This story is about a handwashing station, which has changed a school’s hygiene practice and culture. The handwashing station was placed in Nidania Government Primary School under Jaliapalong Union of Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar. The school was established in 1934 and it’s a well reputed primary school in the whole of Ukhia. But according to teachers, before 2020, the hygiene culture of this school was not so satisfactory at all. The students couldn’t properly wash their hands, even after using toilets, as there was no handwashing station in Nidania School. As a result, students used to get infected by diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, etc. Therefore many students failed to attend classes regularly.
In July 2020, HYSAWA installed a handwashing station in the premises of Nidania Government Primary School. Mr. Helal Uddin, Assistant teacher of the school said, after the installation of the Handwashing station by HYSAWA, the hygiene culture of the school changed overnight. Both students and teachers use this station frequently to wash their hands. HYSAWAs School Hygiene Sessions also have a great role to change the hygiene culture of this school. He added that “Our students wash their hands frequently and properly. They also maintain the proper hygiene rules. Which is why, till now, not a single student of us got infected by Covid-19.”
Nafiza Haq Sayma, a class-4 student of Nidania School said, “HYSAWA team has taken many sessions in our classrooms about hygiene-related issues. They have taught us how to wash hands properly. They also taught us how to survive in this pandemic situation by maintaining hygiene and wearing masks. We have already learned many important lessons from HYSAWAs hygiene sessions and we share the tricks with our friends and family.”
According to Mrs. Sayma Mustarin Tamanna, Assistant teacher of the school, HYSAWA helped them to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 in their school. She said that “They provide us a nice handwashing station along with hand rubs and masks to help the students and teachers in this pandemic situation. They have taken many hygiene promotion sessions with awareness-raising pictures and booklets to create awareness among students. I personally want to thank HYSAWA and their donors for their great initiative.”
According to the Headmaster of Nidania School, Mr. Sayed Kashem, The students of his school are now more aware of hygiene issues, as the HYSAWA team took regular hygiene sessions and installed a tidy handwashing station.
Thus, a handwashing station can change the hygiene culture of a whole school just like Nidania Government Primary School. Students of Nidania Government Primary School look more healthy and happier now.
Case study collected by Mostafa Mohammad Tahan, Media & Communication Officer, HYSAWA, March 2022.