Today, we celebrate Global Handwashing Day with the theme, “Hand Hygiene for All.” Established to increase the understanding and awareness of the importance of washing hands with soap to prevent disease, Global Handwashing Day takes on even greater meaning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, we recognize Global Handwashing Day in conjunction with our efforts to also bring sanitization education and clean water to communities around the world.
As a brand that is committed to protecting families, Safeguard has pledged to create greater access to hand hygiene education and product resources. Safeguard is working with Canvas, an online learning management system, to provide a hand hygiene lesson plan and sanitation products to first and second grade teachers across the country. They are proud to promote hand hygiene education and provide schools with free educational resources, soap and sanitizer products that have been dermatologically endorsed by the Skin Health Alliance as part of their $10 million hygiene education and product donation initiative. Earlier this year, Safeguard committed to promoting handwashing habits among kids younger than 12 and provide more underserved communities and families with access to hygiene education and product donations.
To effectively wash your hands, you need clean water. Our Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program started in 2004 to provide clean water to families lacking access. Clean water and proper handwashing go hand and hand. This year, we’re proud to announce we’ve delivered our 17 billionth liter of clean drinking water to communities in need.
In order to reach people in need, the CSDW Program relies on amazing partners all around the globe. Meet some of our water champions at this National Geographic site that shares the stories of those who are making a difference every day to deliver clean water.
The program helps people like Mary, her husband Daniel, their two daughters, Celline and Lupita, son Keith and Vena, who is just 9 years old and immune-compromised, and staying with Mary to have access to medical care. They live in western Kenya and benefit from the clean water brought to them by our Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program through our partnership with CARE International.
Mary’s life was forever changed when her sister was diagnosed with cholera after drinking untreated water. “Since then, my family only drinks water treated using P&G water purifier.”
For Mary, the transformation has been significant. “Clean water means that my children who are still very young have access to safe water at all times. We have not experienced any cases of diarrhea in this household since we started using P&G purifier of water.”
According to Mary, her community used to experience a lot of cholera cases, however since 2016 when they started using the packets, they have not had any cholera issues.
You can learn more about Mary and her story here.
The packets have been shipped all over the world – to more than 90 countries – to help those in rural communities and those impacted by natural disasters and emergencies to have clean water. According to the World Health Organization, nearly a billion people struggle to have clean water each day. While these packets are not a long-term solution, they provide a bridge until these communities develop the necessary infrastructure. The packet acts like a mini-water treatment facility and are produced in the P&G plant in Singapore.
If you’re interested in supporting our CSDW program, please visit P&G Good Everyday and click “Set as My Cause.”
