VP launches US$380,000 nutrition education project

Her Excellency, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, who is also the chairperson of the National Nutrition Council, yesterday officially launched the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) on the Technical Preparation of Nutrition Education in Lower Basic Schools, TCP/Gam 3202D.

The launching ceremony was held at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi. The project (TCP/GAM/3202D), signed between the government of The Gambia and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in May 2008, is expected to last for 24 months (up to April 2010). Officially launching the project, VP Njie-Saidy indicated that the signing of this TCP came at a time when nutrition education in schools is seen as a powerful tool for ensuring food and nutrition security. In order to achieve this status, she went on, nutrition education must be technically up-to-date and current knowledge in education and communication for behavioural change should also be applied.

Vice President Njie-Saidy described nutrition as a dynamic subject and observed that the knowledge, attitude and skills for making healthy food and lifestyle choices are necessary as nutritional well-being does not automatically result from sufficient or abundant foods that are affordable. “One of the most powerful settings in which nutrition education can produce these desired effects is in schools. As a high proportion of the population is of school going age, there is a window of opportunity to impart life-long knowledge and skills regarding healthy eating habits and desirable lifestyle habits in the youthful population,” she observed. At present, she went on, school health and nutrition programmes are basically absent or treated inadequately through government services.

Dr Njie-Saidy mentioned that efforts to enhance the health and nutritional status of school children are constrained by the absence of up–to –date health and nutrition curricula and appropriate school health and nutrition programmes. “The greatest national resource of a nation is the intellectual power of its people, not natural or physical resources. But a nation cannot compete internationally when 20-50% of its population is intellectually compromised! Such is likely to happen where low birth weight is common, where children fail to achieve their full potential growth, where micro-nutrient deficiencies permanently damage the brain, and where anaemia and short-term hunger limit children’s performance in school,” Vice President Njie-Saidy emphasised.

According to the her, the project aims at assisting the government of The Gambia in making school-based nutrition education a strong pillar in the education curricula thereby contributing to the achievement of food security, economic growth and national development, through the development of a healthy and well-trained population.

Through this project, she revealed, important progress is expected to be made particularly towards achieving MDG1: the eradication of extreme poverty, and MDG2: achieving universal primary education. “Longer term positive effects are also expected to result in a reduction of child mortality (MDG4) and improvement in maternal health (MDG5),” she added.

In addition, VP Njie-Saidy finally outlined, on behalf of The Gambia government, the outputs that this project is expected to produce and thanked the FAO head office in Italy, through the FAO country representative, Dr Babagana Ahmadu, for their invaluable support. Speaking earlier, Babagana Ahmadu, the FAO country representative, said the need to educate the public about nutrition, as part of the overall efforts to end hunger and food insecurity, was recognized at the World Food Summit, held at FAO headquarters in 1996 and subsequent ones on food-related issues.

He revealed that the commitments by nations, including The Gambia, to overcome hunger, poverty and illiteracy, were reiterated in the year 2000 with the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration by the UN General Assembly. “The link between food, nutrition, health and education, and their essential contributions to development, are widely recognized,” he said.

The FAO country representative reiterated his office’s commitment to supporting The Gambia in its efforts to address food and nutrition security. For his part, Baboucarr Boye, permanent secretary at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, said the project is important in the drive to improve the quality of education.

According to him, achieving food security is not only a challenge for the government of The Gambia, but also for the average Gambian. He said overcoming these challenges require mobilisation of resources to ensure that products from farms are given additional value in The Gambia, preserved and consumed locally. PS Boye thanked the government of The Gambia and the FAO for taking the initiative to support the education sector.

Sulayman Samba, permanent secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, said nutrition education can be a powerful aid in working towards food and nutrition security. He described investing in nutrition as a necessity and not a luxury in today’s world. He then expressed hope that the implementation of the project will support the government in achieving MDGs 1, 4 and 5.

He outlined the need for the implementing partners (DoSHSW, DoSA, DoSBSE, FAO and NaNA) to overcome malnutrition through nutrition education and to improve the nutritional status and educational abilities of school children. He assured the gathering that DoSHSW will be a key implementing partner on this project.

Modou C Phall, executive director of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), who is also the project coordinator of TCP/Gam 3202D, gave an overview of the project, whilst Isatou Nyang, acting director of Curricula Development, chaired the ceremony.
The launching ceremony was attended by secretaries of state and other government officials.