CLEAN HANDS, BETTER HEALTH

Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project Mobilizes Communities, for Clean Drinking Water and Better Hygiene in Pakistan

TURBUT, BALUCHISTAN: On a Tuesday morning, the blazing sun is rising high when Fahmida lifts her jerry can and sets towards the nearby filtration plant to fetch some water. Fahmida Qadir, a volunteer for the project, used to spend most of her time at home caring for one of her five children because they so often used to be sick with diarrhea or some other ailment. Although she receives water directly to her home from the tube well, she transports her drinking water from the filtration plant in Singhanisar because it is clean. “Now my children rarely fall ill, allowing me enough time for my volunteer work and to sew clothes for my family and other women.”

It takes Fahmida a while till she can reach to the filtration plant in Singhanisar.” The idea of getting clean drinking water for my family relieves the stress that occurs while fetching it back home.”

”The USAID funded Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project is helping Pakistan to achieve a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to significantly reduce the incidence of diarrhea through clean drinking water and hand washing with soap.

Under the Umbrella of Public Private Partnership component of the Project, Unilever provided approximately 35,000 bars of free soap in schools and communities the Project is running, on Global Hand washing Day to promote the importance of clean hygiene..

When asked whether she can afford soap, Fahmida said, “Just like clean water is a necessity of life, similarly, I believe soap is also essential in our lives. We used to practice hand washing, but my children were not that familiar until we attended the community hygiene session,” organized by the USAID funded Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project’s partner NGO. Now if even one of us doesn’t wash hands before taking our meals, we feel like something is missing. Just like we remember God before taking our food, we remember washing hands, too.”

Clean drinking water is essential for a healthy population, a productive workforce and sustainable economic development, which in turn promotes security for the region.

“Like we remember God before taking our food, we remember washing hands, too.” Fahmida helping her daughter wash hands with soap. (Below)- Fahmida’s children washing hands.