OVERVIEW
This project combines two aspects of health and hygiene education. The health education project (Part A) will help rural children in disadvantaged high density and rural schools around the Bulawayo region in central-western Zimbabwe. The project will provide Participatory Health and Hygiene Education (PHHE) in eight schools covering 400 children per school for six months to accompany the provision of clean water which has been funded through another donor.
Part B of the project is a health education program open to all community members in four rural communities, also around Bulawayo. Usually this means the participants are mainly women, grandmothers and older men. It will enable four trained health nurses to provide one day of education per month for each of the four target communities. Topics will cover (for example) maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, TB, STDs and health/hygiene education. Our partners’ nurses will work alongside the Bulawayo city council nurses and local village health workers to coordinate the sessions.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT
This project has a multifaceted approach to health and hygiene. It focuses on a range of target groups to get the message across. We like the fact that our partners are efficient, providing coordinated sessions across a region. We also appreciate that local services are integrated so that the trainers/nurses are working collaboratively. We like the fact that our partners are working in areas of proven need, not perceived need. We are pleased to support the education part of PHHE in Part A as this will strengthen the provision of new clean water access to schools.
BUDGET
$17,300 for a one-year project.
This breaks down to Part A: $11,800 and Part B: $5,500. The budget will provide project management, educational materials, transport, health professional educators, volunteer training, and baseline and end evaluation surveys.
THE NEED
Water is a huge need in Zimbabwe with the country suffering periodic droughts. Combine this with poverty, a failing economy and political instability, then it is no wonder that clean water sources are in extremely short supply with local populations reliant on unsafe or unclean water. Our partners estimate 50% of rural schools have very poor water supply infrastructure with little or no storage and broken or malfunctioning pumps. Most children and adults suffer from water borne illnesses and more water sources are urgently needed.
LIFE CHANGE
