Hygiene promotion in schools

 Bless acknowledges the significance of improving water and sanitation in schools where children act as ‘Ambassadors of hygiene’ sharing their knowledge with friends and family. 

 Bless and Wherever The Need UK have  constructed 25 eco-san toilet units in various schools, with 8 still in progress.  Furthermore, Bless conducted training sessions in schools for teachers and pupils focusing on personal hygiene, water handling, food hygiene, sanitation and toilet usage and waste management in the school environment. 

 Following the training, the pupils themselves take over the responsibility of managing these issues within the school environment.  A Mock Parliament is set up, comprising pupils, who act as ministers, with the responsibility of identifying, discussing and monitoring sanitation and hygiene practices within the school.  These include maintaining water resources, supervising the washing of hands at break time and generating hygiene supply funds through fines to students who have poor hygiene practices! 

School with poor sanitation and water facilities can be a fest pit of disease and illness, reducing capacity to learn and causing increasing number of children to take days off and even drop out o school.  following the improvement of facilities and provision of education on these issues, a vast improvement in health and hygiene has been observed, with lower rates of ill health and reduced number of children who drop out of school.  Moreover, children quickly absorb new ideas and habits, which are then carried back to their households and observed by their families.  By teaching children we can also teach the community.