CSR: Cadbury Flags off Mondelez Funded School Farms in Lagos

“LET me reiterate that the primary objective of this programme is to teach children the importance of proper nutrition, physical activity and gardening through in-school and after-school activities. It is expected that if children imbibe these healthy habits, they will grow up to become healthy adults that can contribute meaningfully to our national development.”

Philomena Orji, Country Director, Helen Keller International (HKI) Abuja; Bala Yesufu, Director, Corporate & Government Affairs, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Olukemi Adeyoju, State Team Leader Healthy Lifestyle Project (HKI), and Frederick Mordi, Corporate Communications Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, all in a cheerful mood during the Ground-Breaking ceremony of School Garden Site for the Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Project at Agidinbi Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos, funded by Mondelez Internation Foundation.

Bala Yesufu, Director, Corporate & Government Affairs, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, stated this, weekend, during the launch of the first phase of the school garden site at Agindingbi Primary School, Ikeja Lagos.

He disclosed that the project implementer, Helen Keller International (HKI) has so far trained 130 stakeholders, including teachers, nutritionists, and agriculturists that will drive this project, which will run over a three-year period with a target of reaching about 6,000 children and families in nine schools within Ikeja Lagos.

Philomena Orji, Country Director, HKI Abuja, added: “The project is expected to run for a period of three years from January 2018 to December 2020. The gardening activities will provide a platform for children to participate in school gardening thereby, helping them plant, weed and harvest nutritious crops.”

Speaking in the same vein, the State Lead, Healthy Lifestyle Project, Helen Keller International, Olukemi Adeyoju, also noted: “We are doing this in Lagos State through the Healthy Lifestyle Project in public primary schools to provide nutrition education, physical exercise through active play, and cultivate gardens for a quality diverse diet.”

Otuniyi Adeniji, Director, Department for Development Partnerships, MEPB, lauded Cadbury and its parent’s company and said: “It is a highly appreciable project to greening the environment. Lagos is highly enthusiastic this project has come into reality because government alone can’t do it. Go to all the local governments in the state to replicate this pilot scheme. This is highly commendable.”