October 15, 2015 – Kiambu, Kenya: The Global Peace Development Division of Global Peace Foundation, invited Leap Hubs students from the Education Division to demonstrate to pupils and teachers at PCEA Kandengwa Primary School in Kiambu County how to make economical liquid soap as a best practice in commemoration of the 2015 Global Hand Washing Day to promote hygienic practices in the school. The school which opted to invite class 6 pupils from their neighboring school, Fair Lawn Primary School to also learn from the day’s event, participated in various activities which included: demonstration on best hand washing techniques, tree planting exercise and a training on making soap.
This served as an opportunity for the primary school pupils to interact with their counterparts in high school for mentorship and inspiration. The excitement of the pupils could be seen through their faces as they looked the high school students with adoration.
The event was also graced by Ms. Lilian Mwende who resides the school’s neighborhood and has undergone World Vision’s training on Water Health and Sanitation. She volunteered on the importance of practicing appropriate and regular hand washing technics with the pupils in an interactive session that demonstrated the following steps as a best practice for keeping hygiene.
Step 1: Wet hands and apply soap. Rub against each other until soap concentrates with water and hand.
Step 2: Rub each palm over the back of the other hand.
Step 3: Rub between your fingers with both hand
Step 4: Rub your right hand’s finger tips against the palm of your left hand. Repeat the same procedure with your left hand.
Step 5: Rub around each of your thumbs
Step 6: Rub in circles on your palms. Then rinse and dry your hands
Unanimously, the pupils agreed that to avoid the spread of germs that cause diseases like diarrhea and others it is important that they always wash their hand before and after every meal, after visiting the toilet, after washing classes, after handling a pet or other domestic animals, after handling a sick person and before holding a baby.
The tree planting exercise that followed was supported by Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Muguga Regional Research Centre) who provided 240 seedlings (120 Grevillea and 120 Eucalyptus.) The seedlings were planted around the school compound and farm using chicken droppings from the green house project as a reminder to the pupils to always uphold best hygienic practices.
The climax of the day was however reached when the leap hubs students from Kariobangi North Girls Secondary School demonstrated to STD 6 pupils from both schools how to economically make liquid soap using industrial salt, citric sodium, ungerol, ufacid, and water through an interactive step by step session. This was mainly to impart them with skills that will not only sustain-ably promote hygienic practices in their respective schools but also enable the schools to save the money that they have been using to buy soap for other needs e.g. purchase of books.
Typically, the Leap Hub students use ingredients worth KES 100 to make a 5 liter bottle of soap which they sell at KES 250. PCEA Kandengwa Primary School uses an average of 15 litters of soap every month for cleaning which they buy at KES300 per 5 liters. In the long run, if the school adapts to this idea of making soap, they save up to KES 450 every month.
In line with the 2015 Global Hand washing day theme, at the end of the day we all raised our hands as a pledge to champion hygiene education in our schools and communities.