Students Lead the Way in Family Nutrition Awareness

06, Oct-2025 Administrator

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Vision Rwanda are teaching primary and secondary school students how to prepare balanced diets, aiming to have children pass this knowledge on to their families.

The campaign, part of the “One UN Nutrition Project,” focuses on combating malnutrition in Ngororero District. Lessons cover proper nutrition, food safety, and hygiene, reaching 2,429 students at Rwili School Complex in Muhanda Sector.

Tuyizere Costantin, head of Rwili School, said children can influence their families. “Explaining the benefits of a balanced diet to children encourages them to ask parents to prepare nutritious meals,” he said, noting that many households previously served only one type of food.

Fabien Uwimana, a first-year secondary student, said the lessons helped him understand nutrition. “Now I can teach my parents how to prepare balanced meals,” he said.

Jean Yves Ntimugura of World Vision said children are effective agents of change in household nutrition. FAO nutrition officer Dr. Christine Mukantwali emphasized that fighting malnutrition requires everyone’s involvement and that school campaigns give hope for a healthier future.

A January 2025 report by the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) and the National Child Development Agency (NCDA) showed that of Ngororero’s 11,855 children, 78.3% are no longer malnourished, reflecting the impact of community and government efforts.