FORMER Senator Deika Morrisan has stressed the importance of nutrition as a fundamental right for children.

Morrison, founder of Do Good Jamaica with its special project Crayons Count, said that a nation can only progress if its children are properly fed.

She was giving the main address at the recent launch of the third annual Nestle Schools Wellness Fiesta, which will be staged over three days from May 10 to 12 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

According to Morrison, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) made it clear that "inadequate nutrition in life can cause irreparable damage to the developing brain and body, thus the right to nutrition is a fundamental, foundational right for children. She also said that Principle Four of the Convention on the Rights of the Child a human rights treat setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children to which Jamaica is a signatory states that "the child shall have the right to adequate nutrition".

Morrison added that Do Good Jamaica's Crayons Count sought not only to provide learning kits to early childhood institutions across Jamaica but to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education and good early childhood practices. She stressed that nutrition, health and wellness are not just good early childhood practices were all essential practices for all ages.

Noting that Jamaicans do not talk about the critical importance of nutrition enough, she pointed out that the Nestle Schools Wellness Fiesta was therefore a timely opportunity for teachers, caregivers and children to understand how children can get proper nutrition, health and wellness.

The Nestle Schools Wellness Fiesta, targeted at primary and secondary schools with Wellness clubs, will for the first time this year involve secondary school, through the 4-H Clubs, according to Nestle's Consumer Relationship Marketing Manager Angella Black.

On Thursday, the opening day, displays will be presented by the competing primary and secondary schools on the topic 'Active children make healthier adults'. Judging will be on scope of research, accuracy and creativity. Also on the opening day and the remaining two days, there will be the colourful display of the 'Nestle Take a High Five for Life' campaign which will showcase five areas 'Eat Healthy', 'Control Portions', 'Be Active', 'Check Healthy', and 'Be Happy'.

In addition there will be a special focus on physical activity with the wellness fun pavilions that will take the form of an energy zone. There will also be a cooking lab, the Nestle Healthy Kids Programme and the reading pavilion on Saturday, the final day, where representatives of the Jamaica Library Service and Crayons Count will be reading to the children.

A highlight of the launch was the presentation of the Nestle Healthy Kids pledge by Carlah Dume and Renardo Harvey of Lannaman's Preparatory School.

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Nutrition a right for children, says former senator