UNDP Moldova doubles each leu invested by parents and the private sector in the purchase of fresh fruit for school and kindergarten children. A campaign entitled “Collect vitamins” was launched for the purpose. Project manager Dumitru Vasilescu, in an interview for Radio Free Europe, said that the children in the schools and kindergartens of Moldova consume, according to statistics, only 2/3 of the necessary minimum of fresh fruit and vegetables. By this campaign, UNDP Moldova aims to promote the regular and growing consumption of fresh fruit in schools and kindergartens, IPN reports.
“We have two objectives that are complementary – to support the producers to develop a new niche on the market, of snacks. There are great and important diversification possibilities here, on the one hand. On the other hand, we want to gradually increase the consumption of fresh fruit in schools and kindergartens. Here, the role of the United Nations Development Program is to connect the private sector to the public schools and nurseries,” stated Dumitru Vasilescu.
The project manager added that the experience of the last five weeks of campaign showed that the private sector in Moldova is rather interested and receptive. There was launched the national platform Picivoinici.md that offers a number of possibilities, including technical ones, of investing own resources.
According to expert estimates, 278-280 lei is needed to ensure a child regularly eats fruit snacks during a school year. The estimated budget of the project for the UNDP and companies from the private sector to be able to provide these free snacks during a school year is about US$20,000. Of this sum, US$10,000 is offered by UNDP Moldova.
The schools eligible to take part in such programs are chosen based on three important criteria: readiness to contribute money; at least 10% of the parents should sign a common statement to show that they agree their school and children to be included in the project, and the school director’s own responsibility statement concerning the way in which these snacks should be provided free to children.
