Kakata, Margibi County – A program in observance of the 9th anniversary of Global Hand Washing Day has taken place in Kakata, Margibi County with calls for Liberians across the country to add regular hands washing to their ways of life if they are to remain safe from water-borne related diseases.
The Global Hand Washing Day celebration was interspersed with a parade by students through the principal streets of Kakata and an indoor event where students preformed dramas and songs depicting messages on the importance of regular hands washing.
The Global Hand Washing Day celebration held under the theme: “Our Hand Our Future” was organized by the faith-based organization, Living Water International (LWI) under the auspices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) WASH in School Project.
Mr. Joshua Robinson, Margibi County Assistant Superintendent for Development Serving as the keynote speaker at Global Hand Washing Day celebration on Monday, October 16, 2017, said the day which was first commemorated in 2018 was basically set aside by the world in order to create awareness globally on the importance and benefit of hands washing.
He intimated that this idea was triggered because people across the world don’t see the necessity of regularly washing their hands after every interaction with others.
The Margibi County Assistant Superintendent for Development reminded the audience at the Global Hand Washing Day celebration graced predominately by students that the human hands on a daily basis carry germs and other diseases due to interactions with others through handshakes and attendance to the toilet.
He recommended that as people on a daily basis engage in handshakes and going to the toilet or restroom to always remember to wash their hands regularly to avoid contracting germs and diseases which are recipes for water-borne related sicknesses.
He warned that water-borne diseases are life threatening adding that they are acquired through people’s refusal to regularly wash their hands and they are not a result of witchcraft.
For his part, Living Water International (LWI)-Liberia Country Director, Austin Nyaplue disclosed that the Global Hand Washing Day celebration in Kakata is in furtherance of activities forming part of his organization implementation of UNICEF-WASH in School project currently working with about 25 schools in Kakata District in Margibi County.
Mr. Nyaplue asserted that as it is necessary to integrate hygiene and sanitation promotion with other programs, against such background, the LWI is currently involved with the establishment of School Health Clubs and construction of sanitation and hygiene facilities on the campuses of the 25 partners’ schools in Margibi County.
The Living Water International (LWI)-Liberia Country Director revealed that his organization is facing serious challenge in the implementation of the UNICEF-WASH in School project as students of these schools are not staying in schools for the required time on a daily basis, thus making it difficult for his team to adequately train the students on the WASH and sanitation promotion in their respective schools.
He at the same time recommended the need for the students and schools authorities to take the responsibility of maintaining the constructed sanitation and hygiene facilities on their campuses if the WASH and sanitation promotion in their schools are to be sustainable.
Report by Yawah Jaivey, FPA Contributor