Global Hand Washing Day (GHD) Report

To aware people / students / community regarding Hand Washing benefits, like reducing different diseases by 40%

Ahsanullah Bughio, MEO CLTS,

Introduction:
Sindhica Reforms Society well known as Sindhica / SRS is a non for profit non-religious organization working on humanitarian grounds since its formation in the year 1993. SRS has been working in Environment, WASH and health sectors for many years and currently Co-Chairing the District WASH cluster of Shaheed Benazirabad. SRS has completed a number of successful water and sanitation projects in a wide range of contexts. Sindhica is the pioneers of Pakistans first Biological wastewater treatment system ie Constructed Wetland CW and established first successful unit of CW with the support of WWF Pakistan and UN Habitat water for Asian cities program, South Asia region and promoting this approach country wide. Sindhica is currently implementing UNICEF SAFWCO funded project Up scaling the rural Sanitation through Pakistan Approach of Total Sanitation in most effected and vulnerable UCs ie Bandhi and Aamirji.

Community Led Total Sanitation (Changing lives...for a better tomorrow):

Today, it is widely accepted that Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is one of the most effective and successful approaches to achieving open defecation free communities. The Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is a community-led process empowering and sensitizing communities to adopt safer means of human excreta disposal. The current catastrophe has not only destroyed houses but also damaged the sanitation infrastructure in these areas. The communities including women were forced to defecate in the open, the unsafe disposal may cause another disaster in the area, it is imperative to sensitize them regarding the challenge and provide them platform where they could use their own resources for safe management of human excreta. The poor community segments will be provided the opportunity to have access to low cost latrine material thus helping the cause for achieving open defecation environment and reduce the occurrence of human excreta related diseases in the flood affected areas. When triggered the feeling of disgust, shame, self-respect and fear prompts a self-realization amongst the individuals as well as the entire community of the negative consequences on health, environment and economy such as chronic illness, poor drinking water quality, workdays lost, medical expenses and consequent impact on livelihood. CLTS is triggered through hands-off facilitation and participatory analysis of a communitys sanitation profile, which stimulates the basic desire to avoid contact with human excreta. Self-respect, shame, disgust and fear of contamination drive communities towards an urgent collective local action to get out of the filth. These considerations then drive women, men and children to collectively work to create Open Defecation Free (ODF) communities. One of the major contributions of CLTS has been to illustrate that externally imposed hardware prescriptions do not work. Hardware prescriptions emphasize toilets, rather than safe confinement of excreta, and therefore divert attention from the self-realization process that is essential to achieve collective behavior changes. Further, studies have revealed that subsidy schemes to provide latrines do not lead to the desired outcomes, as these are often inappropriate or create divisions between the have and have-not communities. Moreover, they nurture the mentality of dependency through hand-outs which is contrary to transformative social processes. Today, CLTS is being implemented in many countries across the developing world and at least five countries have adopted CLTS in their respective national sanitation policies. A multitude of global organizations UNICEF, WSP,

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Water Aid, Plan International, IRC, CARE, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have to an extent adopted the CLTS approach and are sporadically funding and supporting national and local NGOs in Asia, Africa and Latin America. However a complete understanding of the social and behavioral processes involved is necessary for effective implementation.

Base, Introduction, Importance and Needs of Global Hand Washing Day:

Assuring communities understand the importance of hygiene in reducing infectious disease is the first step in changing hygiene behaviors for the better. Research has shown participatory processes are effective in encouraging behavior change. Healthy hygiene approaches can improve the living conditions and health of communities. When adapted to local conditions and shared in participatory processes, these approaches build selfesteem and foster / promote a sense of ownership in healthy hygiene practices. Hygiene Promotion (HP) play vital role to reduce open defecation from society and there and different means hygiene promotion sessions. Hygiene promotion is a new way of encouraging practices to prevent diarrheal disease in the home. Hygiene Promotion is a planned approach to preventing diarrheal diseases through the widespread adoption of safe hygiene practices. It begins with, and is built on what local people know, do and want. It provides awareness regarding hygiene education, which has been a standard approach until now. Global Hand Washing Day (GHD), a part of the Hygiene Promotion (HP) is a campaign to motivate and mobilize millions around the world to wash their hands with soap. It takes place on October 15 of each year. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of Hand washing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention. It was made at the annual World Water Week 2008, which was held in Stockholm from August 17 to 23 and initiated the Public Private Partnership for Hand Washing (PPPHW). The Global Hand Washing Day took place for the first time on October 15, 2008, the date appointed by UN General Assembly in accordance with year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. The theme for Global Hand washing Days inaugural year was Focus on School Children. The members pledged to get the maximum number of school children hand washing with soap in more than 70 countries. Hand washing with soap is the single most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI), as automatic behavior performed in homes, schools, and communities worldwide. Pneumonia, a major ARI, is the number one cause of mortality among children under five years old, taking the life of an estimated 1.8 million children per year. Diarrhea and pneumonia together account for almost 3.5 million child deaths annually. According to the research, turning hand washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit was projected to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. Global Hand Washing Day in Pakistan was officially endorsed by the Ministry of Environment of Pakistan, the lead agency for the implementation of the International Year of Sanitation in Pakistan. Local coalition included participants from 25 organizations representing Government, Private Sector, NGOs and the Academics. The Day was celebrated on 15th October, but many activities were launched beforehand. The Local coalition committed to reach more than 1 million children with Hand Washing activities in all four provinces of Pakistan.

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Program Introduction and Background Scenarios:

In this regard, Sindhica Reforms Society (SRS) organized a sensitization improving Global Hand Washing Day to advocate students (the future of the Nation) from Bandhi and Aamirji. To accomplish this activity as an everlasting message activity, the students from various schools of union councils Aamirji and Bandhi were gathered at a common place. About 850 boys (male students) and 345 girls (female students) participated in this program of Global Hand Washing Day held at Govt. (Boys) High School, Bandhi and Govt. (Girls) High School, Bandhi. In addition to the students, there were about 25 male teachers and other staff from Govt. (boys) High School, Bandhi and 20 female teachers and other staff from Govt. (Girls) High School, Bandhi. The participants are the residents of union councils Aamirji and Bandhi. There were the students of different schools but they were altogether like a unit with equal participations in all sections. This was only possible due to the continuous and countless efforts of Sindhica team and support of lane department. The teams from SAFWCO (Muzaffar Ali and Dileep Kumar) and Apex (Hassnain and Salma) also participated in the event of Global Hand Washing Day. The main theme of the program was to give awareness to the students regarding Hand Washing along with the project considerations, which are UP SCALING RURAL SANITATION THROUGH PATS. To accomplish this target different kinds of activities were planned in this program, so as every participant should easily become familiar and aware of the theme. It was also assured that after participating in the event of Global Hand Washing Day, everyone should feel their own responsibilities to adapt and practice the Sanitation, Hygiene and Health (main theme of the program) messages.

Program Events:
To make the program more effective and result orienting, the students from different schools were assured to participate actively and were given different tasks related to the program manifesto. The different events and /or tasks were consisted of Dances, Speeches, Tableaus and other academic and non academic activities. Mr. Asghar Ali (Examination in charge) G (B) High School, Bandhi, started the program by welcoming all the honorable and the students. He was performing his duty as a stage secretary. The program started in a formal way with the recitation of Holy Quran by student Nadeem Ahmed and Praising poetry for Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) was sung by students Abdul Aziz and Sumair Ahmed. Welcome Speech was given by Mr. Ghullam Muhammad Mari, in his speech he warmly welcomed to all the respectable teachers, participants / team members from Apex, SAFWCO and Sindhica Reforms Society, and the other colliques from different schools. He also thanked to Sindhica Reforms Society on the behalf of GHS Bandhi City. The WELCOME DANCE was performed by Abdul Ghaffar Dahiri.

Muhammad Iqbal Jamali (Project Manager, Sindhica Reforms Society)

Project Introduction was given by Project Manager, Sindhica Reforms Society. In his brief words he told the aims and objectives of the project Up Scaling Rural Sanitation through PATS. He also told the history of Global Hand Washing Day, objectives and benefits of the Hand Washing. Furthermore he said that hand washing practice on a routine and on the set time table reduces various diseases up to 40%, hand washing helps you in improving your personal hygiene.

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Samina (Topic: Personal Hygiene)

The participant told that, personal hygiene is taking care of you body; Such as taking showers, brushing your teeth, smelling clean, clipping your nails, in fact it is taking care of yourself. Personal hygiene is the basic concept of cleaning, grooming and caring for our bodies. While it is an important part of our daily lives at home, personal hygiene isnt just about combed shiny hair and brushed teeth; its important for worker health and safety in the workplace. Workers who pay attention to personal hygiene can prevent the spread of germs and disease, reduce their exposures to chemicals and contaminants, and avoid developing skin allergies, skin conditions, and chemical sensitivities.
She further added that, good

and appropriate washing and scrubbing with water and soap helps to remove germs, contaminants, and chemicals. It can also prevent exposure by ingestion and crosscontamination of the surfaces and objects we touch.

Arzoo (Topic: Environmental Hygiene)

She said by emphasizing that environmental hygiene is the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control and remediation of the impact of chemicals released into the environment. We should undertake measures to keep the human environment safe and healthy to live in, including waste disposal, clean water supplies, food safety controls and good housing. For make our environment safe, clean and secure we should make our houses, streets, villages and surroundings clean, as the spreading of diseases, germs and other harm creating activities could be reduced at the possible extent.

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Saba (Topic: Hand Washing)

She informed regarding hand washing and told that hand washing for hand hygiene is the act of cleaning the hands with or without the use of water or another liquid, or with the use of soap, for the purpose of removing soil, dirt, and/or microorganisms. Hand washing with soap is the most effective & inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal & acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries. Hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Good hand washing technique is easy to learn and can significantly reduce the spread of infectious diseases among both children and adults.

Sourath (Water Treatment)

The participant said that, water can have a wide variety of contaminants that make it less healthy. Chemicals can make water acidic, salty or worse. Particles can cloud drinking water and are a sign the water is not pure. In some cases, bacteria or other microorganisms can cause sickness. Testing water for cleanliness can be approached at many levels. She told that water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking water), but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications. In general the methods used include physical processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation, biological processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon, chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light. The purification process of water may reduce the concentration of particulate matter including suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi; and a range of dissolved and particulate material derived from the surfaces that water may have made contact with after falling as rain.

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In the Speech Competition from girls side all the participants were given prizes. Similar topics were presented from Boys section also, with almost similar words but different ways of presentation. The names and topics with positions of participants are as follows:

Sr. No.
01 02 03 04 05

Name
Muhammad Waseem (from GPS Shah Baig Pitafi) Allah Wassayo (from GBHS Bandhi) Abu Sufyan (from GHS Kandiari) Kamal Khan (from GBHS Bandhi) Muhammad Ali (from GBHS Bandhi)

Topic
Personal Hygiene Hand Washing Environmental Hygiene Water Purification Environmental Hygiene

Remarks
Stood Fourth (got Prize) Stood Second (got Prize) Got First Prize Stood Third (got Prize) Stood Fifth (got Prize)

A message DANCE was performed by student Abdul Sattar. Message was that the germs attack in the way as the dance was performed, i.e. covered in the clothes as no one could see him but only dance, likewise no one can see the germs but only their impact. Hand Washing Demonstration was given by Rameen (girl student) and Waseem Khan (boy student). The safeguard message was delivered by Ghous Bux and companions.

Ahsanullah Bughio (Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, Sindhica Reforms Society) On the behalf of Sindhica Reforms Society he welcomed open heartedly and thanked graciously all the honorable and laudable teachers, colleagues, partners, organizers, and other participants. He said that this program has become successful with the help of School management and other staff of every level and admired the efforts taken by the organizing committee. He also said and hoped that if Sindhica Reforms Society (SRS) will be trying level best at its end to give maximum benefits and arrange various kinds of the activities for students and community people.

After Prizes distribution, rally in the form of Transact walk was also arranged to aware people regarding Hand Washing and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. And the last but not the least, Hand Washing practice was practiced step wise by the students and soaps were distributed between the students of both sections (boys and girls).

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Photo Gallery of Global Hand Washing Day:

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