On September 7, in Guatemala City, the capital of the Republic of Guatemala, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) reached an agreement with the country’s Ministry of Education on the implementation framework for the technical cooperation project titled “Project to Strengthen the Implementation of the School Meal Program” and signed the Record of Discussions (R/D). The signing ceremony took place between Anabela María Hiraka Méndez, Minister of Education of the Republic of Guatemala, and Ken Kubokura, Director of the JICA Guatemala Office.
Scenes from the signing ceremony
This project aims to strengthen the school lunch program system in Guatemala by formulating operational guidelines, establishing a monitoring system, fostering human resources, and enhancing nutrition education, while also supporting the creation of a foundation for future nationwide expansion. In response to the country’s critical challenge of improving child nutrition, the project aims to enhance the operational capacity of the school lunch program and the implementation framework for nutrition education. By sharing Japan’s expertise in school lunches and food education, the project is expected to contribute to the healthy development of children in Latin America.
The business overview is as follows.
Project to Strengthen the Implementation of School Lunch Programs
The Project to Strengthen the Implementation of the School Feeding Program
・Country (Target Region)
The Republic of Guatemala (Chimaltenango and Totonicapán Departments)
・Business Objectives
This project aims to strengthen the management and operational systems for school lunch programs in the participating prefectures, implement and promotion of food education in the target prefectures. Furthermore, by establishing a foundation for sharing and expanding policies, legal frameworks, and best practices regarding school meals to other schools and prefectures, this project aims to strengthen the implementation of school meal programs based on the School Meal Program Management and Operation Guide, the Food Education Guide, and follow-up tools, thereby contributing to the expansion of school meal programs based on these guides to other schools.
・Scheduled Implementation Period
36 months
・Implementing Agency
Department of Education
・Contributing to the SDGs
Goal 2 (Zero Hunger)
Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being for All)
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