UNESCO and Bel Rouzaneh Dairy Company hand-over family health booklet to the Literacy Movement Organization

UNESCO and the Literacy Movement Organisation (LMO) have been working together on the development of a family health booklet for literacy learners over the past few months. The project was generously supported by Bel Rouzaneh Dairy Co. – a Bel subsidiary in Iran, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The booklet offers practical lessons on proper nutrition and water consumption and is the fruit of hard work and a very inclusive consultation process that included many national and international experts.

During the official ceremony in which the first printed copies of the booklet were handed over to LMO and a number of literacy learners, a video was screened to describe the extensive consultation process that has led to the final content and design of the booklet.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Bagherzade, Deputy Minister of Education and Head of LMO, thanked the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office and Bel for the cooperation and support in this important project. “The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution has time and again underlined the importance of book reading and the necessity of its intertwinement with everyday life”, said Dr. Bagherzade. “The Family Health Book, produced jointly by UNESCO, Bel Company, as well as national advisors and authors will be the main reference for a book reading competition in the current calendar year. It will also enter the cycle of family book reading.”

Ms. Kuisch Laroche, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office, underlined the importance of literacy in her speech. “Literacy not only changes lives, it saves them. Literacy a basic human right and a force for dignity. It is also the foundation for cohesive families and societies and sustainable development. Literacy helps reduce poverty and enables people to find gainful employment and obtain higher salaries. It is one of the most efficient ways of improving the health of mothers and children, understanding doctors’ prescriptions and gaining access to healthcare,” said the UNESCO representative. “At UNESCO we believe that literacy programmes must also include, beyond reading and, broader skills regarding nutrition, health and sustainable lifestyles, the conservation of biodiversity, poverty reduction, disaster risk reduction, as well as civic participation.”

Mr. François-Xavier Moreau, Managing Director of Bel Rouzaneh Dairy Company talked about his company’s commitment to sustainable development: “Bel is an international family group and among the world leaders in branded cheese manufacturers. As most family groups, we praise long-term and lasting growth. Revenue and profit generation are not our only concern and a long time ago, the Group created a Corporate Social Responsibility Programme. This initiative called “Smiles for the Future” best reconciles our dual commitment in economic development and social equity”, said Mr. Moreau. “Offering practical lessons on proper nutrition and good practices in water consumption is very important to us. No one should be left aside, and this initiative fits perfectly with the values of the Bel Group and reflects our commitment to support the communities in the countries where we operate.”

After their speeches, the booklet was unveiled and handed over to female literacy learners.

About the booklet:

The Healthy Family Booklet on nutrition and water consumption is beautifully illustrated and designed to engage both young and adult literacy learners. The booklet is the fruit of the hard work and commitment of a wide variety of stakeholders, and was made possible through the generous support of the Bel Rouzaneh Dairy Company.

About the partners:

UNESCO has been at the forefront of global literacy efforts since its foundation. UNESCO’s policy today is to support the promotion of literacy and literate environments as an integral part of lifelong earning and to keep literacy high on the national and international agendas. Through its worldwide literacy programmes, advocacy work and knowledge base, the Organisation works with countries and partners to realize the vision of a literate world for all.

The Literacy Movement Organization is a committed advocacy in promoting literacy and non-formal education. Established after the Islamic Revolution to deal with the high rates of illiteracy at the time, the Organization provides introductory and complementary literacy classes. According to a report published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of illiterate adults fell by more than one million in Iran between 2000 and 2010. This is due in no small part to the efforts of the Literacy Movement Organization.

Bel, an international family business, is the world’s third largest branded cheese company. Bel’s mission is to “share smiles with families through the pleasure of dairy goodness”. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program called “Smiles for the Future”, Bel has taken the responsibility to offer products high in nutritional value and to encourage consumers to adopt healthy eating habits through educational initiatives. Under the same program, Bel is committed to reduce water consumption and energy footprint. Cooperation with UNESCO and LMO in Iran in order to educate literacy learners on the basics of nutrition and water-saving is an action taken by Bel Rouzaneh Dairy Co. – Bel subsidiary in Iran- in line with this objective.