Healthy eating amongst learners and food safety in schools took centre stage during the NSNP Nutrition Coordinators’ Workshop, which took place at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre this week. The DBE, in partnership with the Tiger Brands Foundation (TBF), co-facilitated the workshop, under the theme, “A New Dawn, A New Day – Nourishing the Future Together. Doing it Right, building it Bright.”
According to the TBF the provision of the NSNP meals during a school calendar is a great initiative. The Foundation added that the workshop was necessary to empower the NSNP coordinators to prevent malnutrition and obesity in schools.
The workshop, therefore, serves as a clear demonstration that the Public-Private Partnership is key in complementing Government’s efforts towards providing quality services to a broader community, especially within the Basic Education Sector. The DBE and TBF view the workshop as a crucial undertaking to create awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition and how it positively addresses core societal issues, namely education, social justice and health. The workshop was also intended to equip the NSNP Nutrition Coordinators with knowledge, practical skills, and actionable strategies to champion comprehensive, school-based nutrition programmes. During the workshop, the coordinators were capacitated to leverage on fostering networks for ongoing collaboration, resource sharing, and mutual support in terms of effective implementation of the National School Nutrition Programme in schools.
Dr Lucia Meko, a Dietitian and Ms Mavis Ranwedzi, Assistant Director of Food Safety and Training at the DBE, were amongst speakers who shared valuable insights relating to health promotion in schools. Dr Meko encouraged the coordinators to ensure that food handlers understood the importance of a balanced diet in preparing the NSNP meals in schools. She further urged the coordinators to make it a point that the NSNP meals contained protein, fruits/vegetables and starch to keep learners active during school hours. Ms Ranwedzi stressed the issue of food safety, saying that NSNP kitchens should always be monitored to meet necessary health standards. “The recurrence cases of food poisoning remain a concern and coordinators should assist the DBE in ensuring that food items that are delivered to schools are safe for consumption”.
Chief Director for Care and Support in schools, Mr Muzi Ndlovu, said that the workshop empowered the coordinators to play a critical role in strengthening the effective implementation of the NSNP in schools: “The workshop allowed coordinators to explore knowledge and strategies needed in preventing food poisoning in schools. The coordinators were empowered to be at the forefront in terms of promoting food safety by assessing the way the food is transported, stored, and prepared for consumption within the school environment. I would like to extend my gratitude to TBF for supporting the DBE towards the sustainability of the NSNP in schools”.