase from the initial allocation of 5,5 million somoni in 2022. The amount of funds transferred also grew from 40% in 2022 to 80% in 2024.

Regulatory and operational documents concerning the development of school meals were created and approved. Trainings for school administrators and designated focal points were carried out by relevant education departments and branches in districts and regions. The implementation of school meals in schools is continuously monitored and evaluated.

The Ministry of Science and Education has focused on upgrading school infrastructure, particularly school kitchens and canteens. As per the new Ministry standards and requirements, all schools undergoing renovations or construction with funding from the state budget and donors must include provisions for the construction or renovation of kitchens and canteens. In 2024 alone, around 130 school canteens were constructed or renovated and equipped through collaborative support and joint efforts including 55 school canteens renovated and equipped with support of WFP Tajikistan.

Joining Global Initiatives

In 2023, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan joined the Global School Meal Coalition. Since then, the Ministry has been actively involved in global movements, contributing to the search for global solutions to school nutrition issues and development of school meals programmes worldwide.

To successfully contribute to the School Feeding programme, the Government of Tajikistan took on the following commitments:

• Increasing funding to improve school infrastructure.
• Enhancing the efficiency of the school food system.
• Expanding access to hot meals for primary school students, ensuring wider programme coverage to benefit more children.
• Creating a sustainable market for agricultural products of local producers and fostering long-term links between local farmers and school catering establishments.
• Decreasing student illness, particularly chronic diseases, and promoting better health by encouraging a culture of healthy nutrition.

Goals for 2025

In 2025, the School Feeding Center, supported by WFP and the Ministry of Education and Science, is planning to achieve the following objectives :

• Expanding the center’s activities in regional areas, collaborating with regional education departments to boost their capacity, and working with local authorities to advocate for the School Feeding programme development.
• Enriching food rations through school garden and orchard development and providing healthier school meal options for schoolchildren.
• Increasing funding to renovate school kitchens and canteens, enhancing food preparation and storage standards.
• Raising awareness of parents and schoolchildren regarding healthy meals and nutritious diets through information and educational campaigns.

Alongside these efforts, the WFP will continue providing technical and financial support to the Ministry of Education and Science throughout the ongoing nationalization of the School Feeding Programme.  This collaboration is aimed at ensuring smooth transition of WFP school feeding components to the Government and building a sustainable school feeding model under governmental ownership.