“The power is in your hands” is the message sent to children and youths by the YCFB as part of initiative to encourage more washing of hands in schools and communities within Gambia. Across the world, Global Hand Washing Day is celebrated on the 15th October, but that conflicted with the Tobaski feast, so this years it was commemorated in November in Gambia instead.
Washing your hands thoroughly and regularly helps prevent the spread of illness, infection and disease. While this is well-observed in many areas of the world, those in specific target areas of Gambia have had little education in the field of hygiene, which leaves them vulnerable to bacterial infection that could be all too easily prevented.
Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most inexpensive ways to lead a healthy life and prevent illnesses which can spread so easily. This is particularly important in homes where sickness can lead to days off work and school, which can have terrible repercussions for both income and education.
The YCFB – Youth Children Foundation Bakoteh – commemorated Global Hand Washing Day in the Kanifing Municipality for an entire week. The community oriented organisation conducted awareness events at five of the area’s schools in order to highlight the importance of this relatively simple task.
The schools who benefited from the Global Hand Washing Day event included Child Concern International School, Janet International Nursery School, Janet International Primary School, Little Acorns Nursery School and Bakoteh Proper Lower Basic School.
Each of the school visits included health hygiene talks and hand washing demonstrations.
When to wash your hands
To prevent the spread of illness and bacterial infection hand washing should be observed as part of a basic hygiene routine. However, it is documented that many people do not observe this practice as part of their daily lives. Through the “power is in your hand” program, hundreds of volunteers came together to educate and inspire even the very young to engage in this basic form of hygiene.
The message included information about when to wash your hands, including:
- After using the toilet
- Before eating
- After eating
In addition to the demonstrations and school visits, the YCFB donated a great number of books to the schools who took part in the event.
Who should wash their hands?
The YCFB insists that everybody should wash their hands at the specific points throughout the day detailed above. However, they are particularly concerned with the encouragement of these hygienic practices amongst Gambian children and women who are of a reproductive age.
Everyone who took part in the event received advice that they can pass on to other members of the community, including friends and family members to ensure the message is learned by everyone. It is imperative that the youth of the country learn these vital lessons early, so they can grow into health conscious adults and elders as they mature.
Other healthy practices in the Gambia
Good health and hygiene practices in the Gambia are vital to securing the well being of the nation as a whole, which is why lessons such as hand washing, healthy eating and drug and alcohol education are imperative for the country’s youths. Even something as simple as washing your hands can prevent disease from taking hold; something that is particularly poignant in regions where medicine is difficult to obtain or too expensive. Hand washing should be practised side by side other body-focused practises to ensure a positive and healthy lifestyle from childhood to adulthood. Other habits that are best formed early are a good diet, which can help to instigate a healthy relationship with food, which will last a lifetime. Drug and alcohol education are also vital in terms of maintaining health within the community. Drug addiction, while certainly damaging to an individual’s health, can also cause difficulties on a wider level. For example, it can cause extreme lows which lead to problems at work and in the home – extremely damaging especially where the adult has dependants.
The “power is in your hand” project aims to support the government’s targets in ensuring the welfare of Gambian youth and children. The YCFB is a charitable organisation, who funded the event through membership contributions alone.
Projects such as these are vital to the education of the youth of Gambia, ensuring the community is healthy and strong.