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Padare participates in the Global Hand Washing Day
Padare/Enkundleni/Men's Forum on Gender
October 16, 2009

It was a hive of activity yesterday when Padare/Enkundleni Men's Forum on Gender conducted hand washing demonstrations in schools in commemoration of the second Global Hand washing day. Padare/Enkundleni Men's Forum was at Zengeza 2 High School with over 312 pupils and at Manyame Park High School, with 220 students witnessing the demonstrations.

Targeting schools meant that these pupils will share with their parents and family members on the importance of always washing hands to avoid contracting diseases s they are effective agents of change in communities.

With the support of ActionAid, buckets and soaps were donated to school, with others being given out to students through competitions and games.

Global hand washing started in October 2008 but Zimbabwe did not participate. The idea stems from the fact that statistics have shown that poor hand washing is responsible for 88% of all the infectious conditions thus promoting hand washing will lower the risks of infection. Among the common diseases are diarrhea, pneumonia, cholera and neonatal infections.

This is a relevant programme in the wake of cholera and other incidental diseases that have rocked Zimbabwe for so many years. Last year Zimbabwe went through an unprecedented period of agony when many people perished because of the Cholera epidemic that rocked the country. We hope that the culture of washing hands will be comprehended well in schools and families.

By teaching students to wash their hand, we also promoting men and boys to desist from their masculine thinking that they do not need to wash their hands as they are stronger and not prone to sicknesses. Also in households men and boys have not been at the forefront of promoting hand washing. The message yesterday was to encourage men not to leave this role of hand washing to women alone in families but to have everyone in the family doing so.

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