The initiative funded by the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), a sub-regional health initiative, was jointly implemented by the Directorate of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) of the Ministry of Health alongside the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
Held under the theme; ‘Empowering Adolescents and Young Girls to Rise Through Hygiene Promotion’, the initiative forms part of efforts designed to nurture and enhance good hygiene practices especially among adolescents and young girls in the country.
Speaking to The Point, Babou B. Cham from the DHPE, explained that the project seeks to empower adolescents and young girls by promoting personal and environmental hygiene in local communities.
The move, he added, is part of their work as a ministry to strengthen and promote good hygiene practices among communities especially MDFTs, which comprises education stakeholders, Community Health Nurses and Public Health Officials among a host of others.
The training, he continued, would help them use the knowledge in their implementation strategies to reach out to a wider community.
“This is the reason why we are in the region to orient members of the MDFTs which would serve as a form of a refresher and re-enlighten them on strategies geared towards empowering adolescent and young girls on hygiene promotion.”
He added; “This is an important initiative because despite knowledge with the people implementing some of these interventions within the regions or at the community level, we still need to capaticise them. So, capacity building is one of the key strategies that the Ministry uses in order to create that avenue to give more knowledge by training more people in our interventions.”
Also speaking to this medium, Baboucarr Jarju, Principal Education Officer, Region Six, underscored the importance of the orientation, describing it timely in view of the importance of ensuring a clean environment.
He made reference to an old adage that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ and that all major religions in the world preach the need for people to promote good hygiene before doing any other job.
Jarju added: “You cannot function in an environment where there is dirt and viruses. And as a human being, if you are sick you cannot do anything and in addition we are the people in control of the future leaders. If our future leaders are trained towards maintaining personal hygiene, I am of the view that the future of this country is bright.”
The training, PEO Jarju said, couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the wider environment is faced with challenges to promoting good hygiene.
He challenged the participants to be steadfast and be ready to share the knowledge gained with other colleagues who are not opportune to grace the event so as to promote good hygiene in communities.
Alieu Joof, Senior CHN Tutor at the Regional Health Directorate in deputising for the Regional Health Director, Region Six, equally underscored the importance of the training and maintaining personal hygiene at all times.
He noted that this awareness raising on hygiene promotion among adolescents and young girls is key in achieving any positive health outcomes and called on all to be ready to share with their colleagues.
