Students at Beabo Primary School in Ambovombe, located in the southern region of Madagascar, are currently competing to create the most delicious and nutritious meal using ingredients found in the local area. This competition aims to promote healthier diets and inspire parents and others to make dietary changes.

Marie-Eliane, aged fifteen, is among six junior chefs who have created a three-course menu filled with an exciting array of flavors.

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As part of the Tsikonina competition, students from the school prepare a three-course meal.

Poached green papaya with boiled organic eggs topped with watercress in an orange and passion fruit dressing is served up as a starter. For the main dish, a manioc and fish stew with nutritionally-rich moringa and anamalaho leaves and for dessert, a fruit salad of cactus prickly pear, watermelon, orange juice and banana.

Six other teams are competing against her team in a culinary competition called Tsikonina. This competition is a popular game for children in Madagascar, similar to a tea party.

She expressed delight in creating innovative recipes, especially those that turn out delicious. She also mentioned her desire to convince her parents to try this type of cuisine.

Tsikonina was created by the UN in Madagascar with the aim of teaching young individuals about healthy and affordable eating habits through the use of local ingredients commonly found in the market. Its goal is to empower both the youth and their families with the knowledge and skills to prepare nutritious meals within a limited budget.

The school principal, Emma Razanaparany, commended the students for preparing creative and tasty dishes. She also recognized their potential to inspire their parents and shape the eating habits of generations to come.

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The students are urged to make meals using ingredients that can be easily found at nearby markets.

Drought and malnutrition

The impoverished communities in southern Madagascar are facing severe consequences of climate change, such as frequent droughts. This region is considered one of the least developed in the country.

The UN-supported integrated food security phase (IPC) classification reports that close to 500,000 children under five years old are facing acute malnutrition as their families face challenges in producing sufficient nutritious food.

The UN and its partners have provided aid for humanitarian relief, but are also considering solutions for sustainable development of communities in the long run instead of just reacting to immediate crises.

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Emma Razanaparany is the principal of Beabo Primary School in Ambovombe.

Collaborative approach for addressing difficulties.

Some examples of such efforts, such as Tsikonina, are bringing together various UN agencies into convergence zones with the goal of creating and implementing activities.

The expert knowledge of individual organizations is utilized in these tasks to examine the fundamental weaknesses within communities and determine the most effective approach to resolve them.

Beabo Primary School is a microcosm of that collaborative approach. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have both worked with local women-led farming cooperatives to support the production of food which is used by the World Food Programme (WFP) as part of its home-grown food school feeding initiative.

Supplying students with a healthy meal during school not only enhances their well-being and promotes attendance, but it also supports the nearby economy by creating a demand for locally grown crops.

Improved availability of clean water and sanitation

UNICEF supported the establishment of garden wells to ensure consistent water availability for the school. It also constructed a sanitation block and offered training to teachers and students on sanitation and climate change resilience. In addition, UNICEF distributed washing kits and educational materials for students.

Melanie Zafindrakemba, a nutrition specialist at UNICEF, stated that the absence of precipitation in this area presents numerous challenges and exacerbates the living conditions for the local population. She emphasized that ensuring access to clean water not only promotes proper hygiene practices, but also enhances safety for cooking and drinking, ultimately aiding communities in managing humanitarian emergencies.

WFP not only gives warm meals to at-risk children, but has also educated caregivers and educators on how to oversee the school feeding program.

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A student is learning at the chalkboard in a recently built classroom at Beabo Primary School.

Foundations for long-term development

At present, the ILO of the UN has greatly enhanced the school’s material facilities by aiding in the construction of two classrooms and a kitchen, and supplying desks and tables for teachers and students. As a component of this effort, it also trained and hired workers from the community to complete the building project, further strengthening the local economy.

“WFP’s Fidèle Andrianantenaina, based in Ambovombe, acknowledges the impactful synergy that has been achieved through the collaboration of UN agencies at this school. The region faces multiple issues such as food insecurity, poverty, limited access to healthcare and social services, and minimal employment prospects. Hence, such a project can contribute to promoting stability and progress in the long run.”

Finding the synergy or complementarity between UN agencies is an important first step, the benefits of which are evident in this one UN-supported school. It’s now hoped that additional funding can be found to expand the approach not just to other schools across the region, but to other communities in need.

United Nations

SDG 2

Sustainable Development Goal 2: Eliminate Hunger and Ensure Food Security

• “Eliminate food insecurity and malnutrition and guarantee year-round availability of safe, nutritious, and adequate food for everyone.”

• Increase agricultural productivity and income for small-scale food producers by two times.

• “Promote the use of environmentally-friendly and resilient agricultural techniques to improve productivity and build resilience to climate change and natural disasters in food production systems.”

• Improve and avoid limitations on trade in global agricultural markets.

Internationally, a third of the population faces significant challenges with obtaining enough food.

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