“Fair trade is fun,” could be a motto of the Eco-team from Zbiroh, Czech Republic. In addition to traditional events such as screenings of documentary films with discussions, children involved in the We Eat Responsibly project came up with few novelties. They organized a fair trade breakfast for the public and a fair trade St. Nicholas Day. They would like to repeat the breakfast this year in May.
Teacher and Eco-school coordinator Andrea Tláskalová is convinced that children naturally tend to be fair and sensitive. “When they found out that not all the people have the same standards of living as we do, they felt they should do something about it,” she described. And their activities prove that the children really try!
Fair trade canteen and café
Since they joined the project two years ago, pupils and teachers from the Zbiroh Eco-team started to focus on fair trade. Based on a review pupils carried out in the school canteen, cafeteria and households, they decided to inform their schoolmates, teachers and the public about the negative effects of today’s food production.
They explained to their schoolmates how to make a difference through better food choices. A decision was made to sell fair trade food in the school cafeteria and at events for parents and the broader public. Thanks to one active parent, pupils established close cooperation with a supplier of fair trade food, who started to supply the school cafeteria.
Moreover, pupils run regular Fair Cafés for parents and teachers, where they can choose from fair trade tea, coffee, chocolate and other products.
Kiosk with fair trade products and Fair Café for parents.
Successful fair trade breakfast
A highlight of the year for teachers and pupils from the Eco-team was a public event that took place on a square in Zbiroh: a fair trade breakfast with local and fair trade food. Citizens who visited the event were offered fair trade tea and coffee, homemade pies, fair chocolate cake or marmalade made from the fruit from a school garden.
Fair trade breakfast in Zbiroh.
The Eco-team prepared educational posters to inform their fellow citizens about conditions of farmers and benefits of fair trade. The event was attended by 400 people from the town and surrounding area. The fair breakfast in Zbiroh was a great success and the Eco-team is planning to make it a tradition.
Special St. Nicolas Day
Pupils from Zbiroh enjoy exploring the topic of fair trade and they feel responsible for their food choices. That’s why they decided to make the traditional Czech celebration of St. Nicolas Day special. Thanks to their initiative, St. Nicholas rewarded children with fair trade sweets and dried food from the school garden.
St. Nicolas Day in Zbiroh.
The J. V. Sládka Primary School in Zbiroh has a tradition of global development education and has been involved in projects connected with responsible food consumption for several years. Film screenings about responsible food consumption with a discussion are common. Moreover, children and teachers contacted companies that try to leave palm oil out of their products to support them. Thanks to the We Eat Responsibly project, they managed to make their school more fair and responsible.
