Hygiene education making a difference

The case studies below illustrate how effective our approach to hygiene education has been and the difference it has made to the communities we work in.

Child's play

Shobu Tara, 11, from Kallyanpur Pura Bastee slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Credit: WaterAid / Abir Abdullah

Eleven-year-old Shobu Tara comes from Kallyanpur Pura Bastee slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Through WaterAid she has been learning about good hygiene practices.

"My name is Shobu which means Star and I come here to learn about good hygiene. I will be less ill if I learn well. I have already changed some of my behaviour by wearing slippers to the latrine to protect me from getting worms in my feet.

"I didn't even know about washing my hands before, but now I do. I tell my family and neighbours about hand washing and keeping things clean. If I see anyone using a bad hygiene practice I tell them.

"The group I am with gets together and then goes and tells adults about good hygiene. We are braver in a group and feel like we can tell adults what to do with more confidence."

Changing attitudes in Ethiopia

Sister Marta Asefa works as a hygiene educator in rural villages in central Ethiopia. "Before I joined WaterAid I was a nurse," she explains. "Most of the patients I saw were suffering from water related diseases.

Sister Marta Asefa works as a hygiene educator in rural villages in central Ethiopia.

Credit: WaterAid / Jenny Matthews

"Now I teach people so that they can control their own health and not have any diseases. When I go into a village I tell people about health and sanitation - how to stay healthy, the importance of clean water and latrines, how to look after their children and how to clean the compounds.

"I ask them about the diseases in their village and from that I know what their needs are. For example if children have diarrhoea they often don't know that it comes from the water. If children have scabies I explain to their mothers that they should wash their children and clothes regularly to avoid this skin disease."

Zeytu, from Hora Boka, is one of the people who Sister Marta has worked with. She explains the differences that hygiene education has brought to her community.

"We have many cultural beliefs and previously we thought that it was evil spirits that made our babies sick. But now we have been taught it is not that which makes our children ill, it is the lack of clean water and the absence of cleanliness - now we know why our children have problems.

"The biggest problems are internal parasites, diarrhoea and scabies. We learn how to care for our children, about latrines and hygiene education."

A fresh start

Women from Ghana in health education session.

Credit: WaterAid / Caroline Penn

Shivamma is a traditional birth attendant who lives in the Mahabubnagar District of Andhra Pradesh, India. "I have worked as a birth attendant for the last 40 years, and was trained by WaterAid's partner REEDS five years ago", she says.

"Before the training I used to cut babies' umbilical cords with stones, but now I know this was why so many babies died when they were young.

"There are three birth attendants in my village. I was the only one to get trained, but I have discussed what I learnt with the others. Before the training a lot more babies died but since the training it is very rare for babies to die.

"After the training I was given a birthing kit with items such as scales, gloves and a birthing mat, and a certificate. Now I motivate pregnant women to implement good personal  hygiene. We clean and whitewash the house a month before delivery and keep the floor clean.

"I now cut my nails beforehand and use a birthing mat, gloves, thread and sterilised equipment when helping deliver a baby. I also counsel pregnant women - I give them strong moral support, especially two to three days before delivery.

"Now there are a lot of privileges from the Government; there is a 300 rupee incentive to go into hospital to have a baby. I try to persuade women to go to hospital to have their babies, but a lot don't as they don't think the facilities are good enough."