Anambra First Lady Nonye Soludo Launches Healthy Living Crusade in Schools, Empowers 100 New Ambassadors

 

A transformative health awareness campaign is sweeping through secondary schools in Anambra State, as the First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo, leads a renewed push for lifestyle reform among students, educators, and communities. The initiative, aimed at fostering a culture of healthy living, culminated in the inauguration of 100 fresh "Healthy Living School Ambassadors" and the establishment of community and school gardens across selected institutions in the state.

Friday’s event, held at the Post Primary Schools Services Commission headquarters in Awka, marked a significant expansion of the ongoing “Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo” programme. This multi-pronged initiative not only appoints young ambassadors to champion health-conscious behaviors in their schools but also introduces practical gardening projects that tie nutrition and sustainability to daily learning experiences.

Rather than approaching wellness as a set of isolated actions, Dr. Soludo is nurturing a lifestyle mindset. Addressing the assembled group of students, principals, and educators, she emphasized the importance of making intentional choices that promote long-term physical and mental well-being. “Living right does not cost a fortune. It is all about simple and deliberate habits that define one’s approach to a healthy life,” she said.

The First Lady’s words weren’t just motivational—they were a call to action. Each selected ambassador is expected to collaborate closely with school leadership to embed health-conscious practices into the fabric of their academic environment. According to her, this movement isn't only about individual transformation, but about sparking a community-wide wave of health awareness.

“Today, we are launching a tripartite programme,” she declared. “First is the reintegration of ‘Healthy Living Ambassadors’ in 100 selected schools. Second is the flag-off of the ‘Healthy Living Garden Programme in Schools.’ And third, the inauguration of the same garden initiative across communities.”

Far from being symbolic gestures, these programmes are structured to deliver tangible results. Students will be empowered to grow vegetables, herbs, and other produce—learning firsthand about nutrition, agriculture, and the environmental benefits of sustainable living. These gardens are envisioned as living classrooms and community assets, reinforcing the health message in real, everyday terms.

The ambassadors—students, head teachers, and principals—were selected through a vetting process and are now charged with advancing the programme’s reach and efficacy. Dr. Soludo noted that this latest cohort builds upon a foundation laid two years ago, when over 200 ambassadors were first introduced into the initiative. That early wave, she said, played a critical role in what has become “one of the most impactful social movements in Nigeria.”

Central to the initiative’s next phase is the “Pad Bank” programme, a gender-sensitive addition designed to support menstrual hygiene among female students. Designated ambassadors will be responsible for managing these Pad Banks in secondary schools with significant female populations, ensuring girls have access to sanitary products and accurate health information.

“This is about humanity, compassion, and giving every student a platform to succeed,” Dr. Soludo affirmed. “The relationship we have with our bodies ultimately defines what it gives back to us. If you feed the body well, it gives you wellness. If you feed it badly, it gives you sickness.”

Participants were reminded that the movement’s success depends not only on institutional support but on the enthusiasm and dedication of those appointed to lead it. The First Lady expressed unwavering confidence in the newly inaugurated ambassadors, urging them to embrace the responsibility with energy and purpose.

“You all have been screened and cleared to lead this movement to a level of remarkable excellence. I’m counting faithfully on all of you,” she said.

Dr. Soludo’s vision, born nearly two decades ago, remains consistent: to build a network of healthy living advocates that spans generations and geographies, changing the narrative around health and wellness in Nigeria—starting with the youth.

As the new ambassadors return to their respective schools and communities, their mission is clear: to plant seeds of wellness—literally and figuratively—and to inspire others to live consciously, deliberately, and healthily.