SOS Children’s Villages of India conducts a ‘handwash’ awareness drive in Bawana to enhance awareness on health and hygiene
Bawana : SOS Children’s Villages of India, the largest self-implementing childcare NGO in the country, conducted an awareness drive on handwashing in Bawana, Delhi.
The drive, which twenty children of the ‘Balpanchayat’ helped organize, is part of the NGO’s continued efforts to enhance awareness on health and hygiene. The second wave of the pandemic was tough on the residents of urban slums such as different parts of Bawana, including D Block, JJ Colony and Rajiv Nagar. SOS caregivers, along with their children, found themselves in a very vulnerable situation, with cases rising on a daily basis, especially since the residents live in overcrowded areas, with little knowledge of hand hygiene. In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, co-workers of SOS Children’s Villages of India provided training to the children of the ‘Balpanchayat’ on washing hands the right way, wearing face masks, disposal of used masks and following social distancing norms. The children then took ownership of the campaign and in turn provided training to the caregivers of the Family Strengthening Programme, children, and other members of the community.
Mr. Sumanta Kar, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India, said: “Holistic child development is our focus, more so in the times of the pandemic. A part, thereof, lies in educating vulnerable sections of our society on the importance of handwashing as a key prevention measure against COVID-19, and to also support basic health and hygiene. Hand hygiene is an effective measure that one can help keep diseases at bay. The enthusiasm of the children is very encouraging, as they served as Ambassadors of Change efficiently, securing awareness and subsequently reducing the chances of contracting diseases.”
The children of the ‘Balpanchayat’ downloaded photos and short videos on correct handwashing techniques and circulated these among the community through the medium of Whatsapp. Children also worked on the creation of banners related to handwashing, which they used in a small rally organised within the cluster, all the while maintaining the rules of social distancing.