Global Hand Washing Day, founded by the Global Private-Public Partnership for Handwashing, is celebrated each year on October 15 in order to bring greater awareness to the importance of hand-washing with soap in germ and disease prevention. This year, Kariobangi North Girls Secondary School High school students in the Global Peace Foundation’s Leap Hubs program led interactive sessions with PCEA Kandengwa Primary School children, teaching them how to make less expensive liquid soap, and led demonstrations on effective hand washing techniques and tree planting exercises.

Leap Hubs’ students teach primary school students how to make liquid soap

Leap Hubs is a program of Global Peace Education (GPE), a division of Global Peace Foundation (GPF), that gives secondary school students the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills.

During the event, Leap Hubs’ students gave a detailed interactive tutorial on how to make liquid soap using industrial salt, citric sodium, ungerol, ufacid, and water. This activity gave students the necessary skills to promote economic and health-based sustainability in their schools.

In addition to hygiene education, students were given the opportunity to plant trees

Later in the day, students learned about the cleaning property of trees as their roots filter the ground water and their vital importance to the environment. With support of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, 240 seedlings (120 Grevillea, 120 Eucalyptus) were planted around the Kandengwa Primary School perimeters, including its farm.

After several productive and educational sessions, students reiterated prevention techniques that ensure the elimination of germ transmission, which are known to cause diarrhea among other sanitary diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diarrheal diseases attribute to 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide. Furthermore, diarrhea is the “second leading cause of death among children under the age of five.” And in Kenya, it’s among the top ten causes of death.

Lilian Mwende teaches participants important hand-washing techniques.

Special guest Ms. Lilian Mwende, who has undergone the Water Health and Sanitation training sponsored by World Vision, informed participants on important hand-washing techniques through step-by-step instructions:

Students practice handwashing techniques.

Step 1: Wet hands and apply soap. Rub against each other until soap concentrates with water and hand.

Step 2: Rub each palm over the back of the other hand.

Step 3: Rub between your fingers with both hands

Step 4: Rub your right hand’s fingertips against the palm of your left hand. Repeat the same procedure with your left hand.

Step 5: Rub around each of your thumbs

Step 6: Rub in circles on your palms. Then rinse and dry your hands

Through this interactive event, the Global Peace Foundation’s Development and Education divisions helped give primary students the skills to prevent the spread of sanitary diseases.