Awa, the Handwashing Ambassador
March 19, 2024
Written by Diadie Samassekou
Awa, 5 years old, lives in the Commune VI district of Bamako, Mali. She learns about hand hygiene by playing with her friends at the Niamakoro Early Childhood Development Center.
In this magical place full of laughter, games and new experiences for children, Awa met passionate educators who use educational games to teach children valuable lessons about health and hygiene.
Awa soon realized that these games were not only fun, but also very important for her health and that of her family. She learned the importance of washing her hands regularly to prevent the spread of disease.
Attention virus
One of the Center's many games is about “viruses” infecting children. The principle of the game is simple: there's a circle in which the children are safe. Another group of children represents the viruses and tries to catch the children that venture outside the safe circle.
Children who leave the circle have to run fast and zigzag to avoid the viruses, then return to the circle. Children who are caught then join the ranks of the viruses. Through this game and the educator’s explanations, they learn about the principle of protection and the need to avoid viruses to stay healthy.
Back at home
The day spent playing and learning with friends is finally over. Awa heads home. Her mother greets her in the courtyard and Awa immediately begins a ritual she learned at school: washing her hands with soap. With her mother’s help, Awa washes her hands with care, as she would at school. Her mother is proud of her little girl: "Awa washes her hands regularly with soap, so much so that water consumption has increased, but I'm so proud to see her taking care of herself."
Awa is a happy little girl. She is now an ambassador for hygiene practices in her house and community, thanks to the games she learned at the Early Childhood Development center as part of Play based learning (PBL) for hygiene promotion, financially supported by Canada and Netherlands and implemented by UNICEF via one of its partners, Right to Play.