Children take the lead in cleaning up #Pakistan #washyourhands

Six-year-old Samiullah from Sawaldher Mardan Union Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is an
expert in handwashing. He knows all 5 steps like the back of this hand:

1) wet your hands thoroughly
2) lather them with soap
3) scrub palms and backs and each finger separately
4) rinse your hands thoroughly
5) dry your hands

Like father like son
His father, Subhanullah, is a practicing homeopathic physician who, along with 450 others, was trained as a community resource person by Plan Pakistan’s local partner, Integrated Rural Support Programme, as part of a handwashing campaign that has drastically cut incidences of the water-borne diseases that once plagued 12 target villages in Sawaldher. While Subhanullah uses his medical expertise to help with raising awareness of the virtues of good personal hygiene, his son relies on his youthful energy.

“Let me tell you all how to wash your hands properly as by washing our hands properly we can make sure all the germs go down the drain,” says Samiullah.

“You need to understand when to wash your hands: after using the toilet, after playing, and before and after eating.”

With such confidence and conviction, Samiullah has persuaded dozens of his peers to change their old ways. The 16,000 inhabitants of the area are being brought the message that handwashing with soap is essential for good health.

Healthy, happy, heroes
With the children of Samiullah’s and other villages well schooled in the fine art of proper handwashing, they no longer suffer from recurrent diarrhoea, vomiting and other ailments – plus they are keen to share the good news with others.

Among them is 9-year-old Zakia, who says she hardly ever used to wash her hands and didn’t even know the simple steps. Now, thanks to a health and hygiene training Subhanullah conducted in her village, she is another young expert who can teach others.

Across Sawaldher Mardan Union Council, more and more brightly-coloured soap dishes and well-used bars of soap decorate household and community tap stands, reminding all of an easy method to stay healthy.