In March and April 2015, forty children from twenty schools in four districts across Ghana participated in a Nutrition and Physical Activity Quiz organized as part of the Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme. The competition gave participating children an opportunity to test the nutrition knowledge acquired in the classroom through the programme.
Nestlé Healthy Kids is a global programme aiming at raising Nutrition, Health and Wellness awareness among school aged children. The company is committed to promote the importance of a balanced diet and regular physical activity as well as to raise awareness about healthy hydration and good hygiene practices.
In Ghana, Nestlé Healthy Kids is implemented in collaboration with Ghana Education Service and the University of Ghana’s Nutrition and Food Science Department.
In a well contested competition, New Edubiase D/A Primary School emerged as the winner in the Adansi North & South District competition, while Savelugu Experimental 'B' Primary won in Savelugu District. Donkorkrom St. Michael Primary School school emerged as the winner in Afram Plains District. The winning schools received a GHC 2,000 scholarship, a trophy and certificate, as well as set exercise books.
“The message here is simple: Eat Right, Exercise Daily”, said Mrs. Helena Mend-Kittoe, the Ghana Education Service Coordinating Representative for the programme in Ghana. “Driving behavior change towards healthier diets and lifestyles is a challenge. We hope that such competitions can help children improve their nutrition and physical activity habits”, she added.
The programme started on a pilot phase in the cocoa growing districts of Juaboso and Agona East in the Western and Central Regions in 2011. It was scaled up to further districts in 2013, including Savelugu-Nanton, Kwahu North, Afram Plains and Adansi South/North in the Northern, Eastern and Ashanti Regions respectively. To date, over 10,000 pupils, 360 teachers and officials from six Districts have benefited from it.
Globally, Nestlé Healthy Kids reached 7.6 million children in 73 countries in 2014 alone.