As the month of February began this week, my life was filled with teaching English, Estudios Mundiales and Women's Exercise by day, and Nutrition Program research by night. As a result of a meeting this morning with the local school Aliñambi (where all my nutrition research with hopefully show itself in the form of improving kids malnourishment), starting March 1st, along with Haley and Jackie, I will be starting a Nutrition Education Program with the 7th graders.
Dra. Julia at Aliñambi wanted to start a project with the 7th graders that would instill some personal responsibility and empower them to take control of their lives. This is where we came up with the, as I like to call it, "You Are What You Eat" Nutrition Project. This project entails working with the 7th graders for 3 hours a week teaching them about nutrition and the process food takes from planting, to food processing, to consumption, to composting. We are aiming at showing these kids they have the power to take control of their lives and make life changing decisions.
Every Tuesday, I will be alternating weeks between giving charlas on various nutrition topics with hands-on projects in which the students will build a portfolio to be presented the final week. Every Wednesday and Friday the class will be divided into 2 groups in which one group will attend cooking classes with Haley and I, and the other half will work in the 7th grade garden with Jackie. Finally, the kids will be walking around to different 'tiendas' (local food stores that sell everything from cookies to fruit to diapers- a mini Ecuadorian 7-11 perhaps) and interview the owners about what type of food they sell, and what is most popular. They will tie this information to local kids by asking them what they buy at tiendas and why. We want to make kids more conscious of their nutritional surroundings and what is available to them in their community.
If I thought I was busy before, I life is about to get chaotic, but I couldn't be happier. After 6 months of working with health at Aliñambi it is so nice to finally have an amazing project developed and rolling. I love health, teaching, and our community and this project is bringing all those things together!
And even though my bedtime may be getting earlier in these next coming weeks, I vow to uphold my promise to keep you updated more often!
Nutrition!!
Aliñambi!!
Until next post!
Krysta
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