The wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, has distributed 326 fully equipped First Aid boxes to promote the study of life-saving skills, health and safety in primary schools in the state.

Mrs Soludo distributed the boxes at the launch of Healthy Living Clubs in primary schools and inauguration of Teacher Ambassadors at the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, Awka.

Addressing the teachers, Mrs Soludo said the healthy living clubs were important at the primary school level as the pupils were still in their formative stages of life and could easily imbibe the culture of healthy living.

She said, “Healthy living with Nonye Soludo is a product of deep passion. What we want to achieve is a culture of health consciousness, a mindset of positive change and the safety of our children.

“Being conscious of one’s body is the first step to achieving the right health. If you feed and treat your body well, it gives you wellness. If you feed and treat it badly, it gives you sickness.

“That is the ideology we want to instill in the minds of our children. Healthy living clubs are designed to give every child a platform to learn life-saving skills, stay healthy and succeed in life.

“If we catch them young with respect to healthy living, then society will be full of healthy adults and youths who are ready to contribute to the welfare development of society.”

Mrs Soludo urged the teachers to groom and guide the pupils on the routines for healthy, sound and happy lives to build an army of healthy living enthusiasts.

She also opened the Healthy Living Garden Competition, to be held every term among students across the schools.

“This competition is to encourage farming among our students. They are to have gardens with pure organic crops within their school premises and homes, and winners will be rewarded,” she said.

In her remarks, Dr Vera Nwadinobi, Executive Chairman, ASUBEB, Dr. Nwadinobi, said the teacher ambassadors who would run the clubs had been trained to champion healthy living habits in primary schools.

According to her, the best way to make sure students learn a healthy habit is to be a good role model.

Ms Nwadinobi thanked the governor’s wife for her efforts in promoting good nutrition, environmental cleanliness, sound morals, basic life skills, safety and a healthy living revolution in society.

Francis Diken, from the Red Cross Society, trained the teachers on basic life support skills and the administration of first aid treatment.

He said teachers and pupils need to be first aiders. “They can apply these skills in schools, homes and society to save lives,” he said. 

(NAN)