STUDENTS of secondary schools around Guyana on Tuesday admirably demonstrated their ingenuity in coming up with innovative dishes for combating non-communicable diseases.

The occasion was the Fourth Annual Secondary Schools Home Economics Competition hosted by the Ministries of Education and Agriculture, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Held at the St. Stanislaus Auditorium, Brickdam, the competition was part of World Food Day observances and attracted participation from 30 schools. Schools were drawn from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10.
Assistant FAO representative, Ms. Angela Alleyne noted that the focus this year was on preparing meals that can either prevent non-communicable diseases or help combat these in persons with such diseases as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. They were required to prepare meals using fruits, vegetables and foods that are low in salt, sugar, fat and carbs, but with adequate amounts of protein.
The three judges were Stacia Skinner, Marcel Thomas and Abigail Caleb. And likewise, there were three school trophies for the three winning schools drawn from among the 30 competitors. Along with the trophy, each of those three schools was presented with a food processer. And since each school was represented by two students, the six students accompanying those schools were each given incentives prize of a small personal trophy. Meanwhile, the three winning trophies will be kept by the schools until the next competition.
WINNERS
Emerging winners at this year’s competition were:
* Agricola Practical Instruction Centre – First Prize
* North West Secondary School – 2nd Prize and
* Tutorial Secondary School
The first prize entry was Baked Fish Calaloo Roll; Second Prize – Snapper Kebabs with Orange Sauce and Third – Breadfruit Bolax.
In addition to the Food Competition a new element was introduced this year and that is craft production, using agricultural and forestry products which would otherwise be discarded, to come up with interesting and novel creations. Six schools submitted items but there was eventually no judging in this category.
However the six each received Certificates of Participation. Those schools were President’s College; St. Roses high; Beterverwagting Practical Instruction Centre; New Amsterdam Secondary School; Queen’s College and Vreed-En-Hoop

Secondary School.
Also delivering brief remarks to the gathering were acting FAO Representative to Guyana, Ms Khadija Musa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. George Jarvis (who attended on behalf of Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy); and Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary), Ms. Angela Charles.
Ms. Meusa congratulated the participants on the excellent dishes produced; adding that even though the competition provided for only three prize winners, every one in fact was a winner.

FAST FOODS
Noting that what was seen in terms of food preparation represents a general shift away from traditional food consumption, Ms. Meusa highlighted the dangers associated with the food products of western societies and which have become so widely used today. One of the dangers she highlighted was the increased consumption of salt, fat and sugars and this is evident in jerk foods and fast foods.

She urged the students to stay clear of such foods, as they do more harm to the body than good. What is needed at this time, the FAO Representative said, is for Guyanese to work towards sustaining the gains realised in the past through the use of more local foods such as rice, ground provision, fruits and vegetables. One of the net results of consumption of the foods now so wildly craved, she said, is obesity which is which is becoming increasingly prevalent in Guyana.
The FAO, Ms. Musa said, works nationally, regionally and globally to reduce non-communicable diseases. Noting that there’s much work to be done, she said FAO cannot do it alone, and is committed to continued collaboration with other stakeholders she identified. She thanked the Board of Directors of St. Stanislaus College for making the auditorium available for the holding of the competition – the first event for World Food Day this year and part of the activities of Agriculture Month.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary Jarvis, in congratulating the students for their excellent contributions, said he’s convinced there is a wealth of knowledge among the students and the understanding of what constitutes foods that can combat non-communicable diseases, and more importantly the teachers who worked dedicatedly in bringing off the competition.
And concurring with the FAO Representative that there are dangers associated with the use of ‘fast foods’ today, Jervis urged the students to get back into the habit of eating local foods which have all the nutritional requirements and medicinal properties. In wrapping up, he threw out a challenge to every child present to plant a tree in his or her yard, be it sour-sop, cherry or carambola – which are all vitamin rich, in addition to having a range of other nutritional benefits.
Judge, Ms. Caleb who gave an evaluation of the competition recalled that the winning entry from last year’s competition – from a hinterland school – highlighted the cassava and a wide variety of dishes that could made using that product. All those, apart from being tasty and appetizing cuisine, bring about a sense of belonging, as against processed foods which invariably do harm to the human body.

(By Shirley Thomas)