Children taught to get involved in activities under MDM for environmental awareness
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 20 2019: Under the mid day meal scheme, children are taught to get involved in kitchen and gardening practices as a means to increase awareness about the environment and to inculcate work culture.

According to a source from the Department of Education (S), many activities like kitchen gardening, training of cooks and cooking competition are organised as a part of the Mid Day Meal scheme, at the various Government educational institutes present in the State.

The source informed that if a school covered by the Mid Day Meal scheme has enough space or area, then kitchen gardening is allowed or promoted while those schools with no space take up kitchen gardening with the help of pots and vessels.

The produces from the kitchen garden are harvested and consumed as a part of the mid day meal, the source explained adding that this teaches the children about the close and inseparable relation of humans with nature.

This also helps in teaching the children about work culture, the source conveyed.

A proposal has been planned to be sent to the Ministry of Human Resource Development to sanction around Rs 5000 for every schools undertaking such kitchen garden initiatives though it is not finalised yet.

The source informed that out of all the schools covered by the Mid Day Meal scheme, around 500 schools are undertaking kitchen gardening practices and the trend is catching up with other schools as well.

The source continued that necessary training have been given at district level and block level to cooks for the scheme and added that cooking competitions were even organised for the cooks at district level and zonal levels as well and the cooks selected from the said competition will take part in a State level cooking competition.

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