SOUTH AFRICA EDUCATES ITS CHILDREN ABOUT HEART HEALTH
In South Africa, primary school- and crèche-age children from the townships are getting a “hands-on” education in heart health. Through the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa’s Children’s Programme, they are literally putting their hands on spades, hoes, buckets and picks. They are learning to till fruit and vegetable gardens.
In the process, the children are reaping multiple benefits. They are learning that fruits and vegetables improve heart health. By engaging in a physical activity and eating the fruits and vegetables that they themselves have grown, they are reducing their risk of having a heart attack or stroke in adulthood. And they are filling a large gap in their diets, since most of them are economically disadvantaged and tend to eat too many foods high in sugars and fats.
Together, the healthier diets and the physical activity are helping to address the epidemic of childhood obesity and overweight that is another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. According to the South African Department of Health, 23% of women and 9% of men are obese.
The “Sow-A-Seed” project, as it is called, also gives the children a practical education in agriculture. Any surplus foods can be sold to buy more seeds or tools or to provide for the crèche.
Important to start early
“For health education to have maximal impact, it’s vitally important to start in early childhood,” says Heart and Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Robert de Souza. “Our children are learning valuable lessons about heart health that they will be able to apply and profit from for their entire lives.”
A multi-faceted programme
“Sow-A-Seed” is just part of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Children’s Programme. The programme also uses art and sports to educate children, as well as their teachers and parents, about the risks to heart health from tobacco smoking, rheumatic fever and HIV. Materials are presented in four languages: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa and Zulu.
For example, the programme worked with Lucky Star, a food manufacturer, to create a “colouring-in” competition featuring Hearty, the programme’s heart-shaped, glove- and sneaker-wearing mascot. Colouring books produced by the partners showed the children various ways to keep Hearty healthy, from eating nutritious foods to exercising and avoiding tobacco smoke.
Since its founding in 1997, the programme has reached 839,238 crèche-age children and 856,759 primary school-age children, as well as almost 68,000 educators, according to Programme Director Kholeka Bukani.
By all accounts, the programme is reaching the children. The children often urge their parents to buy healthy foods and to quit smoking, Ms Bukani said.
Diving in to help
Recently, staff and volunteers of the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa rolled up their sleeves to build a fruit and vegetable garden at the “Try Again Crèche” in the Cape Town township of Philippi. Among the items they planted were various vegetable seedlings and three fruit trees. In addition, they donated their gardening equipment to the crèche.
“The day was amazing,” said Ashleigh Kuttner, a project manager for the Foundation. “All the volunteers worked very hard and the crèche staff were excited about the nutritious food that will now be available to the children.”
