School meals program funded by Russia launches in Armenia

School meals program funded by Russia launches in Armenia.

Initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia and the
UN World Food Program (WFP), with funding from Russia, a school meals
program was launched on Monday in Armenia, News Armenia reports,
citing the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Education.


The aim of the $8 million three-year program is to improve school
meals and assist in facilitating the social burden of families with
schoolchildren. Pupils from grades 1-4 included in the program will
receive hot meals once a day. About 12,500 pupils will participate in
the preliminary phase of the program. At the main stage of the program
about 50 thousand pupils will be provided with school meals.


The School Meals Program, with the assistance of the WFP, was
implemented in Armenia in 2002-2008. At that time it included 25-30
thousand pupils. The WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in
the world fighting world hunger. Every year, the WFP provides about 90
million people with food in more than 70 countries worldwide. The
School Meals Program has been carried out for 45 years in 60 countries
around the world for nearly 22 million children.