Did you know that globally, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children, killing more children than malaria?
Did you also know that 4.5 billion people are reported to be without access to safely managed sanitation and this draws attention to the need for increased awareness on safe hygiene practices.
It is for this reason that the Enugu state First Lady, in commemoration of the Global handwashing day 2019, themed “CLEAN HANDS FOR ALL”, demonstrated the act of handwashing using Tippy Tap.
WHY THE TIPPY TAP?
The Tippy Tap is contained in the Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) promotion programmes and is a localized way for people to always wash their hands with running water and soap. It is made from locally sourced materials that are readily available, inexpensive and sustainable.
While speaking to The Daily Report via the Telephone, in reaction to viral photos of her commissioning a tippy tap, Mrs Ugwuanyi explained that “a tippy tap may at first sound like a toy, but this innovative device is used by rural communities in various parts of the world including Nigeria to encourage good hygiene practices”
She mentioned that the Tippy Tap has been used in many countries and promoted around the world by International Organizations such as UNICEF.
A demonstration about how to construct a tippy tap is shown here by UNICEF Namibia
The Enugu state First Lady who constantly donates Hand Washing Items to schools especially in the rural areas said “The idea is to get children to be hygienic in a creative and innovative way”
“The tippy tap was just one activity we engaged in, other activities involved sensitization talks on proper sanitation and hygiene, how to wash hands properly using handwashing buckets”
“It will interest you to know that U-TOLF demonstrated the Construction of the tap to the pupils using local materials found in their environment and encouraged them to replicate it”
As an NGO “we have our focus on women and children and we owe them a duty to educate and enlighten them about global issues which affect us in our society” she said.
