Project #6 - Hygiene & Handwashing

​    Hygiene training was a two pronged approach, first we taught the kids then we taught the moms. For the kids we taught them how to wash their hands, and we came up with a song "Estoy Limpio, cuando uso, el agua y el jabon, jabon, jabon, jabon." The children quickly learned the song and they loved to sing it. At the end of our summer program activities we always provided refreshments. Before the children could get the refreshments, they had to sing the song and go through the hand washing stations that were in place. For the mothers the training was a little more serious. We followed a system developed by BYU Provo and successfully implemented in South Africa. Our first meeting began by doing a quick survey. Each woman received a small white card as they walked in the room. Then they were asked if anyone in their families was sick and had diarrhea. Then they were instructed if anyone in their household has been sick over the last two weeks to put their card on the chalkboard. Almost everyone rose and placed their card on the board. The scope of the problem was quite visible.  Then they were taught that many of those illnesses could be prevented by good hygiene especially washing hands. A three card sort activity was used to asses their understanding of what was hygienic and what wasn't. Then again using pictures they were showed when they should wash their hands. By chance there were about 12 children in attendance with their moms. They were invited up to the front where they sang their hand washing song to their moms. After the meeting simple hygiene kits were handed out to the members of the community.

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