SCHOOL MEALS IN ARMENIA

Programme Overview

  81,500 children every day eat nutritious and healthy meal

852 schools, both WFP and nationally administered

Covering all country’s 10 provinces (7 WFP; 3 Government)

47% girls

School Meals are a vital Safety Net• School meals programme in Armenia is a vital safety-net for vulnerable

populations which acts as an effective mechanism to reduce the pressure of families to resort negative coping strategies, such as withdrawing children from school.

• A daily school meal provided to children 180 days a year, allows children to focus on their studies rather than their stomachs and helps to increase school enrolment and attendance, decrease drop-out rates, and improve cognitive abilities. These nutritious meals are rich in calories, vitamins, and minerals and they increase a child’s ability to learn and concentrate.

Importance of Nutrition• In 2015, 15 percent of the households in Armenia were food insecure

and 28 percent at risk of becoming food insecure. • The coexistence of a triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition,

overweight or obesity and micronutrient deficiencies-is a growing challenge. According to Comprehensive Food Security Vulnerability Nutrition Analysis conducted jointly with WFP in 2016, there are 19 percent of stunted children, 15 percent of children overweight and more than one third of children with anemia below 5 years of age. 

• Enhanced nutrition and health of primary schoolchildren leads to improved learning and decreased morbidity, paving the way for healthier lives. School meals not only alleviate child hunger in school, but also enhance nutrition, particularly when the food is rich in micronutrients. This raises the potential to improve a child’s health, school performance and educational attainment.

School MenusEnerg

yProtei

n Fat Calcium

Iodine Iron Vit. A Thiam

. Riboflav Niacin Vit. C

NVS

MENU

COST NVS/COST

OMEGA VALUE

RDI

kcal g g mg µg mg µg RAE

mg mg mg mg

1,850 46 35 700 120 18 500 0.9 0.9 12 35$/

day/child

WFP In-Kind682.3 23.2 13.1 33.0 0.0 2.6 1.1 0.3 0.1 3.1 0.3

3.2 0.22 14.6  37% 100% 88% 5% 0% 15% 0% 32% 15% 26% 1%

National

Monday

1,182.8 77.2 9.7 346.3 5.9 21.9 23.0 2.6 0.8 11.5 11.2

6.9 0.96 7.2 2.064% 100% 44% 49% 5% 100% 5% 100% 94% 96% 32%

Tuesday316.6 6.6 6.6 240.0 0.0 0.4 92.0 0.1 0.4 0.2 6.2

3.3 0.55 6.0 2.417% 83% 100% 34% 0% 2% 18% 11% 43% 2% 18%

Wedn.582.1 17.5 4.3 192.2 0.0 6.2 9.5 0.7 0.4 7.9 81.2

4.9 0.80 6.1 2.431% 100% 39% 27% 0% 0% 1% 80% 45% 66% 100%

Thursday481.5 16.1 5.2 142.2 0.0 4.9 6.2 0.6 0.3 8.4 49.7

5.1 0.39 13.1 1.126% 100% 58% 20% 0% 27% 1% 65% 38% 70% 100%

Friday822.5 27.7 7.7 183.9 0.0 9.1 6.0 1.0 0.6 14.2 9.4

5.6 0.85 6.6 2.244% 100% 50% 26% 0% 51% 1% 100% 61% 100% 27%

Ararat School557.3 19.3 17.6 130.9 0.0 4.5 10.3 0.5 0.3 7.9 7.4

4.6 0.40 11.7 1.230% 100% 100% 19% 0% 25% 2% 61% 37% 65% 21%

Centralized vs. Decentralized

• There are 2 coexisting school meals models in Armenia. • WFP provides an in-kind food directly to the schools which

includes food for the preparation of the children’s meals and the reimbursement of the kitchen helpers’ work (1,700 women).

• In the three provinces (Ararat, Vayots Dzor and Syunik), the Government provides each school with cash transfers of 140 drams (0.30 cents) per child daily based on the number of students participating in the Programme. Out of the 140 drams, 20 drams are used to pay the kitchen helpers and utility costs. In all the schools, school headmasters and parents councils work together in mobilizing parent and community cash and in-kind support.

Way Forward• Cash Based Transfers • Handover 1 province a year to the National Government• SABER Working Groups • School renovation/rehabilitation • Linking Agricultural Development with School Meals