The project was started by teacher Mereani Ligaiviu after she attended a workshop run by Fiji’s Health Promoting Schools （HPS） programme that trains and supports staff to develop healthy food environments and promote physical activity. She says： “The HPS training empowered me to get people to stay healthy.”

The HPS programme， running since 2009， aims to encourage healthy behaviour in children and address factors like obesity that can lead to diseases such as diabetes， cancer， stroke， and heart disease. Such lessons are badly needed. In Fiji， 20% of adult men and 41% of adult women are classified as obese -- a widely acknowledged risk factor for NCDs.

HPS advisers help teaching staff to identify what their school needs to focus on most and come up with practical plans that will help keep their pupils healthy.

Improving school food was also a priority for St. Mary's Primary in Labasa， where HPS advisers identified obesity and tooth decay as priority problems. Canteen operators were briefed on the National School Canteen Guidelines， and junk food and fizzy drinks were replaced with blended fruit juice and fresh local fruit at affordable prices.

Inspired by how quickly the children adopted better diets， teachers have been exploring other health initiatives. More stand pipes were installed near classrooms so pupils can easily get drinking water. In addition， children are taught and encouraged to have good personal hygiene habits， including washing their hands before and after meals， and after using the toilet.