Promotion of Hygiene Education and Practices

Overview

Improved hygiene practices are essential to reducing the spread of disease, promoting school attendance, and creating a safe and dignified learning environment for all students. Despite access to clean water and latrines, many schools in Uganda lack consistent hygiene education and adequate facilities for daily handwashing, menstrual hygiene, and general cleanliness. The Promotion of Hygiene Education and Practices program under the Rotary Safari for WASH Fellowship addresses this gap by integrating hygiene behavior change with infrastructure support in UPE schools.

This component focuses on behavior change communication, practical hygiene education, and continuous engagement with students, teachers, and communities, ensuring that the WASH improvements we support are not only infrastructure-based but also behavior-driven and sustainable.

Program Objective

To equip learners, teachers, and school communities with the knowledge, attitudes, and tools necessary to adopt and sustain proper hygiene behaviors, thereby reducing illness, increasing attendance, and enhancing academic performance.

Key Program Areas & Activities

1. Hygiene Education Integration

• Curriculum Enhancement

  • Support schools to integrate hygiene promotion into their daily learning routines.

  • Develop and distribute age-appropriate hygiene education materials, including posters, flashcards, and visual guides.

• Training for Teachers

  • Provide capacity-building workshops for teachers to effectively deliver hygiene lessons and reinforce positive behaviors.

  • Encourage schools to designate a Hygiene Champion Teacher to lead ongoing hygiene promotion efforts.

• Interactive Sessions for Students

  • Use storytelling, songs, drama, and games to teach hygiene concepts such as:

    • Proper handwashing with soap

    • Menstrual hygiene management

    • Latrine use and cleaning

    • Safe water handling and storage

2. Handwashing with Soap Promotion

• Installation of Handwashing Facilities

  • Provide accessible handwashing stations near all latrines and dining areas.

  • Ensure availability of soap and water at all times.

• Handwashing Demonstrations

  • Conduct hands-on demonstrations showing the critical times for handwashing:

    • After using the toilet

    • Before eating

    • After playing

    • After cleaning or handling waste

• Behavioral Nudges

  • Place colorful signage and cues (e.g., arrows, footprints) around schools to guide and remind students to wash hands.

• “Handwashing Heroes” Campaign

  • Launch school-wide challenges or recognition programs to promote peer-to-peer handwashing advocacy.

3. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)

• Awareness & Education

  • Provide menstrual hygiene education to both girls and boys to reduce stigma and promote understanding.

  • Conduct sessions in partnership with trained health professionals.

• MHM Support Systems

  • Distribute reusable sanitary pads and ensure availability of disposal bins in girls’ latrines.

  • Set up private changing rooms or designated areas for girls to manage their menstruation with dignity.

• Community Engagement

  • Educate parents and caregivers about menstrual hygiene to foster support for adolescent girls at home.

4. Sanitation & Hygiene Clubs (WASH Clubs)

• Formation of Student-Led Clubs

  • Establish WASH Clubs in each school with student leaders responsible for hygiene promotion activities.

  • Encourage peer-to-peer learning, school-wide hygiene campaigns, and creative projects like hygiene murals or skits.

• Regular Hygiene Campaigns

  • Organize themed days such as “Clean Hands Day,” “Toilet Day,” or “Menstrual Health Week.”

• Monitoring & Maintenance

  • WASH Clubs monitor the cleanliness of facilities, track handwashing behavior, and report issues to school management.

Monitoring & Evaluation Indicators

• % of schools with functioning handwashing stations (with water and soap)

• % of students who demonstrate correct handwashing practices

• Number of hygiene education sessions conducted per school term

• % of girls with access to menstrual hygiene materials and support systems

• Reduction in absenteeism related to hygiene-related illnesses

• Number of active WASH Clubs and activities implemented

Expected Outcomes

•  Increased hygiene awareness and behavior change among students and teachers

•  Consistent handwashing practices across all WASH-supported schools

• Improved menstrual hygiene management for adolescent girls, reducing absenteeism

• Greater community engagement and support for hygiene practices at school and home

•  Reduction in hygiene-related diseases such as diarrhea, intestinal worms, and respiratory infections

Sustainability Strategies

• Embed hygiene education in school health policies and routines

• Build the capacity of teachers and health workers to lead hygiene promotion

• Empower students through ongoing WASH Club activities

• Ensure soap procurement is included in school budgets

• Partner with local government health and education departments for long-term support