World Hand Hygiene Day: Promoting Hand Hygiene for Better Community Health

May 05, 2023

According to UNICEF's 2020 estimate, only 60% of the world's population has access to basic handwashing facilities. In sub-Saharan Africa, 258 million people, or 63% of those living in urban areas, lack access to handwashing facilities. As we celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day, it's crucial to acknowledge the immense impact of hand hygiene in healthcare.  

In 2017, USADF awarded Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), Kenya’s largest grassroots movement a US$150K grant to expand their operations in providing clean water to Kibera residents. Thanks to this grant, SHOFCO expanded its operations to provide clean water to Kibera residents. They could do this by purchasing additional water kiosks and establishing an aerial piping system, which enabled SHOFCO to improve water distribution in the area efficiently.  

However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant threat to Kenya's slum communities, as roughly 1 in 5 Kenyans live in slums or informal settlements. People cut costs by reducing hygiene practices such as handwashing, which further increased their susceptibility to the pandemic. USADF responded to the situation by increasing its investment to US$250K, empowering SHOFCO to cease the sale of water and provide free handwashing services. SHOFCO used the additional funds to hire and train community members to manage water resources effectively, conduct safe water transportation, and ensure proper handwashing techniques. With the assistance of a larger workforce, SHOFCO established handwashing facilities throughout Kibera, the largest slum in Africa and the third largest in the world. 

SHOFCO successfully installed 30 handwashing stations in the Kibera, Mathare, and Kawangware slums, providing an essential benefit to approximately 5.5 million individuals in these communities. Furthermore, SHOFCO created meaningful employment opportunities for 90 young people who operated these stations while indirectly providing work for 50 additional community members to supply essential water, soap, and transportation services.  

SHOFCO is still actively providing affordable water and educating on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Kibera to significantly improve health and hygiene practices in Kenyan communities. USADF fully recognizes the crucial role of good hand hygiene in developing healthy communities and is unreservedly committed to supporting initiatives aimed at increasing accessibility to WASH facilities and education across the continent.