School health clubs flourish

Blair toilets and using safe water for cooking.
It was against this background that schools also decided to take part in this noble initiative by starting health clubs in both primary and secondary schools.

A recent visit to Binga during a United Nations Children’s Fund media tour revealed that school health clubs have become an agent of social change in promoting hygienic matters particularly in schools and the community.

School health clubs have become a source of information and inspiration in strengthening and improving hygiene practices, thanks to Unicef which provided technical and financial assistance for the training of the health club teachers and also providing information materials.

One such health club at Siansundu Primary School in Binga has become a beacon of hope in raising awareness of health and sanitation issues in the district.
The health club made up of pupils aged between nine and 13 years have been playing their part in encouraging community participation in hygiene promotion issues through dramas, poetry and music that focus on health matters. Even the pupils themselves have benefited immensely from the health club, because they are now able to educate their peers on the importance of hygiene.

Eleven-year-old Sharmaine Nyoni, who is a member of the Siansundu Primary School Club said she has been sharing health and sanitation information they learn from the club with her peers both at school and at church.

“I tell my friends to wash their hands soon after visiting the toilet, something they were not doing before I joined the health club,” she said.
Bomba Mwembe (9) who is a Grade three pupil at Siansundu Primary School has been reciting poems on health issues to her friends and families, who are now encouraging her to educating her on other diseases such as typhoid, malaria and other diarrhea diseases.

Other members of the club include Clyton Yanai (13), Libombile Mudenda (11), Tukkalekabotu Musaka (10) Persistence Nkomo (10), Praise Mudenda (12) Merit Sikaviti (11) Wyne Kademba (10) Olaswebo Chuma (11) while their teacher is called Mr Alfred Mile Mudenda.