The competition was organised by Nestlé in cooperation with the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republican Education Centre. Held for the first time in schools across Uzbekistan as part of the “Health Directions” educational programme, the competition brought together more than 400 participants from different regions of the country.
“Environmental education for children is an important part of building a responsible society and preserving the country's natural resources. It is no coincidence that increasing attention is being paid to this area in Uzbekistan. It is important not only to explain to the younger generation why nature needs to be protected, but also to create opportunities for children to take an active part in environmental initiatives and see the results of their efforts. Projects such as ‘Grow Your Own Garden’ help foster environmental awareness from an early age and demonstrate that caring for the environment begins with concrete actions taken by each individual,” said Lola Rakhmonbayeva, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
The “Grow Your Own Garden” competition aims to promote environmental awareness among schoolchildren and encourage a responsible attitude towards the environment. Working together with their teachers, students prepared environmental posters illustrating how children and adults can protect nature and uploaded their entries to the programme's website. The winners were selected by a jury and through a public vote.
For reference, the “Health Directions” educational programme is being implemented in Uzbekistan as part of the global Nestlé for Healthier Kids initiative. It helps schoolchildren develop healthy habits, learn about the principles of balanced nutrition and foster a responsible attitude towards the environment. The “Grow Your Own Garden” competition served as a practical extension of this work, giving students an opportunity to apply the knowledge they had gained.
“At Nestlé, caring for children's health means taking a comprehensive approach to developing healthy habits from an early age. This approach brings together knowledge of balanced nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and responsible attitudes towards the environment. These principles form the foundation of the ‘Health Directions’ programme. Through competitions such as ‘Grow Your Own Garden’, we aim to make learning more engaging for schoolchildren and support the work of teachers. We particularly value the involvement of parents: together with schools, we can make caring for health and nature a shared priority for the whole family,” said Lysyuk, General Director of Nestlé in Uzbekistan.
According to the competition results, first place went to Class 3A of Secondary School No. 3 in Jizzakh, second place to Class 3B of the same school and third place to Class 3A of Secondary School No. 19 in Jizzakh.
The competition's finalists were also recognised, along with the winner of the “People's Choice Award”, selected through a public vote. The winners received certificates, commemorative gifts and tree saplings to be planted on their schools' grounds.
Following the award ceremony, students, teachers, parents and event guests joined together to plant 100 trees on the grounds of Secondary School No. 3. This gave children an opportunity to take an active part in greening the environment where they study and spend much of their time.
The environmental campaign demonstrated how government institutions, educational organisations and businesses can work together to promote environmental education among children. These joint efforts contribute to creating an educational environment in which caring for health and nature becomes an integral part of school life.