Students read short books on the importance of PUR.
CARE uses the method of student to student when teaching about PUR. Rather than giving numerous demonstrations to schools where each child is informed, CARE creates Health Clubs at the schools where the leaders of the group learn about PUR and teach the rest of the children. This new approach doesn’t intimidate students because their peers are performing the PUR lessons.
Gordon Chuoch is the Kisumu region CARE field worker; he follows up with each school and clinic at least twice a month, making sure PUR is being used effectively. The CDC Health Initiative and Emory University have supported CARE with research and funding for the past 5 years, helping the foundation grow.
Today he allowed us to follow him the a school called AJIGO. It was there we saw the student to student teaching for the first time. The younger children gathered around the level 8 students where they passed down their knowledge about the importance of clean and safe drinking water. Not only were the students amazed by the work of PUR, but we could see the interest in the eyes of the teachers.
The schools in the Kisumu that have been taught about PUR were not affected during the Cholera outbreak, showing the improvement in health through the clean drinking water. CARE is now working on developing more programs on hygiene and sanitation through the school and clinic health clubs.
-Shay