According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the press service of the President’s Office.

The main focus of the meeting was the reform of the school nutrition system – one of the First Lady’s key initiatives.

Zelenska expressed her gratitude to the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss-Ukrainian projects DECIDE and “Act for Health,” which were among the first international partners to support the reform.

“Through joint efforts, the Znaimo portal was created – a platform containing information on the reform’s implementation for all target groups. In addition, webinars and online courses for educators and administrators were launched, and a recipe collection for educational institutions was published by chef Yevhen Klopotenko,” the report says.

The First Lady shared an update on the progress of the reform, highlighting the President of Ukraine’s announcement last autumn regarding the launch of a free school meals program for primary school students. She noted that the initiative is set to expand further this September.

“The main challenges, especially considering the program’s expansion, remain infrastructure and staffing. As of now, only 20% of kitchens and dining areas in the country meet modern standards. Today, 17 training and practice centers are already operating to train school cooks, six of which were created with Swiss support. The goal is to establish at least 60 such centers,” Zelenska said.

The President’s wife expressed hope that with the help of Swiss partners, the plans would be implemented.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and Finnish First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb held discussions on restoring shelters for schools and advancing reforms in the school nutrition system.

Photo: President’s Office