Ayodele Olalere
As a way of improving nutrition and healthy lifestyle among pupils aged 6 to 11 years, Lagos State government has partnered with a Non-Govermental Organisation, Helen Kelly International, to train agricultural teachers and school managers on the need to improve the well-being of pupils in their care.
State and local government officers as well as school food vendors were selected from the School Based Management Committee (SBMC), Parent Champions (PC) and representatives in Ikeja LGA, and were trained on the methods of providing healthy food to pupils.
They were trained during the 2021 Harvest Fair for Schools and Communities with the theme ‘Our Actions are our future’ at the Agidingbi Primary School, in Ikeja.
According to the Country Director, Helen Kelly International, Mrs. Philomena Orji, the foundation had trained both parents, teachers and community development officers on improved techniques for cultivating diverse micronutrients rich fruits and vegetables.
She further said the aim of the training was to improve the production and consumption of the nutrients rich foods, adding that it had improved and established school gardens across the project schools.
According to her, it was alarming the rate of malnutrition and obesity among young ones, adding the primary objective of the project was to reduce under-nutrition and overweight among public primary school pupils in the nine public schools in Ikeja Local Government in the state.
She said nine schools have been selected within in Ikeja. They were Agidingbi Primary School, Estate Primary School, Ogba Primary School, St. Peters’ Primary School, Tokunbo Alli Primary School, Oke-Ira Primary School and Ojudu Primary Schools (1, 2 and 3).
The Country Director further said since Jan. 1, 2018, Mondelez International Foundation had been funding Helen Keller International to support schools and communities to reach under-served children through innovative ways.
“The Foundation will teach 6000 children the importance of proper nutrition physical activity and gardening through in-school activities.
“The programme target a direct 6000 children in public primary schools, and estimate indirect reach of about 4800 out-of-school children and their families across the Community Development Areas (CDCs) in the state.
“This programme is geared towards creating school and community development that encourage children and families adopt lifelong healthy habits,” she said.
Orji said this programme was to ensure that the children received the right information on nutrition and health lifestyle both at school and at home.
She said the foundation had also partnered with the Lagos State Universal Basic Educational Board, Ikeja Local Government Education Authority and the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Budget.
The Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Belinda Odeneye, decried that malnutrition, in every form poses threat to human health.
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Asst. Director, Office of Environmental Services, Mrs Aderemi Falaye, said people sometimes take health and nutrition for granted.
“Today, the world faces malnutrition that includes both malnutrition and overweight especially in low and middle income countries.
“World Health Organizations is also making advice that can help the countries address all forms of malnutrition to support health and well-being for all harvest of fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Odeneye commended the foundation in assisting the vulnerable and disadvantaged persons in both health and nutrition.
The Chairman, Community Development, Ikeja, Alhaji Oshinberu Sulukaleen, said the project had trained the people im Ikeja communities in ensuring they plant crops in their various homes to reduce famine in the state.
He said some schools had come up to join with the schools that were trained through the assistance of Project Champion, which were the community persons.
He added each community in Ikeja Local Government have been trained to embark on smart farming.
A pupil of Ojodu Primary School, Bola Adedayo, urged parents to cultivate the habit of giving their children fruits and vegetables in their meal.
Adedayo said vegetables makes the body looked younger, grow more stronger and gives them an healthy life.
Another pupil, Master Busari Isreal from Ojodu Primary School 1, said he had learnt how to plant and how to harvest them.
Israel said the fruits that was planted were cucumber, water melon which gave them vitamin A, C and also help them to build their body system.
