Vincent Omoth, Marketing Manager Fresh Dairy expounds on the rationale, expectations and benefits of the Fresh Dairy Schools Program in an exclusive interview

Fresh Dairy recently launched the 2018 Fresh Dairy Schools Program which educates school going children on nutrition and the benefits of consuming 1-Yoghurt-a-Day. Vincent Omoth, Marketing Manager Fresh Dairy expounds on the rationale, expectations and benefits of the Fresh Dairy Schools Program.

SB: Fresh Dairy recently launched the 2018 Fresh Dairy School Program. Briefly tell us what the School Program is all about?

Vincent: The Fresh Dairy Schools Program is a strategic intervention program in its second year that uses edutainment in form of an engaging interactive and fun show, theatre, song and dance to educate children on nutrition and the benefits of consuming 1-Yoghurt-a-Day. Yoghurt as one of the products we produce at Fresh Dairy is an ideal nutrition booster for children because it is a healthy and nutritious snack that is rich in Vitamin A, B, D, E, Calcium and Potassium.

SB: How many schools are taking part in the 2018 Fresh Dairy Schools Program?

Vincent: Over 350 primary schools will be taking part in the 2018 Fresh Dairy School Program. Fresh Dairy aims to reach at least 300,000 primary school going children throughout the ongoing first term.

SB: What was the rationale behind initiating the Fresh Dairy School Program?

Vincent: One of our key priorities at Fresh Dairy is health and nutrition. We do this through; promoting healthy nutrition using educational programs and services for both parents and healthcare professionals, establishing common goals to measure improvement in dietary habits and improvement of short and long-term health and investing in scientific research in the field of nutrition, and working with healthcare professionals to develop innovative solutions to help improve the health of current and future generations.

SB: Besides the children, how will Fresh Dairy engage teachers during the Fresh Dairy Schools Program?

Vincent: As part of the Fresh Dairy Schools Program, Fresh Dairy recently hosted a workshop for over 200 teachers from over 350 primary schools across Kampala, Mukono and Entebbe on better health and nutrition practices for children.

Through the workshop, teachers attained training on the key elements of good nutrition such as: what a balanced diet entails, healthy eating habits, the importance of consuming 1-Yoghurt-a-Day as a smart snack and the various ways through which teachers can pass on nutritional information to their pupils and parents in more relatable ways.

SB: What is the recommended nutritional intake for school going children?

Vincent: We recommend eating three meals a day and two nutritious snacks, as well as limiting the intake of sugar and high fat foods. Additionally, children should consume generous amounts of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy products, including three servings of milk, or yoghurt to meet their calcium requirement.

SB: What are the benefits of maintaining optimal nutrition for school going children?

Vincent: Maintaining adequate nutrition for school aged children ensures that they grow to their full potential, which also provides the stepping stones to a healthy life.

SB: How do the schools benefit from taking part in the Fresh Dairy Schools Program?

Vincent: During the Fresh Dairy Schools Program, free yoghurt is given out to all students for sampling to further re-emphasize the 1-Yoghurt-a-Day nutrition message. As well, we are running a yoghurt cup collection exercise in which 3 schools with the most collected Fresh Dairy yoghurt cups and best built models will each receive prizes.

The overall winner of the 2017 Fresh Dairy Schools Program, Kalinabiri Primary School – Ntinda received a prize of two water tanks worth Six Million UGX (6,000,000 UGX). The runners-up; City Parents Primary School, Kasubi Children’s Centre, Kirinya Catholic Primary School and Train up Child Primary School Bugolobi each received text books worth One million, nine hundred thousand shillings (1,900,000 UGX). Ntinda Primary School received a playground while Bright Primary School Nabweru received water tanks.