Dr Jane Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make!” Private International English School, Bhavans Abu Dhabi has decided to make that difference. Bhavans Natura has taken yet another step in its journey towards sustainability, by conducting a Global Webinar on ‘Food Sustainability and Security’ on the occasion of Arab Environment Day on Wednesday 14th October 2020, between 10.00 Hrs. and 15.00 Hrs.
Over 13 schools from Kuwait, UAE and India participated in this virtual event with over 1500 online viewers. The occasion was graced by the presence of our Honourable Chief Guest, Dr Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme, and other distinguished guest speakers – Ms Tara Goshan, Executive Director, Education, the Jane Goodall Institute, Mr Nick Cochrane-Dyet, Chairman of the British Business Group, Abu Dhabi and Ms Khansa Al Blouki, Director of Environmental Outreach, Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi. We were also delighted to have the presence of Ms Divya Rajesh Ramachandran, Director of Bhavans Middle East, Ms Girija Baiju, Principal and Mr Suresh V. Balakrishnan Vice Principal, Private International English School, Abu Dhabi
Two panel discussions were held during the event. The first panel consisted of 8 panellists on the topic, “Food Security as a Global Issue”. The second had 5 panellists and dealt with the topic “Technological Advancement in Food Sustainability; a Green Light?”. The panellists discussed in detail regarding the impact of technology on food sustainability and the rising need for food security.
A productive awareness campaign was also conducted, displaying the various initiatives taken by the school in the matter of food sustainability.
The message of sustainability was further spread through dances and skits which made the event vibrant. Interactive sessions with the audience, such as live quizzes and games, made it enjoyable and entertaining.
Winners of the comic strip designing competition (held in connection with the event) and quizzes were encouraged and applauded with certificates. The Eco Champs – Anushka Lale (8C); Aayushi Ramakrishnan (9B); Deva Nanda Manoj (9B); Sreelakshmi Menon (9A); Vivek Menon (10D); Meenakshi Subhash (11A); Adithya Sathyanath (11C) and Akshita Kanna (11A), the student coordinators, were on air during the event.
The Global Webinar received positive feedback galore from the esteemed guests and dignitaries, appreciating the effort, organisation and management skills showcased by the student coordinators. The online viewers encouragingly commented that the event was amazing, top-notch and lovely.
Ms Usha Kumari, the passionate coordinator of Sustainable Schools Initiative incredibly proved her enthusiasm to address environmental issues to the public. The support and commitment of Ms Hazeena, Ms Vini, Ms Reshma, Ms Deepthi, Ms Sumitha Suresh, Ms Janarajani, Ms Sruthi and Ms Anila, was exemplary.
Furthermore, the students learned to hone their many skills and values such as decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, event management, communication and team work/collaboration. These values and skills will help the students to blossom into leading global citizens. Bhavans Natura hopes to host many such events to carry on with its aim of reaching maximum sustainability, inspire the community to follow its footsteps and also looks forward to successful collaborations in the future.
Reported By: Usha Kumari coordinator SSI & Eco Club
Very nice