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| A handwashing station next to a classroom |
It
is evident that hygiene is one of the most cost-effective public health
interventions through which health and economic benefits can be maximized,
saving millions of lives every year. Hand washing with soap is
recognized as one such highly cost-effective public health intervention. A body
of research has shown that hand washing with soap at critical times alone can
reduce diarrhoea by up to 35%.
Effective hygiene
promotion programming at scale is essential in improving behaviours: preventing
diseases, maintaining health, and improving the full benefits of water and
sanitation programs. Behaviour change is also essential to creating sustainable
services and maximizing the public health impact of investments in water and
sanitation. Without hygiene behaviour change, toilets might not be used, water
could still be contaminated, food will continue to be also contaminated, and
dignity will be compromised.
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| Trainer of Teacher Training |
At
Dig Deep (Africa) we have been implementing hygiene promotion programs over the
last four years
and, in our WASH projects, behaviour change plays a central role for we believe
that “ Taps and toilets don’t improve
health and education, only using them effectively does”‘
Our
approach has been through investing in WASH champions who are trained as
Trainer of Trainers (ToTs). These include selected teachers from target schools
and community health volunteers from the villages where the schools are
located. They are then tasked to create awareness and disseminate the hygiene
messages to children at their respective schools.
Training of WASH champions
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| A sample action plan written by teachers after TOT training |
The ToTs are taken through a three
day intensive training to build their capacity on the key WASH practices including
water hygiene and safety, latrine use and maintenance and hand washing with
soap. The training methodology is mainly facilitatory which enables
participants analyse their own WASH situations and come up with actionable
solutions.
Promotion of hand washing among children
The education program is then rolled out in each of the target schools where the WASH
champions train their peers and children on good hygiene practices. On hand
washing, pupils are taught not only why hand washing with soap/ash is important
but are also shown how to wash hands properly including the critical times to
do so. The children do role plays and learn songs on hand washing so that
behaviour is normalized. Within the community, children act as change agents,
teaching their families about hand washing and other good hygiene practices.
Enabling
technologies for hand washing with soap
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| An innovative hand washing device |
Demonstrating
good hygiene practices as part of daily routines, and sustaining this behavior,
requires innovation, creativity and novel approaches. Different schools have devised their own
innovative ways to promote hand washing among the children. One of these is
installation of leaky tins, made of locally available materials at strategic places
within the school including next to latrines, kitchen area and classrooms.
These form as a reminder to wash hands and also a convenient and a fun way to
wash especially for children hence increasing the rates of hand washing.
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Soap securely tied to a fishing
net to avoid wastage.
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Soap is more effective than using water alone because the
soap lifts the germs from skin and scrubbing hands more thoroughly when using
soap further removes germs. One of the key constraints of hand washing in most
rural communities and schools is the affordability of soap. Additionally, theft
and wastage are barriers to keeping soap at a hand washing station hindering regular
hand washing. To solve these, the schools innovated solutions to counter; these
include putting up local soap dispensers.
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| Hygiene messaging displayed on a classroom wall |
Reinforcing of messages
When
an individual receives a consistent message through multiple channels it
reinforces social norms around the behaviour. Similarly on hand washing, messages
are reinforced through posters and talking walls within the schools hence
improving on the practice.
Adoption
of these good hygiene practices including washing hands with soap/ash at
critical times will lead to less risk of disease which in turn will result in
stepped up school attendance and ultimately country’s economic growth.
