#ItStartsWithMe Secondary School Health and Hygiene Clubs

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We’ve just launched #ItStartsWithMe Health and Hygiene Clubs for the 2017-2018 school year.

One of our #ItStartsWithMe Health and Hygiene Clubs

What are the Health and Hygiene Clubs about?

Since 2016, DRASA’s been working with schools in Lagos state to conduct a handwashing and hygiene program and distribute health and hygiene products to students and staff.

Now we’re taking it to the next level.

We’ve set up Health and Hygiene Clubs in 4 schools so far. The members of the clubs represent each class in the school and are peer influencers who we call DRASA Ambassadors.

DRASA Ambassadors posing

We’re helping these Ambassadors use interactive and engaging activities to demonstrate to their peers the impact of bad hygiene on personal and community health.

For example, one of our first activities has been to develop and perform skits related to hygiene and sanitation issues. Ambassadors at one school developed a skit showing how buying food or drinks from street vendors after school can be dangerous because food that is not washed or cooked properly can carry foodborne diseases. Ambassadors at another school developed a skit about a sick student who self-medicates and doesn’t get better to show the importance of getting tested before taking drugs.

Doctor to the rescue!

Why focus on health and hygiene?

Schools are a major source of exposure to infectious disease due to close personal contact and school-aged children (between 5 to 19 years) are at highest risk of infection. Our goal is to ensure healthy practices such as handwashing with soap become habits and social norms to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and keep students, staff, and our larger society healthy and safe.

Stay tuned for more from these DRASA Ambassadors. They’re so creative we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!