Today, we (April and Rena) returned to Chiputula Primary School for our second day of nutrition classes. Yesterday was a great introduction to teaching, and we were excited to see some of the other standard 7 classes. For our first activity, we taught our students about diabetes and the effects of eating too much sugar. Then, we ran a fun activity where students tried to figure out how much sugar is in the foods that they like to eat. We filled small bags with soil to simulate sugar, and asked students to match the bag to the corresponding food. We also had a small bag that represented the recommended daily limit for sugar, so the students could see how the amount of sugar in certain foods compare to the World Health Organization recommended amount.
After, we reviewed the topic of whole grains with the class, including defining and identifying whole grains that are common to eat in Malawi. We also shared a delicious whole grain recipe from the United States that I (April) used to eat a lot, called “Overnight Oats.” It was an easy recipe that the kids could even make in class! Since the oats have to sit overnight, we made some oats the night before and brought them for the groups to taste. Overall, the oats recipe has been a huge hit with the students and they seem really engaged in our activities! After the lesson, some of the girls taught us some words in Tumbuka, the local language in Northern Malawi.
To end the day, we had a meeting with John and Baxter, two professors that we’ve been meeting with to discuss various projects in Malawi. We discussed the nutrition project that we’ve been brainstorming over the past few weeks, as well as discussed a few other projects. We finished the evening by enjoying a delicious feast and roasting s’mores in the fireplace.
Highlights:
- Teaching nutrition classes with the students at Chiputula Primary School!
- A delicious feast and good conversations
All the photos were taken by SHANTU (Verbal consent was obtained before taking the pictures)
