In commemoration of Global Handwashing Day, Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), through its Zoomkids Club programme, has begun an operation to intensify proper way of handwashing among school children in basic schools across the country.
The goal of this activity is to increase the awareness of handwashing with soap and water in basic schools as an effective way to prevent diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia and help save lives.
The exercise, which will be carried out in all the 526 Zoomkids Club basic school members, started on Monday in some beneficiary schools in Adenta, Ashaley Botwe and Madina in Accra.
Since 2008, Global Handwashing Day has been marked yearly on October 15 to promote handwashing with soap and water as an affordable way to prevent disease.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Our Future is at Hand Let Us Move Together,” and the slogan; “Seconds Save Life.”
Speaking to journalists, the acting Managing Director of Zoomlion, Mr Ernest Kusi, said the operation will involve a demonstration to the school children on the proper way of washing of hands.
He said the demonstration will be done in a form of drama, educating the children on the significance of handwashing and also donating training materials to them.
He explained that the essence was to prevent the children from catching diarrhoea and other infectious diseases
“And we also know the connection related to COVID. That when you wash your hands well and put on your nose mask, you will be protected from catching the virus and other diseases,” he pointed out.
According to Mr Kusi, Zoomlion will be sponsoring the handwashing activities in all the Zoomkids Club member schools.
He said this formed part of Zoomlion’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“And as part of our CSR, Zoomlion has, over the years, been giving back to society through the Zoomkids Club project,” he stated.
The Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (WASH) who is also the Technical Coordinator of World Vision Ghana, Attah Arhin, explained that the purpose of the day was to promote the culture of handwashing with soap in all societies, create awareness on the state of handwashing in each country and inform people about the importance of handwashing.
He also used the chance to appeal to government to set up other facilities in public places to help in the regular washing of hands.
At the Nii Sowa Din Memorial Cluster of Schools in Adjirigarno, a demonstration was done on the proper way of washing of hands.
It involved the use of soap to wash hands under a running water.
For her part, the School Health Coordinator, Adentan Municipal Education Directorate, Patience Akudugu, praised Zoomlion for helping to educate school children on proper hygienic practices.
“We have 36 schools in the municipal, and today was at Sowa Din Memorial Cluster of Schools. We will extend it to other schools within the municipality,” she said
