Global Communities Ghana Celebrates Global Handwashing Day 2019

Earlier today, two of the USAID WASH for Health project’s Behaviour Change Communication experts (Edward Thompson and Martha Tia-Adjei) were engaged on TV3 and 3Fm’s morning shows (both under Media General, a leading Ghanaian private media house) to educate Ghanaians on the importance of handwashing, as today marks the Global Handwashing Day. Global Communities, in partnership with Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, in marking the day, donated 35 handwashing facilities to Zenu Cluster of Schools in the Kpone Katamanso District of the Greater Accra Region.

Mr. Edward Thompson who was interviewed on TV3’s Newday Morning Show touched on the essence of handwashing in preventing diseases; the critical times of handwashing being before coming into contact with food, after coming into contact with faeces (either after using the washroom or changing babies’ diapers) and changing sanitary pads; and linked handwashing to the project’s achievements in improving household sanitation, Nutrition in WASH (NuWASH) and Menstrual Hygiene Management.

Martha Tia-Adjei, aside from educating the public via 3FM’s Sunrise show, engaged some market women of the Mallam-Atta Market near Accra New Town and demonstrated the process of handwashing. Opportunity was given to a couple of market women to replicate her demonstration. The show was crowned with a donation of the handwashing facility, used for the demonstration, to the market, which was received by one of the market queens.
The donation of the 35 handwashing facilities to the Zenu Cluster of Schools made up of 13 schools was made possible through the budding partnership with Zenith Bank Ghana Limited. Over 500 Learners, teachers, volunteers and staff from the District Education Directorate were present during the short ceremony. The Learners recited poetry and sang songs promoting the practice of proper handwashing with soap and clean water. Representatives of Zenith Bank handed over the handwashing facilities and some cakes of soap to the schools.

Remember that:
The best way to clean your hands is with soap under running water
Make sure you wet your hands with running water before applying soap
Ensure it lathers well and foams
Rub your lathered palms together, between your fingers and fingernails, back of your hands, around your thumbs, around your wrists, rinse hands under running water and air dry your hands.