The National Nutrition Week is celebrated with schools in Limpopo and Eastern Cape
The Department of Basic Education in partnership with Nestlé South Africa will celebrate National Nutrition Week (NNW) in Limpopo and Eastern Cape on the week of 09-15 October 2016 under the theme for 2016 is “Love Your Beans-Eat dry beans, peas and lentils”.
This theme in line with the 2016 ‘International Year of Pulses: Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future’ theme and is also reinforcing the message which promotes consumption of legumes: “Eat dry beans, split-peas, lentils and soya regularly” as an integral part of the South African Food-based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) - also known as the Guidelines for Healthy Eating.
Makgane Primary School was identified to host the celebration by department of after the incident of food poisoning that happened at the school in 2015. The main focus of the celebration will also be creation of awareness in food handling by all stakeholders.
Nestlé Healthy Kids programme contributes to wellbeing of learners by promoting healthy lifestyles and physical education as well as highlighting education enhancement programmes for learners, teachers and parents.
The National Nutrition Week is celebrated annually with the aim of raising awareness and supporting the school community by eating healthy and making lifestyle choices. There is also a need to strengthen advocacy in the school community on proper handling of food and the NNW aims to encourage healthy eating and activities to avoid non- communicable and lifestyle diseases at a young age.
Learners will play fun games and participate in physical activities and demonstrations which will include basketball, soccer, netball, hoola hoop, skipping rope, volleyball and rumba dance in an effort to promote physical education. There will also be a Young Chef demonstration where learners will be taught about different food groups.
The plan for this year is to start the celebration with an awareness campaign that will include the neighbouring schools and Tetra Pak South Africa. The campaign will be held on Monday 10 October 2016 and tuck-shop operational guidelines will be introduced to schools and hawkers. The District has assisted with identifying neighbouring schools that will also attend the celebrations as the aim is to widen the campaign and teach more learners about the theme.
The Limpopo leg of the National Nutrition Week will take place on Tuesday, 11 October 2016 at Makgane Primary School in Jane Furse, Gamogasho Tshehlwaneng Village in the Sekhukhune District. The Eastern Cape will be at Zanengqele Junior Secondary School in Nkondlo Village in the Ngcobo District on Friday 14 October 2016.
Enquiries:
Balosang Sanki Lerefolo (DBE)
Cell: 082 836 8703
Motshidisi Mokwena (Nestle)
Cell: 082 468 8752
