The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Nations World Food Program and the Russian Institute of Industrial Nutrition (SIFI) are pleased to announce the launch of a unique competition within the framework of the school nutrition program: "The Best School Vegetable Garden". The project is aimed at supporting and developing school gardens to improve the quality of education and nutrition of schoolchildren, as well as attracting parents and local residents to actively participate in the School Nutrition Program.
All schools where the WFP School Nutrition Program is implemented can participate in the competition.
The theme is "Green vegetable garden: our path to a healthy future." Participants must organize work from scratch on a school plot allocated for a small vegetable garden. The vegetable garden should be cultivated according to the principle of organic farming with the involvement of elementary school students, parents, high school students, local farmers, and public organizations.
The competition will be held in three stages:
- Schools are registered to participate in the competition until July 25, 2024.
- They send their projects by November 15, 2024.
- The jury announces the winners by December 20, 2024.
Schools will compete for the title of "Best Vegetable garden" and "Best school greenhouse", each of which will receive a grant of 10,000 somoni. The participants who took the second and third places will receive valuable prizes in the amount of 5,000 somoni.
"The School Nutrition Program is an initiative that not only helps to fight hunger and improve the quality of children's nutrition, but also increases the level of education. In order to maintain the sustainability of the program and get the maximum effect from it, additional events such as similar contests are needed. So, we involve more resources and more attention from the community in working together to improve the living standards of the younger generation. The idea of a school vegetable garden competition is just about that," said Vladimir Chernihiv, President of SIFI.
The competition of school gardens will give children the opportunity not only to learn about the benefits of vegetables, fruits and greens, but also to try to grow them with their own hands. The children will learn how to take care of plants, harvest crops, and cook healthy dishes from organically grown products. Participation in the competition will help develop business skills such as planning and organization. All this will be useful for schoolchildren in the future, especially if they decide to engage in agriculture.
School gardens are not only good for children, but also for the environment. They teach respect for nature and show how you can grow food without harming the environment.
The competition will be an excellent opportunity for schools, parents and local residents to unite for a common goal — to create conditions for improving school nutrition and improving the quality of education for Tajik schoolchildren.
Take part in the school vegetable garden competition and contribute to the future of our children!
