TWF Focus

• Access to safe drinking water sanitation and hygiene in rural homes
• Toilets in homes moving closer to Open Defecation-Free communities
• Water & Sanitation in Schools and ICDS centers
• Management of organic and inorganic waste at source, with special focus on reducing the use of plastic and managing the recycling process.

Pneumonia and Diarrhoea are the most common causes of death in children under the age of five. One of the most efficient and affordable ways to prevent these diseases is by washing your hands with soap and water. Reaping the benefits of the post-corona days, people are beginning to understand the importance of washing their hands with soap and water. The We Foundation, has, therefore, inaugurated a week-long campaign (October 11 to October 16, 2022) titled “Care for Hands” for uniting everyone for universal hand hygiene. The campaign was launched during the occasion of Global Handwashing Day from October 11 to October 16, 2022, in partnership with Children for Change, an initiative of VVF under their CSR initiative, and in association with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and World Health Organization. The We Foundation’s primary objectives were to increase school attendance by setting an example of a healthy school in the most populated Dharavi BMC Schools, increase hand hygiene awareness among school children and the slum community, and orchestrate the government system and community so that knowledge of hand hygiene is followed by action. Along with that our main goal was to instil in the children the knowledge that washing their hands with soap is a simple, inexpensive, Do It Yourself defence that can ward off infections and even save lives. Every campaign is followed by demonstration of five-steps of handwashing by WHO personnel in Dharavi in the handwashing station of Dharavi schools to ensure that children learn to wash their hands properly. They were given one packet of soap, four soaps in each packet so that children and teachers continue to practise the learnings of the campaign at home and share with their family members.

TOTAL DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: 19,360

TOTAL DIRECT POPULATION IMPACTED IN DHARAVI: 135,520

Implementing such a campaign will increase people’s comprehension of disease prevention. Hand washing will help greatly to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among the school community and the slum community, all the beneficiaries are very conscious of this fact. Through similar activities, campaigns like this and long-term programmes on WASH and Health & Nutrition would address the gaps in Dharavi schools, Slums and the whole of Maharashtra and pan India.