Lotus Valley International School, Gurugram hosted a remarkable event - “Udayan - Empowering Plates, Enriching Lives: Embracing the Millet and the Eat Right Movement” on Thursday ,27th July ,thus commemorating the International Year of Millets 2023. Just as the first light of dawn brings hope and optimism; This moment symbolized the birth of new beginnings, presenting a plethora of possibilities and opportunities for the future in the world of millets.
The event was graced by the presence of esteemed dignitaries. Mr. Pawan Agarwal , CEO Food Future Fundation, Former CEO FSSAI presided over as the Chief Guest, eminent Guests of Honour – Chef Vikas Chawla, CEO, Founder - Core Hospitality Solutions, Ms. Shauravi Malik & Ms. Meghana Narayan, Co-Founders, Slurrp Farm, Ms. Palak Arora, youngest entrepreneur and Founder SatGuru Superfoods. The Event also witnessed the presence of notable Special Guests – Ms. Stuti Garg and Mr. Shrey Gupta, Business Developers, Operations Real Estate & Foods, Dhampur , Kelsang Choeki Namgyal and Mr. Digambar Sharma from UNICEF, India. Representatives from Country Delight, Col. Pratap Kr. Singh , President HPSC School along with the Principals from prestigious schools of Delhi - NCR graciously spared their valuable time expressing their significant participation in the Movement. Ms. Aditi Mehrotra and Mr. Avnish Mehrotra from Arney’s Fitkid made their presence felt with their effervescent participation.
The Guests walked through the ‘Millet Kitchen Gallery’ and tasted the sumptuous and innovative delicacies prepared by the learners of Grade-VII. They interacted with the students and exchanged notes on the ingredients used for preparation. The Celebration commenced with the Ceremonial Lamp Lighting and Chanting of ‘Annapurna Vandana’ followed by a soulful rendition- ‘Agaaz..the new beginning’ by the school choir. The anchors Mihika Sharma, Pragnay Sharma, Amaira Garg and Kavya Joshi steered the event forward with a compelling video presentation, titled 'WIN - Wellness Integrated Network', Fueling Future, showcasing the impressive competitions conducted under the umbrella of ‘Eat Right Movement’ and the collaborative work done by the learners, parents and school over the last few months.
Director-Principal, Ms. Anita Malhotra warmly welcomed the Guests and gave an insightful address highlighting the Ethos and Vision of the School, she further laid emphasis on building a community with the participation of all stakeholders to create a healthy and safe environment for children. It was a pleasure to witness the Keynote Address of the Esteemed Chief Guest emphasising the need for incorporating nutrition-based foods into our diet and the significance of enhancing the antioxidant level in our bodies. He focused on the requisite to initiate change from the grassroots level with the goal to cultivate a culture of wellness and sustainability that transcends generations, resulting in long-term positive health outcomes for the entire nation.
Underlining the significance of Millets, Paridhi Garg, the winner and Vansh Srivastava, the runner-up from Grade XI presented their research on the topic "Milletology - The Ancient Revival of Grains." followed by the felicitation of the winners from various competitions held across the Grades from Nursery-XI . Another remarkable segment of the event was the ‘Unveiling of A Captivating Millet Board Game’ by Arney’s fitkids. The First ever Millet Board Game was launched by the Honorable Chief Guest , Mr. Pawan Agarwal along with the Director-Principal , Ms. Anita Malhotra, that skilfully combines the thrill of gaming with essential knowledge about nutrition.
The event proceeded further with an engaging "Fireside chat" with the notable Guests moderated by the Head Girl, Kaina Malik, fostered insightful discussions. Finally, the most awaited segment, the launch of the LVISG Recipe Book- ‘Our Millet Kitchen’, a compilation of delicious and nutritious Millet recipes shared by the parents and Grandparents of Lotus Valley Family, stood as a testament of the collaborative partnership between School and Parent fraternity. The awe-inspiring dance performance –‘Crusader of Peace & Sustainability’, left the audience captivated . The event concluded with an ‘Up,Close and Personal , Cook-off Session’ with Chef Vikas Chawla who shared interesting facts about Millets while preparing mouth-watering Bajra-Millet Paranthas . He not only educated one and all on the need to build a nourishing Millet diet, but also generously gifted his own Recipe Book to parents and students.
The Event ended on a high note and promise to join hands and come together as a community to build a healthy and sustainable future for the generation ahead, instilling a sense of responsibility to contribute to the journey ahead.
