AfricaPress-Tanzania: STUDENTS from three higher learning institutions have designed modern food kiosks for food vendors to ensure food safety and protect public health.
Ten creative higher learning students have designed the kiosks in Dar es Salaam and the regional government awarded them in recognising their creativity on Friday.
Dar es Salaam Regional Acting Administrative Secretary (Production & Economy), Dr Elizabeth Mshote, commended the students during a function in Dar es Salaam to recognise the good work of young creative designers and the students were awarded prizes and certificates.
“I would like to commend all participants for their creativity. This is the contribution of our students to the society.
The issue of cleanliness and food security is essential for protecting public health. So, you too have made a remarkable contribution to achieving this,” she said.
During the ceremony, Dr Mshote also launched the first kiosk that was constructed by the youth. It is expected to improve the business of food vendors and enable customers to eat balanced, clean and safe meals.
The process to the best and affordable kiosk supervised by Counsenuth on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and Dar es Salaam Regional Administration.
It involved students from architectural, design and construction faculties of the Ardhi University (Dar es Salaam), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Mbeya University of Science and Technology.
The two winners of the competition supervised the design and construction of the food stall that ensures food cleanliness and security.
The competition was part of the Project for Supporting sustainable Value Chain Development for Job Creation, Food and Nutrition Security in Dar es Salaam funded by FAO through a United Nations Joint Programme framework and implemented in the five district councils of Dar es Salaam through Counsenuth in collaboration with MHCDGEC and other partners.
Speaking during the function, Food Security and Nutrition Data Analyst at FAO Tanzania Fadhili Mtengela noted that the project followed a study by FAO that found out a number of challenges food vendors in Dar es Salaam were facing.
“The project aims at building the capacity of food vendors so that they improve the quality of their services, taking into account cleanliness and safety to protect public health,” he said. He pointed out that the aim was to enable them to prepare nutritious and safe food.
For her part, Counsenuth Acting Executive Director, Dr Lunna Kyungu, said her institution was tasked by FAO to provide technical support in the implementation of the project in partnership with the government and its institutions, including MHCDGEC and other partners.
“As key partners in this project, we’re happy to see how these students committed themselves to designing and making this kiosk which will give impetus to more such kiosks in Dar es Salaam City,” she said.
