The Capacity Development Support Facility (CDSF) Oromia Office celebrated School Egg Day on June 25, 2019 in Sharoma Elementary School in Arsi Zone, Hitosa Woread, Oda Jila Kebele. The purpose of the event was to create awareness among the school community and parents on the consumption of eggs for healthy development.

The Egg Day event was held in support of the World Bank-administered Agriteam Canada Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Consultancy (NSAC) which is directly supported by the European Union through the multi-donor trust fund for the Second Agricultural Growth Program (AGP2).

Dr Kefena Ifa, Oromia Regional Livestock Agency Head, officially opened the event. In his speech, he emphasized the need for creating awareness among communities about the importance of diversified foods that include livestock products as children and lactating mothers have been suffering from lack of nutritious foods. Dr Kefena pledged his Agency’s support to similar activities.

On the occasion, Belachew Abera, Director of Sharoma Elementary School, expressed his happiness. He said: “I thank the event organizers for choosing to organize this unique event in our school. I hope everyone will learn a lot from this event.”

During the event, students played a short drama show that depicted the importance of consuming diversified foods – especially eggs during the first 1000 days for maternal health and child development. The drama show was followed by a poem in Oromifa focusing on the value of eggs to the diet.

Following the poem, an egg-and-spoon race was staged. Student, teachers, mothers and other members of the community participated in the race that created a lot of fun.

Girma Tekalign, CDSF Oromia Regional NSA Capacity Development Specialist, explained to the audience about poultry production and the importance of egg consumption. He also demonstrated how to make omelets, scrambled eggs and boiled eggs.

Communication materials such as posters and leaflets on the benefits of egg consumption were distributed during the event.

Adem Kaso, Hetosa,Woreda Livestock Agency Head, made a closing remark and gave awards to student who contributed to the success of the event as well as to those who won different competitions during the event. In his closing remark, Adem said: “CDSF has conveyed very important messages to us all in an interesting way. It’s now up to us to put into practice what we have learned.”

“When I was pregnant with my 5th child two years or so ago, I used to go to a nearby clinic for monthly check-ups. There, I heard about a government project that provides chickens to help pregnant women to engage in household poultry. After I made the necessary preparations such as building poultry cages, I was given six chickens aged nearly two months.

I now have 20 hens. I sell some of the eggs from my hens in the local market and buy feed for them with some of the proceeds from the sales. I also save some of the money from the sale of the eggs for my children’s education. My children eat eggs almost daily. That is why they look so happy, strong and healthy. My husband and I are now planning to expand and fully engage in poultry business.”