School pupils in Lanarkshire have been busy in the kitchen cooking meals for their community to celebrate World Fair Trade Day.
Children at St Ninian's Primary in Hamilton made a delicious fair trade curry for residents in Hillhouse on Wednesday as locals learned about ethical trading.
Two communities came together to celebrate and support each other. Fair Trade Kilombero white rice from Malawi along with Fairtrade Mark coconut milk was prepared for the meal and served for free to residents at Hillhouse’s weekly community café.
It comes as South Lanarkshire ’s Fairtrade Steering Group applied for a grant from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to serve a free meal to local residents to celebrate World Fair Trade Day and to raise awareness of the 10 Principles of fair trade.
The rice was purchased from Just Trading Scotland (JTS) as part of the 90kg Rice Challenge.
Buying the rice provides much needed income to some of the poorest rice farming communities in Malawi - with 90kg of rice being sold helping a farmer afford to send a child to secondary school for a year.
The St Ninian’s pupils were fantastic on the day, raising awareness of fair trade, and this year’s climate change theme.
They held stalls at the café, as well as serving the food to local residents and cleaning the tables.
Headteacher, Eileen Feeley said: “Our primary seven pupils have gained so much from volunteering at the Hillstop Cafe since it re-opened.
"A great way to develop their skills in a real-life context while being active members of the local community.
"Today's fair trade event helped them to understand more about the importance of ethical trading and how we can make choices to support fair trade producers every time we shop.”
The South Lanarkshire Fair Trade Steering Group was delighted to be able to offer a fair trade meal at Hillhouse and Earnock Civic Centre to celebrate World Fair Trade Day.
Councillor Mary Donnelly, chair of the South Lanarkshire Fairtrade steering group, said: “It is a great honour to be involved in this year's Rice Challenge with the local Hillhouse Community Café.
"St Ninian's P7 learned a lot about fair trade on the day and the journey of the rice from Malawi to Scotland.
"All participants involved enjoyed the free curry made with fair trade rice, and with curry sauces, and rice pudding made of fair trade coconut milk which went down well with everyone”.
P7 pupils from St Ninian’s Primary School in Hamilton came along to join in the celebration. They were raising awareness of fair trade, and this year’s climate change theme, with stalls at the café and were serving the food to local residents and cleaning the tables.
Headteacher, Eileen Feeley said: “Our primary seven pupils have gained so much from volunteering at the Hillstop Cafe since it re-opened.
"A great way to develop their skills in a real-life context while being active members of the local community.
"Today's fair trade event helped them to understand more about the importance of ethical trading and how we can make choices to support fair trade producers every time we shop.”
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