Volunteer

Written by Kumi KOBAYASHI
JICA Volunteer / School Health at MoET

At the beginning of March, JICA volunteers conducted health education which showed how sweet drinks and snacks affect our health for students to understand what good practice for healthy growth and healthy foods is. The focus was Year 4 and 5 students at KAMEWA primary school in Luganville, Santo province which is the 2nd largest city in Vanuatu and it is 250 Km from Port-vila, the capital city of Vanuatu.

This was a special collaboration by three specialists – the primary school teacher with the school nurse and a dietitian. We brought a lot of ideas from each technical field such as the primary school teacher brought interesting topics for students and how to link lessons and their real lifestyle, the school nurse brought what is good practice for healthy growth and healthy life for students and the dietitian brought healthy eating habits information, then we made up a lesson for students to understand easily and have fun.

Before the lesson, we measured bodies of students. This activity is called BMI Measurement in Schools Program with OPEN VEMIS and is promoted by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and we also made opportunity for students to identify healthy growth.

The procedure of BMI measurement, firstly measuring height and weight of students, then entering that data of students into OPEN VEMIS. (the database which keeps much information of schools in MoET) After that, we find out automatically a student's BMI results from OPEN VEMIS .The interpretation of BMI is different for adults and children. For example, the interpretation of adults can be judged from the BMI number regardless of sex or age, but interpretation of children's BMI changes with sex and age. This follows standard growth as defined by World Health Organization (WHO).

So far the BMI activity has taken place just in Shefa province and Malampa province. It had not come to Sanma province yet. So students were excited because of their first experience.

For classes, we used a method of active learning. It is not one way teaching to students, but the students deepening their learning while linking to real life through many student activities such as seeing, feeling, thinking and discussion.

For example, students didn't know how much volume is the best amount of sugar per day - 6 tea spoons or 30g. So, we showed them real sugar of the right amount - 30g, and they saw the volume of the right amount of sugar. They also learned the right amount of sugar for a week.

Regarding linking to real life, students thought about how much sugar is in snacks they usually eat through a matching game with cards of snacks and different amounts of sugar. They were shocked with saying "WOW", when they looked at the real volume of these such as a piece of cake which contains sugar almost the same size as the cake.

After that, they compared the right amount per day with the snacks they usually eat in considering whether they are an appropriate amount and what we should do if we eat over the proper amount. To conclude, we made a weekly snack plan with the right amount of sugar for a week - 42 teaspoons or 210g. The teachers also enjoyed making the weekly snack plan with students.

The lesson students took home from the class was that it is ok to have sweet drinks and snacks in moderation, as long as they control the proper amount of sugar and also understand that establishing a healthy lifestyle with a balance of meals, exercise and sleep from an early age is important. It is also important to foster self-management ability in students how it relates to promoting a health life for long a future and to prevent NCDs and any kind of diseases. We can protect the future generations in Vanuatu through health promoting schools.

Measuring BMI

Lesson

Maching card game

Weekly snack planning