©FAO/Ani Grigoryan

Pushkino secondary school hosts the main event of the week

Pushkino, Lori region–Never had the Pushkino secondary school seen this many guests and attention as today. The students and staff were very excited about the FAO the World Food Day event the school was hosting. This was the first event of the week, to be followed by a public awareness-raising event on 22 October.

Due to its small size, it was possible to include all the 42 students and 15 school personnel in a healthy cooking competition and other games. The children learned to make healthy and vitamin-rich salads using raw fruits and vegetables, eggs, which activity aimed at teaching them what healthy diet is and about nutritious food and ingredients. All children received World Food Day thematic gifts that would remind them of the day, and the winning teams received special prizes, too.

World Food Day 2019 marks the 74th anniversary of the Organization’s founding. One of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar, events, organized by FAO offices, governments, local authorities and other partners in up to 150 countries across the world, call for increased action to achieve Zero Hunger.

The Pushkino community in North Armenia is benefiting from the Russian-funded FAO project aimed at strengthening food security and nutrition in selected countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, including Armenia. Selected socially vulnerable families received cows and hens to improve their nutrition and social-economic status.

The World Food Day event is supported also by another project that targets this region. The "Livestock development project is implemented by the “Strategic Development Agency” non-governmental organization, co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Austrian Development Agency.

Emphasizing the importance of the day, the Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia Gayane Nasoyan said: “Children are the most vulnerable when it comes to the issue of healthy eating and nutritious food. From the earliest age possible, they should be taught what respect to food is, and how to choose between healthy and not healthy foods. This is one of the key factors to having a Zero Hunger world. Anyway, one alone cannot do it. We have to unite efforts; everyone needs to work together to achieve this goal”.

Representatives from FAO, Strategic Development Agency, parents and school staff were participating.