By Shadrack Nyakoe
Dettol, a leading disinfection and hygiene solutions provider, has launched a handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi’s slums. This timely endeavor coincides with the global observance of Global Handwashing Day, with the theme: “Clean hands are within reach”.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), two out of every five schools worldwide lack essential handwashing facilities, thus exposing students to a multitude of diseases. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unclean hands are the main mode of illness transmission in approximately 80 percent of cases, and bringing it home, the 2023 Kenya Economic Survey shows that in 2022, healthcare facilities reported four million cases of diarrheal diseases, with the majority of these cases affecting children.
Under the banner of “Dettol Global Handwashing Campaign,” this month-long campaign will extend crucial support to five schools located in Nairobi’s Kibra and Mathare slums. The initiative entails the provision of essential water tanks and state-of-the-art handwashing stations along with essential hygiene education within these schools ensuring that clean hands are truly within reach for these deserving children”.
“This campaign underscores Dettol’s unwavering commitment to promoting hand hygiene education throughout the country. Our dedication extends to driving access to quality hygiene products designed to protect against illnesses causing germs, all with the ultimate goal of helping Kenyans maintain personal hygiene and create a safe and healthy environment for all,” said Asif Hashimi, Country Manager, Reckitt Kenya.
To maximize the impact and ensure the success of this campaign, Dettol has partnered with Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), a local advocacy organization that serves the needs of over 350,000 urban slum residents across ten different slum communities in three major cities in Kenya.
