Rafiu Fishbone Joins Wateraid Ghana on Global Handwashing Day
This year’s theme for Global Handwashing Day is “Raise a hand for hygiene”. This theme is action-oriented and can be used particularly well for advocacy purposes. For instance, the act of raising a hand is one of affiliation. You can and should identify yourself as a hygiene champion.
This can help create a strong social norm of good hygiene in a school, community, or region. Likewise, when people raise a hand, they can also be counted. In terms of handwashing, this is a reminder that it is possible for governments to count how many people wash their hands and have access to hygiene facilities in homes, schools, and healthcare facilities. Governments must measure hygiene indicators to know where resources should be concentrated.
Global Handwashing Day is a good opportunity to ask governments to fulfill this important role. We can also raise a hand to draw attention to the need for change, from parents’ associations raising a hand to ask for a better school hygiene policy to celebrities raising a hand to ask politicians to fund hygiene programs.
Every year, 1.7 million children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday because of diarrhea and pneumonia. Handwashing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent these diseases. This simple behavior can save lives, cutting diarrhea by almost one-half and acute respiratory infections by nearly one-quarter. Handwashing with soap impacts not just health and nutrition, but also education, economics, and equity.
In Accra, Wateraid Ghana celebrated the Global Handwashing Day in grand style at the Forecourt of Osu Presby Church Hall. Madam Yvonne and Araba of Wateraid Ghana and other stuff members made sure their messages to the children on hand washing was clear and simple.
Since Wateraid Ghana could not invited all schools in Accra, a number of schools were invited. These schools include Osu Salem Primary, Hijiz Islamic Primary School, Kotobabi 3&4 Primary, St Mary Anglican Primary school, Kotobabi 7 Junior High School, Central Mosque Primary A&B school, Kanda Estate 1 Junior High School, Da-Awal Islamic Primary School etc.
The program began with a opening prayer and a welcome address by the circuit supervisor of Osu Klottey. A musical Handwashing chair game spiced up the program with winners taking home parcels. A key note address by the Metro SHEP Coordinator.
Students from various schools also gave statements on Handwashing, Sanitation and Hygiene. The students who gave the statements were members of Wateraid Ghana Students Parliament Program. Participatory members and students signed a " Raise A a Hand For Hygiene " signature campaign. The program ended with a closing remarks from the Metro Director. Wateraid Ghana shared refreshments to students and all pupils invited.
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