By Kondwani Kandiado
An international charity organisation, Self Helf Africa, has stepped up efforts to promoting sanitation and hygiene in some primary schools in Dowa through an initiative dubbed ‘Shasha.’
Dowa Integrated Water Sanitation and hygiene project manager for Self Help Africa, Joel Ndeule, said the initiative encompasses sustainable, accountable and gender responsive sanitation hygiene and menstrual services for health learning environment for adolescent boys and girls.
Speaking on Friday during prize presentation at Chilima Primary school in the area of Traditional Authority Mponela-Dowa, which emerged the winner in the promotion of sanitation and hygiene practices, Ndeule said sanitation and hygiene are crucial in promoting learners’ and communities’ well-being.
“We think the initiative is a powerful tool where we are engaging the learners from various schools to build a foundation where people can internalize sanitation and hygiene.
As you know, sanitation and hygiene is largely a behaviour issue so we want to make sure we plant that seed in the young people and when aware, they would be able to translate the same in their households” said Ndeule.
Ndeule said he was impressed that communities were responding well to sanitation issues with the support the organisation was giving them unlike in the past.
In her remarks, acting chief education officer for Dowa, Dorothy Mzungu said the initiative has helped promote sanitation and hygiene in most schools in the district.
“Education is not only about learning in class. It starts with hygiene. Our learners need to prepare thoroughly when coming to attend classes,” she said.
Ten schools from various education zones in the district participated in the competition and the winning school went away with hand washing buckets filled with taps, Soap for hand washing, football and netball jersey, balls, exercise books and writing materials all valued at over K15 million.
Pic: Ndeule (4th left) handing over some sanitary materials to education officials.
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