Through the Diocese of Nyahururu WASH program, funded by Cross Catholic Outreach, a student-led sanitation and hygiene promotion was conducted at Gituamba Senior School. The activity equipped learners with best practices in sanitation and hygiene at the institutional, community and household levels.
This initiative enhanced peer-to-peer learning among students while positioning them as active agents of change in community development. It also helped upscale the CLTS process using the PHAST participatory approach. The expected outcomes include increased adoption of positive behavior change, reduced outbreaks of sanitation-related diseases, enhanced productivity, improved health outcomes, higher school enrolment and class attendance and stronger community resilience.
The key lessons covered were: introduction to germs, disease transmission pathways, blocking disease transmission routes through proper handwashing, safe disposal of faeces, elimination of open defecation, proper waste disposal, personal hygiene, safe food hygiene, oral hygiene, safe handling of household water and construction of handwashing facilities. The sessions were delivered using open discussions, practical demonstrations, posters, presentations and facilitated group discussions.
Creating healthier communities starts with changing everyday behaviors.