Virtual course focused on school gardens aims at 50 professionals linked to the school feeding programme
Brasília, Brazil, September 12, 2024 – On September 10, the ‘School Gardens Course: Implementing the Sustainable Schools Methodology’ started in Saint Kitts and Nevis. This training is an initiative of Brazil-FAO International Cooperation on school feeding and the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES), at the request of the local government. The course will reach approximately 50 professionals, including school principals, teachers, cooks, nutritionists, health agents, social workers, and educational managers linked to the School Feeding Programme (SFP).
The RAES is a strategy developed by the Government of Brazil, through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The course will last for 4 weeks, totaling 16 hours, including group work, practical activities, and other tasks. It is aimed at managers and decision-makers of the SFP in Saint Kitts and Nevis, with the goal of implementing a pilot project for the Sustainable Schools methodology in the future, thus benefiting the school community and improving student nutrition.
The training has been specifically designed for Saint Kitts and Nevis in response to a paradigm shift in local school feeding, with a clear understanding of the importance of ensuring that all students have access to adequate, healthy, and nutritious food.
The virtual training also provides a repository of materials supplied by Brazil-FAO Cooperation in school feeding, available on the platform www.redraes.org.
Speaking on behalf of the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Curtis Martin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, commented that this activity “aims to equip the school community with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively implement the Sustainable Schools methodology in the country, as well as to engage communities and improve the quality of the SFP.”
During the event, representatives from the government of El Salvador presented the experience of using school gardens as pedagogical tools for food and nutrition education actions in the country. The work impacted over 242,000 students in 1,025 educational centers across 14 departments.
Among the mentioned actions were: i) teacher training; ii) food preparation workshops; iii) workshops for food handlers and school store professionals; iv) promotion of health actions for students; v) production of videos and informational content; vi) implementation of school gardens for pedagogical purposes; vii) production of educational tools and materials, such as guides; and viii) diversification of menus offered to students.
The presentation was delivered by Oralia Robles, Technical Specialist of the School Feeding Programme of El Salvador, and Leonardo Quiroa, Manager of the School Feeding Programme at the Ministry of Education of El Salvador.
Paola Barbieri, project analyst at the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), added that the Sustainable Schools methodology supports the guarantee of the human right to adequate food. “I also want to highlight the role of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES) within the Brazil-FAO Cooperation framework. It is an important strategy to promote and consolidate school feeding programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
In turn, Najla Veloso, coordinator of the project Regional Agenda for Sustainable School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean, welcomed all participants and emphasized the importance of supporting and strengthening SFP to address current issues such as malnutrition in all its forms and food insecurity indicators. “This year, through RAES, we are working on building a school feeding agenda, so it is very important to maintain this exchange and connection to continue discussing topics of interest to everyone.”
During the first class, participants interacted and commented on the importance of the topic and the motivation they felt during the course session, which gives high expectations regarding the development of the SFP in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
