Following Zara’s well-received nutrition classes, the class filled with women received a surprise bag of healthy goodies for their families!
Each bag included fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, squash, and carrots, as well as 16 different types of vegetable seeds – plus some fruit tree seedlings to encourage them to put their newfound knowledge to use.
Zara had emphasized the importance of not overcooking vegetables to prevent the nutrients from cooking away, and also said it was okay for children to eat certain vegetables raw, like carrots.
This must have resonated with the women in Ispalal – a few of them washed the carrots from their bag of goodies right away and handed them to their children to munch on!
While the nutrition class for their mothers was going on in the school, the kids had worked very hard with us to divvy up the colorful fruits and vegetables in the courtyard, showing us their balancing skills or counting skills in English!
“We have access to a variety of vegetables, but wish we knew more about how to better use them,” said Saira, the head teacher. “Which vegetables should we boil, which should we fry? We’re learning how to better feed our children and give them the nutrition they need to grow.”
Meet Shamaila!
Shamaila is part of the Global Connections team based out of Minneapolis. She supports partnerships and fundraising for Alight’s initiatives with the diaspora, LGBTIQ+ refugees, Rohingya women, and beyond! She is deeply passionate about supporting the most marginalized communities worldwide – those living in the shadows — to reclaim their voice and has found Changemakers 365 a powerful tool to support this.
