SAVE THE CHILDREN CELEBRATES THE GLOBAL HAND WASHING DAY IN TAJIKISTAN

In October 17^th, 2014, Save the Children organized an event devoted to World Hand Washing Day in school #2, Kurghonteppa, Saraband district, South Tajikistan. Over 270 schoolchildren, teachers, parents, regional and district education departments, international NGOs, government and media representatives from the Sarband, Jilikul, Jomi, Khuroson, Vakhsh districts participated in the event.

Schoolchildren from different districts presented a joint exhibition based on the key message: “Clean Hands – Save lives”. Role plays, representation of hand washing steps, reading poems, singing songs, quiz, drawing pictures, dancing, puppet show, riddles, distribution of handmade calendars and leaflets with health messages – all these activities were presented by schoolchildren. In a friendly and joyful atmosphere, the event gave spaces to performace from Tajik, Uzbek, Turkem and Russian tradition, as a share of knowledge among school-children that do not have otherwise the chance to talk to each.

Government representatives were involved by children high-level participation and demonstration of hand washing steps, quiz and dance. Save the Children Deputy Country Director, Faroghat Mirzoeva, and Sarband and Jomi government representatives thanked children and gifted them with hygienic kits . “Children can teach not only each other, but also adults” said Ms. Nematova Khosiyat, Deputy Head of Jomi district, congratulating all participants in the Global Hand Washing.

Celebrating the hand-washing day gave an opportunity to all the schools involved in School Health and Nutrition Project to show their hygiene-related activities to local authorities and school children from other districts and to demostrate the easiest way of being healthy and prevent diseases: washing hands with soap and water!

Since 2006, as an essential element of quality education, Save the Children addresses the critical health and nutrition factors that keep children out of school and reduce their ability to learn effectively when in school.  School Health and Nutrition project, funded by Wrigley Company Foundation, improves health and education status of school children in rural areas of Khatlon and Rasht, raising awareness on the importance of clean water and good hygiene practices and supporting communities on improving hygiene & sanitation infrastructure in schools.