Organization launches hand washing program targeting 881 households in Nyando

Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist with the Habitat for Humanity Kenya Willy Lang'at address participants during today's Global Hand Washing Day celebrated at Nyomwaro Primary school in Nyando Sub-County-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

 

October 24, 2023

 

Organization launches hand washing program targeting 881 households in Nyando

 

AN organization has launched a hand washing program targeting over 800 household within Kochogo South in Nyando Sub-County.

 

Habitat for Humanity Kenya says it has launched the program so as to help raising the awareness within the local community  on the importance of hand washing where 881 households are set to benefit from the program.

 

Speaking at Nyomwaro primary school in Nyando Sub-County today to commemorate the Global Hand Washing Day, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Habitat for Humanity Kenya Willy Lang’at said the organization has trained girls from two Primary schools on the seven steps of hand washing which they are now sensitizing members of the community on.

 

He says the girls have been placed in various and trained on the proper hand washing following the seven steps that leads to having clean hands after proper washing.

 

Lang’at says two Primary schools namely Disi and Nyomwaro Primary schools have benefitted from the training on proper hand wash program, adding that their pupils are now replicating it back at home

 

He says the Girls will now be able to train the community on proper hand washing to the community that will really change towards the issues of hand washing at critical times needed to do it.

 

Lang’at says with proper hand washing within the community, diseases associated with having dirty hands have greatly reduced within the community.

 

“The Community can now spend less money in hospitals for treating diseases like diarrhoea and dysentry among others,” Lang’at says.

 

Eric Aloba, community Health Technician in Nyando Sub-County says the importance of proper hand washing is to help in reducing diseases like diarrhoea among others.

 

He says the practice of proper hand washing should be enhanced, adding that the community needs to be properly trained on this activity.

 

Jocinter Atieno, a community health promoter says cases of diarrhoea and other diseases associated with dirty hand have greatly reduced.

The Project is aimed at supporting the two Primary schools health Clubs to conduct Hygiene promotion within the two sub locations in Nyando Sub-County.

The Child to child approach will be applied towards creating activism for behaviour change on hand washing and encouraging maintenance of water supply threshold that is conducive to sustainability of proper hand washing.

 School health clubs will be supported to to lead the hand washing campaigns since they provide an environment for teachers to provide children with practical lessons and tips of improving their habits.

The Program is supported by the BMZ Germany.

Global Hand Washing Day is normally marked on October 15 every year and it is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of hand washing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

This day is an opportunity to design, test and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap and running water at critical times.

 

ENDS