22000 pieces of Soap donated to Karamoja Schools

Twenty-two thousand (22000) pieces of soap have been donated to schools around the Karamoja sub-region in the ongoing, I wash you wash, Clean Hands For All campaign.

This was under the National Hand-washing initiative being hosted by the Ministry of Water and Environment to promote activities related to hand washing with soap around the country.

During the flag-off, at Quality Supermarket, Naalya, the Chairperson National Handwashing Secretariat and Commissioner, Directorate, Water Development in the Ministry of Water Eng. Joseph Eyatu Eriono hailed the timing of the launch.

“70 percent of communicable diseases can be dealt with for example Cholera, which saves time and money and the timing is ripe, as the rainy season starts when mothers run to their gardens and breastfeed without washing hands.”

“Over the years the national hand washing initiative has continued to deliver on its mandate of capacity building, knowledge management, coordination, and collaboration with different stakeholders on hand washing with soap across the country,” he added.

While delivering the soap, Eriono expressed optimism that more money would be put into the initiative after this year’s budget was reduced.

“The grant is currently 2 billion shillings and has been going on for 10 years in all districts with the aim of promoting hygiene, sanitation, and hand washing. Our target is to increase this target to 5 billion shillings over the short term and we feel this will be achieved so that we save this burden from the Ministry of Health,” Eyatu noted.

According to Senior Environmental Health Officer, Cate Namyalo, the Karamoja sub-region was selected for the launch program because it recorded the lowest rate of hand washing with soap at 7 percent with the intent to stimulate the whole country that the idea that washing hands with soap has benefits.

“We want to promote the habit of hand washing with soap especially in schools because these children are our change ambassadors, ” she said.

In the past two months, the campaign saw them mount support from the quality supermarket, Stanbic Bank, Harris International, and Rotary Club of Naalya to also rally their customers to donate a piece of soap to children in Karamoja.

On his part, the Moroto District Education officer, Paul Oputa hailed the initiative saying that it implied that sourcing for resources can be done from within the country and saving those in need.

He revealed that most districts least are at 50 percent in possession of safe and clean water at schools but still need more because education is a continuous process.

Key partners include UNICEF, Civil society organizations implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene practices; Water for People, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and others.

The hand washing target for the ministry is 50 percent by 2025 and is currently at an average of 36.5 percent.

Present were, the Commissioner of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Herbert Nabaasa, Senior Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Birungi Musa, Stanbic Bank Head of Communications, Kenneth Agutamba, Quality Supermarkets Public Relations Officer, Hellen Mutoni, and others.