By Chuks Eke
Mrs. Nonye Soludo, wife of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state has inaugurated ‘Healthy Living Clubs’ in primary and secondary schools across the state with the aim of giving schoolchildren, youths and teenagers early exposure and consciousness to healthy living habits and lifestyle.
The clubs, comprising of head teachers, teachers and students drawn from about 325 primary and secondary schools across the 21 local government areas of the state were inaugurated at the headquarters of the State Universal Basic Education Board in Awka, on Friday.
During the event, Soludo emphasised that the central focus was to guide the students and teenagers on the routines for healthy, sound and happy lives by building an army of healthy living enthusiasts, adding that every school child in Anambra State must be fully involved in the movement.
She said, “This marks the beginning of a renewed dream driven by immense passion. I thank you all for volunteering to be part of this great movement. Today, you are taking up a responsibility to self and to humanity. Our target is one and simple, healthy living.
“Healthy living with Nonye Soludo is a product of deep passion. We are aiming to inculcate a healthy living revolution that cannot be quenched. What we want to achieve is a culture of health consciousness among our pupils. A mindset of change. Being conscious of one’s body is the first step to achieving the right health. I describe it as being selfish with your body.
“Living right does not cost a fortune. It is all about simple and deliberate habits that define one’s approach to a healthy life. It begins with what you eat and how you take care of your body. I prefer to use the slogan ‘You are what you eat.’ The bottom line is that if you do not understand what goes into your mouth, your body will not.
“Healthy living is a very conscious practice. You must make up your mind to sacrifice certain unhealthy habits that do not go well with your body formula. You must understand that to live healthy is to live happy.
“Therefore, our central focus is to guide the students and pupils on the routines for healthy, sound, and happy lives. We want to build an army of healthy living enthusiasts. Every school child in Anambra State must be fully involved in this movement.”
She further tasked the teachers and other ambassadors to carry out the duty with the greatest commitment, reminding them that as ambassador in the project, their responsibility is to groom the teenagers in line with the standards set by the club.
“The platform is designed to give every child a platform to succeed. Each club member carries an identity of difference. That is why we insist that one of the requirements for being a club member is cleanliness. Members of the club must stick to its foundational norms, always. We have set our standards high because healthy living requires strong discipline.
“Healthy living is a crucial way of life. Our relationship with the body will ultimately define what it gives back. If you feed it well, it gives you wellness. If you feed it badly, it gives you sickness. That is the ideology we want to instil in the minds of our pupils,” she added.
The first lady also disclosed that there would also be a “Healthy living garden competition” which will be a termly challenge across all the schools where clubs are currently domiciled with the objective of promoting purely organic crop planting methods among the teenagers.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Executive Chairman, ASUBEB, Assoc. Prof. Vera Nwadinobi, commended Mrs Soludo for championing healthy living among the pupils, adding that the “ambassadors” were carefully selected to propagate the programme in their various schools.
Nwadinobi said, “The Ambassadors were carefully selected to champion healthy living habit in our schools. The best way to make sure our learners learn a healthy habit is to be a good role model. This is by sharing healthy foods, staying active, drinking plenty of water, and getting proper sleep.
“If we catch them young with respect to healthy living then the society will be full of healthy adults and youths who are ready to contribute to the welfare and development of the society and Anambra State in particular.
“As an Ambassador in a school healthy living club, your responsibilities would encompass various important tasks. Firstly, you would be expected to serve as a role model for healthy living, demonstrating good habits in areas such as nutrition, physical activity, mental well-being, and stress management.”
The highlights of the event was the presentation of fully kitted first aid kits to all the ambassadors drawn across the 325 schools.
