Today was my first "Real Day" at the school. We started the feeding program with milk and bananas and it was a success! We learned that the individual packages that the milk comes in are far too messy, however, so plastic cups are on the top of our list of things to get for the school. Here are some photos from my first day as a "Teacher" at the Kiomoni centre.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated school supplies - We're coloring letters to put up. 
The kids devoured the milk and I got lots of smiles
The look-at-yourself-on-the-back-of-the-digital-camera game is lots of fun in Africa tooI've posted more pictures on Facebook for those who have it...
2 comments:
OK Kait - remember your promise - you are not allowed to bring any children home with you!
Did you get your camera back or did you take photos with the Nikon in Dar es Salaam?
Hey Kait,
Here's the proposal and a bit of research I did for ours:
Robin Ryan
28 January 2008
Proposed Foods for Nutrition Program
Goal: to introduce basic, low-cost, nutritious foods into the diets of schoolchildren at the CJ School. To show that there are tasty, affordable, and healthy alternatives to junk food in a community being overrun by unhealthy snacks and beverages. To inculcate within the children, a culture that recognizes and appreciates the benefits of eating healthy, (relatively) locally-grown foods. On a macro scale, the introduction of these foods into the children’s diets will help them focus better in class, on days where they often don’t eat anything before coming to school.
Budget: inherent in the goal is to teach about sustainable eating, an essential element of which is affordability. Thus, items selected for the program should be as low-cost as possible.
Implementation: after reviewing different options and deciding on 2-3 items to begin serving 3 days/week, a decision should be made as to whether the items should be purchased in Tlama (thus further ingraining ourselves into the community as well as following the environmentally-friendly motto of buying locally), or in Cuernavaca (where we may have better assurances of supply, quality assurance, and price – although this is not for sure).
Oranges
Benefits:
Vitamin C: One orange can give more than the daily needs. Vit C is an incredible anti-oxidant, and fortifies the gastrointestinal system again colon cancer. Vit C is also associated with a “reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis”. Vit C also helps to neutralize free radicals which oxidize cholesteral, leading to blocked arteries which contribute to heart disease and strokes. Vit C also boosts the immune system, especially against colds and ear infections.
Dietary Fibre: Provides 13% of daily recommendation. Helps the digestive system by lessening transmit time through the intestinal tract, softening stool and increasing bulk.
Folic Acids: One orange provides 10% of daily needs. Folic acids help lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and is necessary for the production of need cells – this is essential in times of rapid cell division, such as pregnancy and infancy. Folate acids are necessary to prevent anemia and to keep bone marrow healthy.
Others: Also a good source of Thiamine (essential for metabolizing carbs and fat to generate energy, as well as for growth, development). Thiamine also helps maintain proper function of the heart and the digestive system. Also is a good source of potassium, calcium, and Vit A.
As a peeled fruit, it is a very sanitary as safe food.
Issues: Caloric count is low (62 calories). Children may not be accustomed to, or may dislike, the strongly acidic flavor of oranges.
Cost: In Tlama, 20p/kg, or 5p/orange.
Bananas
Benefits:
Vit B6 (Pyridoxine): Provides 35% of daily needs. Pyridoxine promotes enzymes which are essential for protein metabolism, as well as red blood cell metabolism. Increases the efficiency of the nervous and immune systems.
Vit C: 18% of daily needs. See Oranges for nutritional benefits of Vit C.
Potassium: 13% of daily needs. Essential for maintaining blood pressure and heart function, as well as protecting against atherosclerosis. Good blood pressure helps protect against strokes. Potassium promotes good bone health by help preventing calcium loss through urine (a fault of high-salt diets). Very importantly, potassium (as an essential electrolyte), helps restore fluid balance and fight against diarrhea.
Pectin: Pectin helps normalize movement through the digestive tract and eases constipation.
Dietary Fibre: at least 10% of daily needs.
Manganese: 9% of daily needs. Aids in formation of connective tissue, bones, blood-clotting factors, and sex hormones and plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.
Other Options:
Figs: Incredibly high amounts of dietary fibre, potassium, and manganese.
Eggs: Provide typhtophan, selenium, iodine, vit b2, protein, molybdenum, vit b12, phosphorus, vit b5, and vitamin D in strong amounts.
Peanuts: High in manganese, tyrptophan, vit b3, folate, copper, and protein. Also very high in calories (206cal/36g).
References:
http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.nutrasanus.com/manganese.html
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp
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