Photos by Linny Folau

A Mai e 5 campaign that promotes healthier food choices and eating among children, today awarded prizes to primary schools and principals who championed efforts to improve their health by eating fruits and vegetables.

Launched in 2012, the campaign is a joint effort by Nishi Trading, the Ministry of Health through Tonga Health, and Ministry of Education aimed to improve the health and well being of school children in Tonga by teaching them about the benefits of eating a variety of fruit and vegetables in order to have life long healthy eating habits. The key message is for children to eat five servings/portions of fruits and vegetables daily.

Minoru Nishi, chairman of the campaign committee, commended the schools and their efforts. He said this year they brought forward champion schools because they set good examples for the rest of the people in Tonga.

“We have had success this year especially with our new TV cooking show where the kids take charge of cutting the vegetables, a skill they have learnt and can use to help their parents in the long run," he said.

Dr Raelyn ‘Esau, Acting CEO of Education encouraged more schools especially in the Nuku’alofa area to join this important program. "Due to the high percentage of obesity among our people, children need to eat healthy food so that we have healthy children rather than sickly ones," she said.

Prize winners were:

Best TV Cooking Show 

1. GPS Lapaha - $1,200 worth of printer/fax/phone and vegetable garden tools/essentials

2. GPS Popua - $500 worth of vegetable garden tools/essentials 

3. ACTS Community School - $400 worth vegetable garden tools/essentials 

Best Mai e 5 Schools 

1. GPS Mu'a - $1,200 worth printer/fax/phone and vegetable garden tools/essentials 

2. GPS 'Atele - $500 worth vegetable garden tools/essentials 

3. GPS Lotolu (Pelehake) - $400 worth vegetable garden tools/essentials

Prizes were also awarded to principals of the Mai e 5 schools, among others donated by Nishi Trading, Tonga Communicatins Corporation and Tonga Health with assistance from the Australian High Commission.