Good health and well-being: lessons from a bitter gourd

On 2 October, the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka welcomed Ms Katerina Don, an early years learning specialist and the co-founder and creative director of Cholpori, to explore good health and well-being with our Primary Years Programme (PYP) students. Cholpori is a mathematics, English language and reading comprehension learning tool for K-8 students in Bangladesh.

Ms Katerina, dressed as a bitter gourd, manifested the importance of eating healthy among our young learners. She used various props to make the students smile while promoting foods that may not be tasty but are beneficial for health, like bitter gourds, potatoes, cabbages and many others.  

Ms Tanjina Hossain, the PYP coordinator of the Academy, commended the session as a fantastic demonstration for teachers and students.  

“I was in awe throughout the presentation,” she said. “The students wholeheartedly welcomed the messages. Learning while having fun lasts longer in the minds of the young learners.” 

Ms Katerina was amazed to see the excitement of the little minds.  

“Telling them to eat vegetables and having them enjoy it synchronously is much more challenging for an educator; I see future leaders in those cute pairs of eyes willing to spare luxury to health and wellness,” she expressed. “The way teachers followed my approaches also impressed me. I am sure the PYP instructors at the Academy will contribute more to the building of the students’ minds through fun and innovation in the classrooms.” 

One PYP student explained how she felt seeing the early years specialist dressed as a bitter gourd, intriguing her appetite for healthy foods. 

“I have always seen vegetables as foods that are grim and grumpy,” the student said. “Ms Bitter Gourd introduced them as fun friends today. I am hopeful about befriending the vegetables now.”