{"id":61840,"date":"2024-05-16T12:13:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T16:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psi.org\/?p=61840"},"modified":"2024-07-22T09:50:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T13:50:19","slug":"building-healthier-communities-through-wash-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.psi.org\/fr\/2024\/05\/building-healthier-communities-through-wash-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Healthier Communities through WASH Awareness\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gavin Tsai, Knowledge Management Consultant <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leng Soklea, aged 33, resides in the Khlei village with her husband and two young children, a 13-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. Their home is a charming Cambodian style house adorned with a well-kept garden in the front and backyard, complete with a latrine and a nearby well. Her husband works as a farmer, while she is actively engaged as the deputy village chief and influencer for various community projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many villagers, she believed that the well water in her backyard appeared clean and safe for consumption, unaware of the potential contamination due to its proximity to the latrine.  \u201cIt was just fast and convenient,\u201d said Soklea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two key reasons for diarrhea in adults and children stem from dirty hands (contaminating food, touching eyes, nose, and mouth) and drinking untreated water. Left untreated, long-term diarrhea in children under five can lead to stunting from malnutrition and\/or premature death. The USAID-funded Promoting Healthy Behaviors Project (PHB) is implementing a social and behavior change intervention with local implementing partners to motivate the public to perform key behaviors to protect themselves and their families. The overarching concept for the intervention is \u201cWhat looks clean might not be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soklea was first introduced to this notion during a village meeting organized by Interpersonal Communication (IPC) Agents from the local organization and PHB partner Khemara. These community events are designed to engage caregivers on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) key behaviors and challenge the misconception about unseen germs, including how germs can be transferred, critical handwashing times, and treating and storing clean drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After experiencing frequent episodes of diarrhea within her family, Soklea adopted lifesaving behaviors such as storing and consuming treated water and practicing regular handwashing with soap. By adopting these practices, the family saw a significant improvement in their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe no longer experience diarrhea since we started following the WASH key behaviors\u201d said Soklea. Now, a handwashing station is set up in her house, and the family consumes filtered water purchased from a vendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assuming the role of a volunteer influencer upon the village chief’s recommendation, Soklea hosts monthly village meetings at her home to address misconceptions and promote awareness about key WASH behaviors. \u201cI influence others by demonstrating a well set up handwashing station at home,\u201d said Soklea.  Though an estimated 60% of villagers are hindered by start-up costs, Soklea, supported by IPCs, encourages members of her community to construct cost-effective handwashing stations using readily available household items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The village chief’s support and occasional financial contribution to purchase faucets for villagers further bolsters her efforts. Soklea’s aim is to continue educating and raising awareness about WASH practices, with the hope of motivating villagers to attend meetings and invest in faucets for handwashing stations. Since taking on the role of influencer, she has assisted 10 households in her village in setting up handwashing stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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