Global Handwashing Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of washing with soap and water to prevent disease. Blumont’s Sindh Community Mobilization Program (CMP) team used the day to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands at critical times, like before eating and cooking, and improving overall health and well-being for our beneficiaries.
Blumont teams brought more than 1,100 students, teachers, parents, school management committees, and education and health department officials together for Global Handwashing Day events on October 15. With events in Jacobabad, Kamber Shahdadkot, Karachi, Kashmore, and Larkana, staff organized short presentations and videos on the benefits of handwashing and hygiene practices at school, alongside practical demonstrations, art competitions, and skits.
A CMP staff member conducts a handwashing demonstration for students in Kashmore
Blumont used the events as an opportunity to launch a campaign to improve hygiene facilities in homes and schools. With important actors like mothers and school and government officials attending the celebrations, teams urged simple behavioral changes that can ultimately reduce respiratory and diarrheal illness in children.
“We are thankful to CMP for arranging the event at our school,” Head Teacher Waseem Ahmed, who works at the Government Boys Primary Schools in Gabar Massan, Larkana, said. “It will be beneficial for students to have knowledge of the importance of handwashing and personal hygiene.”
Head Teacher Waseem Ahmed at the Government Boys Primary school in Gabar Massan, Larkana stresses the importance of proper handwashing
One of CMP’s main objectives in Sindh is to improve health, hygiene, and water and sanitation practices for students, parents, and communities. With a strong focus on addressing the root causes of malnutrition, these efforts work to keep kids healthy so they can attend school and continue their education. Raising awareness of good handwashing practices is one of many ways Blumont works toward this goal—the team also links government health facilities to schools, conducts awareness sessions and outreach on nutrition, facilitates regular health checkups, and other activities.
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CMP is a USAID-funded program that supports the Government of Sindh’s education reform and USAID’s Sindh Basic Education Program. CMP improves school resources and encourages community support for educational reform in Sindh province while identifying and addressing primary barriers to access, particularly for female students.
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