Nagaland govt to promote kitchen gardening in every school
KOHIMA | Aug 30, 2019:
For the first time in Nagaland and in the country, the school education department organised a Mid Day Meal Mela- 2019 at Peren Town Local Ground today.
For the improvement of mid day meal through kitchen garden in the school, the department is doing its best to promote kitchen gardening in every school and organised the mela in Peren district for the first time in Nagaland.
Altogether, 133 schools participated in the mela, said Wonthungo Tsopoe, director school education.
The main objective of the mela is to encourage kitchen garden in the school, so that while preparing mid day meal food, the organic fresh vegetables can be added in the diet, he added.
He also informed that to encouraged kitchen garden, horticulture and agricultural department have come forward to supply varieties of fruits sapling and gardening tools.
Speaking on the occasion as the special guest, Nagaland's water resources advisor Namri Nchang said that the Government of Nagaland with the directive of Gov't of India, is doing its best effort to uplift the children in the state not only in the field of education but child nutrition.
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He said that main objective of the school Kitchen Garden is to help in addressing malnutrition and micro nutrient deficiencies by consumption of freshly grown vegetables, to give children first-hand experience with nature and gardening and to enhance the knowledge of children regarding nutritional aspect of vegetables and harmful effects of junk foods.
He said that school nutrition gardens are good for learning, they are highly practical and direct form of education, where children can learn how to grow good food, which not only improves health, but also provide opportunities for livelihood and increase self sufficiency.
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Apart from practical skill in agriculture and horticulture, gardens are the living laboratory for the study of environmental issues and life science.
He also felt that teachers and VEC of every village should initiate and encourage so that the next generation will have much better knowledge and value of our environment.
The Midday meal scheme is a school meal program of government of India design to better nutritional standing of school age children nationwide. The scheme offers free lunch on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government school.
The objectives of the scheme are to help improve the effectiveness of primary education by improving the nutrition status of primary school children.
The mela was organised by MDM Project, Directorate of School Education, Nagaland, Kohima.
