Water Mission Partners with Moms in Peru to Host Handwashing Event
January 14, 2022
As mothers and Water Mission staff teach healthy hygiene behaviors, children in General Merino, Peru, memorize the steps of handwashing.[/caption]
Handwashing plays a significant role in Water Mission’s work of helping reduce waterborne and water-related illnesses. According to UN-Water, nearly half of the world’s population lacks safe sanitation, and one in three people lack handwashing facilities at home. To raise WASH awareness, Water Mission equips local WASH promoters to teach communities:
- How water is contaminated,
- How to treat water and store it safely,
- How to wash hands with soap, and
- How to properly use sanitation facilities.
Games make learning fun![/caption]
One young resident, Caleb, shows a particular level of commitment to his faith, family, and school studies. Caleb attends the local evangelical church and loves saying opening and closing prayers at events and singing Christian music. His mother is a local WASH promoter, trained to encourage healthy WASH behaviors in neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals. Families like Caleb’s carry influence within their communities and create lasting change for generations to come.
Water Mission has been present in Peru since 2006, with an in-country team of experts training and equipping communities to manage long-lasting safe water and sanitation solutions. Few roads exist between the Loreto capital, Iquitos, and small towns like General Merino, making transportation of goods difficult and costly. The 2,700 rural communities in this region are often under-resourced. Water Mission is a safe water charity serving some of the hardest-to-reach communities in this area.
General Merino is home to more than 60 families (more than 300 residents).[/caption]
We believe that in remote areas like General Merino, a well-rounded, long-term approach is necessary to support health, education, and livelihood. We empower residents, such as WASH promoters, to take ownership of safe water projects and ongoing community training.
Join us in applauding these dedicated mothers for their creativity in promoting the health of their kids! Please also consider coming alongside us to bring safe water, sanitation, and hygiene training to other mothers and children in hard-to-reach communities, like General Merino.
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