Events dedicated to the International School Meals Day have officially started in Kyrgyzstan, the United Nations World Food Programme in the country reported.
From March 18 to 27, Chui and Jalal-Abad regions will host a unique educational campaign «Invisible Heroes.» The initiative will feature a series of interactive tasks culminating in the creation of creative «profiles» for each member of school kitchen staff.
Two schools will serve as the key venues for the Healthy Eating Week:
- Baytik Kanai uulu secondary school in Alamedin district;
- Secondary school No. 9 named after Sanatbaev in the city of Manas.
Over the course of two weeks, fourth-grade students, together with senior student mentors, will gain knowledge through game-based activities, teamwork, and physical activities. At the end of each session, every child will receive a copy of «Educational Games on Healthy Nutrition» to complete at home with their parents.
«Younger students will turn into real «agents» gathering information about the «invisible heroes» of school nutrition — cooks and kitchen staff. They will create «identikit portraits» of school cooks using various decorative and applied art techniques. Through this «investigation,» young participants will gain a new perspective on the people who work daily in school kitchens,» the statement says.
The organizers say the project aims to address an important social goal: changing children’s attitudes toward school meals and encouraging gratitude toward kitchen staff, whose work often goes unnoticed.
The Healthy Eating Week will culminate in a festival-style presentation held in the format of an interactive quest organized by senior students. During the final event, students will present their creative projects and the results of their «investigations,» receive the title of «Guardian of Health,» and present cooks with handmade thank-you cards and portraits.
The Healthy Eating Week aims not only to raise the prestige of the cook’s profession but also to promote a culture of healthy eating among the younger generation based on respect for food and for those who prepare it.
