The main idea - to raise interest among children and their parents in the topic of proper nutrition for the sake of child's healthy future - was fully embodied at the Festival.
As the Deputy Director of the UN WFP Country Office Nanna Scau noted: "proper nutrition starts at home." However, it is important to realize that the child spends a lot of time at school. And that means that it is necessary to pay maximum attention to his health and proper development. First of all, this should be done through high-quality, nutritious, hot school meals.
At Musaler School 140 primary school children receive hot meals under the WFP programme. The headmaster Naira Svaryan is confident that every school should do everything possible to ensure a systematic and sustainable organization of healthy nutrition for students. However, parents, she believes, should not forget about their important role in this process.
Sonia Budagyan, the head of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of Marz Armavir, also emphasized the participation of parents in the development of correct eating habits from childhood.
The guests of the Festival were also the headmsters of schools Arevshat, Griboedov, Zvartnots, Vagarshapat 3 and 12, Geghakert and Egeknut. These schools do not yet have hot meals, so they were happy to learn about the successful experience of the Musaler school. They were able to see and evaluate on the spot how the hot meals system works, got advice on what to do to start work on launching the Programme in their schools as soon as possible.
The entertaining part of the Fest was aimed at teaching children the basics of proper nutrition through thematic interactive games and creative workshops - the most reliable way of effective education. Students acquired the necessary knowledge on the healthy lifestyle participating in "Healthy lifestyle school" performance after which they become "Healthy lifestyle Superagents". To become one, children had to take special tasks to demonstrate what they learned and to get certificates for the HLS super agent.
Meanwhile their parents received useful recommendations on how to organize their child's proper nutrition at home. WFP Nutritionist Vardanush Petrosyan carried out a master class on organizing kids nutrition based on the "healthy plate" principle, and also made recommendations on how to develop healthy habits in children.
Parents could immediately apply the knowledge gained at the master class and prepare their own dishes from the products provided by the organizers: chicken, lentils, vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce), lemon juice, nuts, olive oil and some spices allowed in kids nutrition. Prepared dishes turned out very tasty, and most importantly - healthy. Now, at home, parents will be able to delight their loved ones with healthy and nutritious dishes in order to maintain good health of their family.