500 rural residents in Ibadan benefit from WaterAid hygiene project

Over 500 rural residents of Ibadan have benefitted from the distribution of hygiene packs as well as Information, Education and Communications (IEC) materials as part of activities marking the conclusion of the first phase of the Scale-up Hygiene Project.

The Scale-Up Hygiene Project sponsored by the Oyo Rural Water Sanitation Agency (Oyo RUWASSA) and the Living World Mission (LIWOM) with support from WaterAid and Heineken African Foundation (HAF) was focused on the need to improve hygiene as a means of curbing the spread of Coronavirus in Oyo state.

The last distribution of materials to traders at Oja’ba market, Mapo and people at Ile Akere, Orita Merin in Ibadan, Oyo State held at the Akere Primary Health Centre.

Speaking on the purpose of the initiative, the Country Lead of LIWOM, Pastor Marcus Williams, said the project is meant to respond to the issue of Covid-19 in Oyo State, noting that the state government has provided sensitisation materials that can be used to prevent the spread of the virus and some of such materials include the IEC materials and hygiene takeaway tools.

Some Permanent Inclusive Hand Washing Facilities (PIHWF) was also installed in some open and strategic places around the community to aid easy access to handwashing points around the community.

According to Pastor Williams, the project is to serve the community and ensure compliance with the national and state guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19 in Oyo State, urging the entire traders, customers and people living in the community to wash their hands in the handwashing facilities provided.

Speaking earlier at a sensitisation meeting with the beneficiaries which include traders and community leaders, Miss Olawunmi Adekunle said due to the escalating issue and spread of Covid-19, Heineken Africa Foundation and WaterAid Nigeria came to support the movement on ensuring that handwashing becomes a common practice.

She added that to make the sensitisation effective, the sponsors requested for the government’s support via OYORUWASSA and Living Word Mission as the civil society organisation (CSO) representing the state.

She emphasised that the purpose of the meeting was to request for the community leaders’ support in educating the people in the area of hygiene and that the PIHWF has been placed in different locations for people to make use of it as to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other viruses that can be easily contracted through our hands and further educated the people on the hygiene packs distributed to them.

Speaking on the involvement of his NGOs, Pastor Williams said LIWOM has been taking care of children’s need for over 24 years and has been working with different community leaders, adding that LIWOM’s inclusion in the project was due to the need to reach communities; sensitize them about the use of hand sanitisers, nose masks and water to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and this he explained was why PIHWFs were installed at different places where there are boreholes, spaces and security so that it can be guarded.

In their remarks, beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the donors for deeming them worthy of the items despite their community not being in the visible area of the city and assured that they will do all within their capacities to safeguard the facility and ensure proper usage.

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