COVID-19: Groups donate hand washing facilities to Enugu Govt

WaterAid Nigeria in conjunction with South Saharan Social  Development Organisation (SSDO), had  donated one hundred hand washing station facilities to  Enugu State government for distribution to schools.
Presenting the  items to the  state government at the 2020 Global Hand washing day celebration  in Enugu, the Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere, who was represented by  the State Programme Lead- Enugu, Mr. Terkimbi Tom,  said that  the organization is committed in promoting wash and sanitation hygiene WASH in the state and elsewhere. He  added  that the hand washing stations will go a long way in preventing the spread of diseases in schools in the state.
According to him, investigations have reveaaled that most schools in the state do not have hand washing facilities even at this era of COVID- 19 pandemic.  Tom assured that WaterAid, would continue to support selected states in Nigeria on issue of WASH.
He said the items will be distributed among various schools in the state, particularly those that are in dare need of them.
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Chief Ikeje Asogwa, and the Special Adviser to the governor, on Water Resources, Mr. Anthony Dubem Onyia (Jnr), expressed appreciation to the organization for their  kind gesture.
The governor’s aide, stressed the need for proper hygiene culture among the people, noting that the “global hand washing day is an annual event designed to raise awareness on importance of hand washing with soap, which is one of simplest way of preventing  the spread of diseases and ensure a healthy individuals
According to him, every year, more than “60,000 children of five years and below die from sanitation and hygiene related diseases, which is preventable and avoidable, if only they wash their hands at critical times like, before preparing food, before eating, before feeding a child , before and after using the toilets, after touching pet animals” among others.
“Not withstanding their previous donation of 10 giant contactless hand washing stations sited at all our isolation centres, some markets, and parks, WaterAid has done it again, thanking the organization for its continuous support to the state.
Executive Director of SSDO, Dr. Stanley Ilechukwu, had earlier urged ENSUBEB leadership , to ensure that the items is distributed equitably among the schools
The Theme of this year’s event is : “Hand Hygiene For All”.