Dieter Morszeck Foundation enables construction of two

CITIES WITHOUT HUNGER School Gardens

The Brazilian NGO CIDADES SEM FOME (CITIES WITHOUT HUNGER) was able to create two school gardens in the east of the megacity São Paulo thanks to a donation of 15,000 euros from the Dieter Morszeck Foundation. These gardens provide sufficient access to healthy food for 3,083 students coping with moderate to severe food insecurity.

The two public schools at which the gardens were laid out and accompanied during the project period from 01.05.2017 to 31.05.2018 are operated by the state of São Paulo. 800 pupils aged six to 15 attend EMEF José Lins do Rego, a school located in the São Mateus district. 2,283 pupils aged ten to 17 are enrolled in EE Sapopemba, located in the Jardim Sapopemba district.

The region where both schools are located has been classified as ZEIS 1 by the Municipality of São Paulo. Under ZEIS 1, the city administration groups together areas in which a low-income population lives mainly in favelas.

The low income level reduces the purchasing power for healthy food, because the lower the income level, the higher the share of the household budget spent on food. Fresh fruit and vegetables are scarce in this region of the city, comparatively expensive and therefore rarely bought.

After the construction, the joint planting and the first harvests together with the pupils, CIDADES SEM FOME accompanied both school gardens closely over a period of one year. After that the gardens of the organisation are "self-runners". "The school gardens give the children long-term access to sufficient and healthy food," explains CIDADES SEM FOME founder Hans Dieter Temp.

"The Brazilian NGO is one of the first non-profit organisations that we support with our foundation," says Thomas Morszeck, Chairman of the Foundation. "We are delighted to support the School Gardens project, which will enable more than 3,000 children to eat healthier food and, last but not least, receive environmental education in the 'green classroom'," explains Thomas Morszeck.

Esther K. Beuth-Heyer, chairman of the board of directors of the association STÄDTE WITHOUT HUNGER Deutschland e. V., is also happy with the results of the partnership. "On behalf of the schools and our team, I would like to thank the Dieter Morszeck Foundation for its generous support. The pupils work with a lot of friends and commitment in their school gardens. I was able to convince myself of this on site in September 2017. The teachers were very impressed by the impulses of the nutrition lessons and reported first changes in the eating behaviour of the students."

The vegetables and fruit grown in the school gardens not only improve the quantity and quality of the pupils' food, but also prevent illnesses related to malnutrition.

The children and young people also benefit in the long term, as the nutrition lessons offered and accompanied by CIDADES SEM FOME teach healthy eating habits and an appropriate lifestyle at an early stage in order to counteract the consumption of industrially processed food.

STÄDTE WITHOUT HUNGER has so far planned and built 40 gardens in public schools and institutions. To date, 14,506 pupils have been reached with the project. The school gardens project has demonstrably improved the nutritional situation of many thousands of children.

 

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