Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has inaugurated ‘Healthy living School Ambassadors and community/school gardens’ in selected secondary schools across the state to give schoolchildren, youths, teenagers and communities early exposure and consciousness to healthy living habits and lifestyles.
The team of the “ambassadors”, comprising of students, head teachers, teachers and principals drawn from secondary schools across the state were inaugurated at the headquarters of the state Post Primary Schools Services Commission (PPSSC), in Awka, on Friday.
During the event, the first lady stressed that the central focus was to guide the students and communities on the routines for healthy, sound and happy lives by building an army of healthy living enthusiasts, adding that it is important to keep emphasising that healthy living is a crucial way of life.
She said the initiative is aimed at instilling in the minds of the students a healthy living designed to give every them a platform to succeed, stressing that being conscious of one’s body is the first step to achieving the right health.
According to her, “Today is a very significant one. Two years ago, we launched this great crusade with over 200 of you as our school ‘Ambassadors’. The immense results that we have achieved together over these past months have been very critical to the success that ‘Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative’ has gained as one of the most impactful social movements in Nigeria.
“Your valuable efforts and remarkable contributions to each idea have been inspiring and I want to use this platform to thank you all again for your sacrifices, dedication and vision. My vision from when this crusade began over 19 years ago has not changed a bit.
“It’s still about making the difference by embracing acceptable health habits to help our lives to function better. It’s still about the right lifestyle, about humanity and compassion. It’s still about me, you and everyone around us. It’s about healthy living.
“Today, we are launching a tripartite programme. First is the reintegration of ‘Healthy living ambassadors’ in selected 100 schools into our programme, flag off of ‘Healthy living garden programme in schools’, and thirdly, inauguration of ‘Healthy living garden programme for communities’.
“These programmes form a unique model in our renewed efforts to strengthen the presence of our movement across schools and communities in Anambra State. We have convened again to chart a fresher course for not just the success of ‘Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo’ in your schools and communities, but in places where these messages and their effects are direly needed.
“You all have been screened and cleared to lead this movement to a level of remarkable excellence. I’m counting faithfully on all of you because I see a visible passion to succeed. Being conscious of one’s body is the first step to achieving the right health. 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’.
“Therefore, our central focus is to guide the students on the routines for healthy and happy life. We want to build an army of healthy living enthusiasts. At a long run, we want every student in Anambra State to be fully involved in this movement. But the momentum must begin with you.”
The first lady, however, urged the students and principals to drive the initiative with a renewed responsibility, reminding them that healthy living is achievable if they carry out their task job exceptionally.
“The activities have been streamlined to be very effective while each student is expected to build the right collaboration with their school heads.
“Our ‘Pad Bank’ Initiative is also a major part of what we are doing across schools. So today, we will be designating ‘Healthy Living Pad Banks’ in secondary schools with a good count of female population, and have you, our ambassadors, in charge of them.
“We have started with just the 100 of you for this first phase. There will be subsequent phases with more schools that meet the membership criteria. What we expect from you is nothing short of standard, commitment, vigour, and excellence.
“It’s really important to keep emphasising that healthy living is a crucial way of life. Our relationship with our body will ultimately define what it gives back. If you feed the body 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 students. ‘Healthy living with Nonye Soludo’ is designed to give every student a platform to succeed.
“We are putting our faith in you because we see you as progressive partners. As you go back to start up the movement, remember that you will always have our support. I thank you all for the sacrifice and look forward to seeing you again soon,” she added.
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