The Department of Basic Education (DBE), through the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), together with the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) and in collaboration with Nestlé SA and Consumer Education Project of Milk South Africa (CEP), will next week be commemorating the combined National Arbor Week and World School Milk Day (WSMD) 2026.

The commemoration will be taking place under the respective themes: “My Tree, My Oxygen – Plant Yours Today” and “Strong Bones, Strong Moves: Milk Matters for Sport and Growing Bodies!”.

The awareness campaigns will take place at the Khanyisa Primary and Nkululeko Higher Primary Schools in Mdantsane, East London, Buffalo City Education District, Eastern Cape from 2 to 3 September 2026. The WSMD intertwined with National Arbor Week in South Africa and is celebrated from 1 to 7 September annually. Nestlé will donate fruit and indigenous trees, vegetable seedlings, and gardening tools at both schools.

Milk is rich in calcium, good-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals essential for children’s growth and cognitive development. Studies show that milk-inclusive school meals boost attendance, concentration, and learning outcomes.

Arbor Week teaches learners about the vital role trees play in sustaining life, providing oxygen, and supporting ecosystems environmental education, whilst raising awareness about how trees help mitigate climate change and build environmental resilience. Learners are also encouraged to plant and nurture indigenous trees on school grounds to improve local green spaces. The CEP will provide the schools with dairy products and educational resource material.