1700 Swachh Poshan Health clubs in Goalpara dist promoting healthy food habits in schools
GOALPARA, Feb 11 - The district of Goalpara is fast becoming a role model for healthy habits and the district administration has been initiating innovative activities for introducing healthy habits through �Swachh Poshan Health� clubs among the school communities. This is being done by promoting nutritious food habits and healthy living and by extending consciousness around the significance of physical, mental and spiritual well being.
According to official figures, a total of around 1700 Poshan clubs have already been launched in all the government schools across the district in association with the Department of Social Welfare, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the Education department. These clubs have incorporated healthy eating and physical activities across the curriculum in a fun and creative way and it has also started creating partnership with the broader community. These Poshan clubs have already impacted around 10,000 students ensuring their transformation as change leaders by encouraging their holistic development as they have been able to make healthy and informed decision that affect their own lives and the lives of their families. Official sources said that on October 28, 2019, the Department of Education alone under the able guidance of the district administration has already launched 1698 Poshan clubs in all the government schools in the district and the role of each club is to work on cleanliness, fitness and nutrition and engage in monthly thematic areas as per the action calendar prepared for the purpose.
These Poshan clubs will work towards the holistic development of the students in every school and will also promote and spread the knowledge of healthy living habits and hygienic environment. Also, for strengthening Poshan Abhiyan Fit India Movement, students will be encouraged to give priority to fitness and health through yoga, sports and other adventurous health activities. The ultimate objective is to create a fitness team from each school, which will participate in an inter-school competition. Also included is the Swachhata Abhiyan which will give the necessary impetus for engaging students in cleanliness drives in their schools and communities.
Talking to this correspondent, the Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka said that the main focus of the Poshan Abhiyan is to address issues related to malnutrition and to chalk out innovative strategies on a mission mode to significantly reduce malnutrition and to catapult it in to a �Jan Andolan�.
The launching of Swachh Poshan Health clubs in all the government schools in the district is a novel initiative. These Poshan club members will set an example by planting trees to celebrate the birth of a girl child, Deka added, besides undertaking other activities like development of inter-personal skills, real world problem simulation and concept and creativity development for the all-round development of students.
With a little focus on nutritious food, these Poshan health clubs can become centres of parents/family gatherings around food and nutritious recipes. Deka also said that Goalpara is enriched with the myriad cultures of many tribes and communities and this provides a perfect opportunity for bringing everyone�s talent to the table so that recipes are shared among guests for making the potluck encouraging and more exciting with delicious nutritious local recipes with unique flavours by using commonly available local ingredients.
Deputy Commissioner Deka also believes that the Poshan clubs will help in inculcating healthy food habits among the students and their families. The programme will mainly concentrate on nutrition awareness, health and sanitation, campus cleanliness and agriculture field trips, she said adding that in order to achieve self sufficiency , focus has also been laid on creating nutrition gardens in every school to combat malnutrition. Also, in order to inspire and encourage, the best performing Poshan club will be selected and awarded every month.