Awareness programme on washroom hygiene organised
School washroom and hygiene is an issue the cleaning industry is constantly experimenting with various solutions. It is not that children are not aware of washroom hygiene and basic cleanliness; in fact the children of Bombay Cambridge School, Andheri (East), promptly listed out the hygiene practices in day to day life at an Awareness programme on Washroom Hygiene organised by CIJ on November 19, the World Toilet Day.
Hydros Jassem, Business Manager Middle East, South Asia and Africa of Technical Concepts, and Vinay Ruparel, Director, Jade Consumer Products (I) Pvt. Ltd & Best Practice Washrooms Pvt. Ltd, conducted an interactive session for 320 students of Grade III and IV. Children were shown a short film on how germs spread even if one person does not wash hands especially after using the toilet. Says Vandana Krishnan, a Grade IV student, “we learnt that 70% germs spread through a hand shake or by just touching another without washing hands after using the toilet. There are four kinds of germs bacteria, virus, fungi and protozoa that cause diseases.”
Reacting on the hand washing clipping, young Deeksha, a Grade III student, said, “the best clipping was on hand washing, as if we don’t wash our hands with soap inside, outside, between the fingers and nails, we will fall sick.” “But there are no soaps in the school,” said a Grade IV student during the interactive session. Spontaneously, Jade and Technical Concepts sponsored hygiene solutions to the four washrooms in the school.
Hydros, introduced the 20-second hand washing system with a jingle “Wash, Wash, Wash my hands; Make it nice and clean; Rub the bottom and the top; And fingers in between” based on the “row, row, row a boat… tune’. Teachers too joined the singing “as this is a very interesting way of learning hand washing”, said Grade III teacher Gloria. “When an external organisation comes to the school and conducts such fun filled and interactive session, it has more impact on the children,” said headmistress of primary section Sushma Sawant.
“Students today are aware of personal hygiene, on keeping their surrounding clean and are learning hygiene right from kindergarten. Some learn fast while some take time. But these are value systems which the children get to learn better early in life through such sessions,” said Principal Savita.
