Our Kids in the Kitchen program provides a fun, supportive environment for children to meet others from similar backgrounds, while learning about healthy eating and exercise in Australia. It also gives their parents a few hours to themselves - sometimes for the first time in years.
Nutrition will be a major issue for many of the Syrian children set to arrive in Australia. Micronutrient deficiencies are common among the Syrian refugees living both in and outside camps: nearly 50% of young children are anaemic (UNHCR, 2014).
These nutritional deficiencies will not be automatically resolved after arrival in Australia. Adapting to a new country is challenging, it introduces new unfamiliar foods and removes others.
Kids in the Kitchen gives children the opportunity to learn about new foods, healthy eating, while reinforcing the healthy foods found in their traditional diet.
The program is run in the school holiday period for children aged 6 – 12. It provides the opportunity for children to learn new skills, cook in a team, meet others with similar experiences, share a healthy meal and enjoy structured physical activity. The program is facilitated by Bilingual Community Educators who speak their language, and a qualified dietitian.
Watch a video of Kids in the Kitchen in action: http://bit.ly/PHORKidsInKitchenVideo
Currently this program is funded to deliver one session per school holiday period in Fairfield, but this is not the only area it will be needed. To be able to respond to the increased Syrian arrivals we will need to be able to run the program in other areas of Sydney.
A donation of $50 will help us run the Kids in the Kitchen Program: it costs $5000 to provide the holiday program to 30-35 refugee children.
Donate via the link
Or
Contact us to discuss how else you can contribute
Ms Marisa Salem - Chair
Promoting Healthy Outcomes for Refugees Inc.
info@phor.org.au
ph 0408 448 950