After Elections Meat Was Removed from Kindergarten's Menu in Lanchkhuti District

Nino Mshvidobadze, Lanchkhuti

The local budget has funded kindergartens in Lanchkhuti district since 2008. In 2011, the minimal fee for kindergartens was set at 15 lari. The food provided in nursery schools was quite diverse and children had meat three times a week. After the October 1 elections, the situation changed.

Humanrights.ge interviewed several discontent parents. They said their children do not get proper food in kindergartens.

“After the elections, they removed meat from menu. Before that, children had meat courses three times a week but now they get it only once per week. The  people responsible allege that the minced meat was not good but it is not true. They cannot afford to buy meat. Children no longer have three meals a day. After dinner they go sleep and afterwards nurses give them only cookies. My child goes to nursery-school and cookies are not enough to properly feed a two-year-old child after he sleeps! Besides that, they do not get a meat course; so children are not properly fed. Are two meals enough for a child from 9:00 am till 6:00 pm? Lack of funds resulted in the removal of meat from their menu. Before the elections employees were hired on a contractual basis. One small kindergarten has six cleaners so they do not have the money to buy meat now. The administration cannot sack hired people and they are paying their salaries at the expense of the children’s food. I take my child home hungry,” a parent complained.

A local representative of Georgian Dream Soso Bolkvadze said it is astonishing that food for children in kindergartens has been reduced and meat has been removed from their menu. “If they do not have the money in their budget, let them admit it. Let them get rid of unnecessary staff members. They employed people before the elections and created unneeded roles. For example, the cleaning service is working separately from  public services and amenities,though they have similar functions.”

We called the head of Lanchkhuti district educational center Nino Khalvashi and asked her to comment on the issue.

-Ms. Khalvashi, several parents complained to us that meat courses were removed from the menu…

-I am visiting kindergartens now to study the situation. We included meat courses in meals three times a week but this was reduced based on categorical demands from parents. They wanted to remove meat from the menu.

-But parents are complaining that children cannot get meat in kindergartens.

-We used to purchase frozen meat and parents complained about it.

-You have announced a competitive bid for food, have you not?

-Yes we have and this bid was for the purchase of frozen meat; so we cannot change anything this year; next year we will announce a tender on fresh meat; hopefully we will have enough funds.

-Parents told us the reason for the removal of meat from meals was a lack of funds. They say you hired people before the elections and now you cannot sack them. So, the meat was reduced in menus on those grounds…

-It is false. Parents requested not to give frozen meat to their children.

-They also complained that after they sleep you do not give food to the children and that they are hungry…

-We never had three meals on our menu. After the midday nap children usually get cookies.

-Every day?

-Yes, every day. Sometimes we give them juice too.

-What did you replace meat with?

-With vegetables.

-How many calories should a two-year-old child and a child under two get per day?

-They should not get less than 1000 calories per day and we meet this requirement.

A child from 1 to 3 years-old should get 1300-1500 kilo calories of food per day to get proper nourishment. See: http://med-doctor.net/index/177-pediatria/623-sadili-bavshvistvis-romelic-mcire-ulufas-jams.html