Nestlé, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, has trained over 2,000 teachers on the best nutrition and agricultural practices through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids program. The training session, hosted in Kirinyaga today, advised primary school teachers and headteachers from over 40 schools on instilling practical nutrition education and setting up vegetable gardens through the re-launched 4K (Kuungana, Kufanya, Kusaidia Kenya) clubs. The 4K clubs are primary school agricultural clubs recently re-introduced to the school curriculum by the Ministry of Agriculture to equip learners with practical agricultural training.
The Nestlé for Healthier Kids program was launched in Kenya in June 2012, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, and has since involved over 700,000 learners from 890 schools, spanning 8 counties. The program covers the cost of printing and distributing creative educational material for grades 1 - 4, and trains teachers on how to integrate the material into classroom lessons. The material, developed in partnership with Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), is compliant with the CBC (competency-based curriculum) and aims to foster practical agricultural training and encourage learners to adopt nutritious diets.
Speaking at the teachers training in Kirinyaga today, Judy Mwangi, Nestlé East and Southern Region Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager, said: “We developed the program to support families in their efforts to live healthier lives, which begins with good nutrition. Through the vegetable garden initiative, we are helping children, parents, and caregivers to understand and identify the food groups necessary for a balanced diet. We believe the gardens will be crucial in driving nutrition awareness and food security at schools and at home.”
“We are honoured to have this long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Education, and to have now expanded our reach and impact through the support of all our stakeholders. We look forward to seeing the expansion of the program through the 4K clubs, in line with our global ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030,” said Mwangi.
This year, the Ministry has brought on board the re-launched 4K clubs into the program to enable sustenance of the gardens, further practical nutrition, and agricultural education in line with the curriculum. In addition to providing the educational materials, Nestlé supplies the schools with organic fertilizers, seedlings, and further agricultural training.
Since launching, the Nestlé for Healthier Kids program has resulted in over 200 home gardens and 150 school kitchen gardens. Through Parent Association meetings, the program has also educated parents and caregivers on how to promote nutrition and dietary diversity through home kitchen gardens. By December 2020, the program had involved over 6,000 parents and caregivers in the educational initiative.
Ends.
_______________________________________________________________________
Contact
Trizah Waithaka, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Manager
Nestlé Kenya
Tel: +254709553265
Email: [email protected]
About Nestlé Kenya:
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is present in 187 countries around the world, and its 291,000 employees are committed to Nestlé’s purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality for everyone, today and for generations to come. Nestlé offers a wide portfolio of products and services for people and their pets throughout their lives. Its more than 2,000 brands range from global icons like NESCAFÉ or NESPRESSO to local favourites like Nestlé MILO and Nestlé CEREVITA. Company performance is driven by its Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy. Nestlé is based in the Swiss town of Vevey where it was founded more than 150 years ago.