Lira District, Northern Uganda

June 2009

Kevine is mother to young Joshua. She lives in Lira District, Northern Uganda, where she has chosen to be a volunteer community hygiene worker. This is a region crisscrossed by bumpy dirt roads travelled by few cars. The villages often lack basic infrastructure as communities are working to rebuild after years spent in IDP (internally displaced person) camps. The goal of community hygiene workers is to spend time talking with the community - their friends and their families - about water, hygiene and sanitation. These conversations are the foundation of incredible changes including clean latrines, tippy taps for washing hands, drying racks for dishes, yards swept clean, and garbage pits to contain rubbish. While it is up to any particular family to make these changes, volunteer community hygiene workers tirelessly encourage their community along this journey that leads to health. This is a job with no financial rewards or significant recognition, and yet Kevine is filled with an attitude of joy and wears a smile on her face. She said that at times the work is hard, but she wants to continue because people are changing, health is improving, and she has hope for Joshua's future. Kevine is an African hero.