My First WASH Training

For years, Blood:Water Mission has supported an incredibly valuable piece of development called WASH (Water Sanitation & Hygiene) training. WASH trainings are village-level trainings hosted in a community space for 20 people to learn about water, sanitation and hygiene practices. Last week was the first time I had the opportunity to take the training myself, participating and learning alongside community members in Lwala, Kenya. Our classroom was a mud-walled, dirt-floored church with wooden benches and small beams of light that seeped through the holes of the tin roof. My classmates were male and female, young and old, local or from an hour's walk away. Our teacher, Elizabeth, was a remarkable woman who has been leading Blood:Water's WASH trainings in Western Kenya for several years now. 

Our curriculum covered a multitude of subjects surrounding health and hygiene. Basic as it is, the information is life-saving for everyone. People who have not been trained in WASH often do not understand the connection of hygiene to health. It may seem obvious to us, but our friends do not have the luxury of learning such information at a young age like we do. Through these trainings, we have found that provision of basic information can change behavior, preventing more water and fecal-borne diseases than simply providing clean water in a community.

Some topics covered in WASH training are as follows:

• Map of disease pathways (how germs make us sick and what behaviors can prevent us from allowing germs to make us sick)
• Steps for handwashing
• Concept of "Cheap is Expensive" - learning that constructing a latrine or treating your dirty water is cheaper than treating a sick person
• Components of pit latrines to be used at home
• Ways to include children in school latrine projects
• Water purification options 
• Factors in reducing childhood deaths

After more than 30 hours of learning, we were required to put on a community presentation which would serve as our graduation ceremony. Members from the community came to see us present dramas, songs and drawings of the information that we learned. After our presentation, we were granted a certificate of completion. The overwhelming sentiment from my classmates to Elizabeth and to each other was gratitude--gratitude for being given information that will allow them to live out healthier practices and keep their children healthy, gratitude for the opportunity to share this information with their community. 

The WASH presentation was a special ceremony for all of us and we were sad to see it end. However, our friends have the knowledge that it is just the beginning. In fact, the final part of graduation is for Elizabeth to come and visit their homes in the next several weeks. If she sees a latrine, tippy-tap (hand-washing station), and drying rack for dishes, she will give each student a WASH t-shirt to mark them as WASH advocates in the community. 

I am also filled with gratitude--gratitude for people like Elizabeth who offer remarkable training to communities, gratitude to my classmates who took the time to learn and to be advocates, and gratitude to each and every one of you who has volunteered or financially supported Blood:Water Mission. It's a step-by-step transformation that is happening, and you are the fuel to keep it going.

 Blog post written by: Jena Nardella - Executive Director