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Friday, March 29, 2024

Cebu students at forefront of handwashing campaign

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BANTAYAN—Almost 300 pupils from selected schools across the Bantayan municipality in northern Cebu participated in this year’s Global Handwashing Day campaign spearheaded by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene advocates from Islamic Relief Worldwide.

With the theme “Raise a Hand for Hygiene,” the team organized an interactive activity where students were taught about the need for proper handwashing. With a short video presentation and a little bit of dancing, the children also learned the critical times to wash their hands which includes before and after meals, after using the toilet and after playing.

Students from Atop Atop Elementary School raise their hands during the Global Handwashing Day. 

Philippines Approach to Total Sanitation promoter Marvi Maglipong emphasized the need for children to be front and center in such campaigns. “Children are very active. It is important that they are reminded not just proper handwashing, but also the critical times when they need to wash their hands,” she said. “We hope that these children will become WASH advocates themselves in schools, at home, and in their own respective communities,” she added.

Eighty percent of communicable diseases are transferred by touch alone. Unicef reports diarrhea as the second most cause of deaths among children below five across the globe. The chances of contracting such diseases are significantly reduced by about 50 percent when you wash your hands properly.

“I’m really happy that the campaign was done here in Atop-Atop Elementary School. The best thing about this is that they will go home and practice proper handwashing and also teach their family about it,” said Jessica Quizon, teacher in charge of the school.

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IRW, in partnership with Unicef, is implementing WASH program in 15 barangays in northern Cebu which includes WASH in schools or WINS, where campaigns for proper hygiene and sanitation practices in schools are also being conducted.

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