Finding Furaha in a Bar of Soap

Furaha in swahili means "joy and great happiness"... we find our happiness in lots of things, but hardly  in a bar of soap. Soap is something you use every day - several times a day in fact. You can't get by without it. So what's the big deal with soap?

During a recent trip to Kenya I kept asking students what they really needed besides the opportunity to attend school. Time after time the same response...a bar of soap. One young student from Buhayi SS said, "My aunt cannot provide soap for her family of ten and the only soap I have is at school where I share with fifty others." 

Students at Buhayi Muslim SS share their hopes and dreams

Our students work hard to focus on their studies while lacking in what by Canadian standards are considered essential items. Bath soap, shampoo, toothbrush and paste, skin moisturizer, and laundry soap have been the toiletries and hygiene products that our students report that they simply cannot afford. Good oral health, hand washing and the ability to launder their school uniforms can improve health, decrease risk of communicable illness and thus keep students in school where they can continue to be successful. Healthy beautiful skin and smiles would provide CES students with the comfort and confidence they need to continue on the path of leadership and growth within their school and community.

A gift of $15.00 CAN provides: soap, shampoo, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, laundry soap, skin protection/moisturizer and shoe polish in a gift bag for one student. For more information visit www.cescan.ca

Giving Tuesday – December 2, 2014

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving. After the sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a time to celebrate and encourage activities that support charities and non- profits. Whether it’s making a donation, volunteering time, helping a neighbor or sharing some good news, Giving Tuesday is a movement for everyone who wants to give something back.  

On Giving Tuesday CES Canada is creating 300 Health and Hygiene Kits – just in time for the beginning of the next school year.

You may never find "furaha" or joy in receiving a bar of soap. You can however, ensure "furaha" by giving a bar of soap...why not give it a try.

A gift of $15.00 CAN provides: soap, shampoo, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, laundry soap, skin protection/moisturizer and shoe polish in a gift bag for one student. For more information visit www.cescan.ca

CES Canada Promotes Effective Hygiene and Sanitation Practice

Kenya is grappling with high incidents of diarrhea, amoeba, typhoid and cholera due to poor sanitation. CES Canada joins Kenya in its national behavior change campaign to encourage adoption of hygienic practices to reduce these infections.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that half of Kenya's population lack access to improved sanitation. An estimated 6 million Kenyans do not have latrines and are forced to defecate in the open. These people are vulnerable to contagious diseases and physical attacks.

Kenya launched a community led total sanitation program in 2011 to eradicate open defecation in villages and shanty towns. Since then 1,300 villages across Kenya have been declared open defecation free, thanks to investments in sanitation infrastructure and public awareness.

The Ministry of Health has partnered with county governments to raise public awareness on proper hygienic practices at the grassroots level. A recent World Bank study indicates that 19,500 Kenyans, including 17,100 children under the age of five, die annually from diarrhea. Childhood stunting which affects education and long-term productivity has been linked to poor sanitation.

Since 2004 CES Canada has been partnering with thirty (30) secondary schools in the western area of Kenya. The cornerstones of Education, Water, Health and Nutrition have supported a number of projects that embrace the need for a holistic approach to community development. Promoting environmental health and safety through clean water and improved hygiene is a top priority for CES.

In 2015 CES will conduct research in ten secondary schools with the intent of relying on data to improve daily hygiene practice and water consumption. This will be done in conjunction with the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Kakamega. The goal is to improve learning by enabling healthy students.

The focus on implementing water sanitation and hygiene programs in rural secondary schools in Kenya has been supported through a partnership with the WASH in Schools (WinS) global outreach through UNICEF. CES subscribes to its Three Star approach that describes schools in various stages of hygiene and clean water development.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/210986567/The-Three-Star-Approach-to-WASH-in-Schools

The minimum standard of a “One Star” school looks at daily routines to promote healthy habits. These include daily, supervised group hand-washing with soap, normally before the school meal.

Schools that provide on-site clean water, adequate latrines that are segregated for separate use for boys and girls, and also provide hand-washing facilities will achieve higher rates of attendance and academic achievement. Schools that provide feminine hygiene resources also report lower levels of absenteeism for girls.

In order to improve hygiene and access to safe water, CES Canada seeks to work with schools to meet essential criteria for a healthy learning environment. This approach ensures that healthy habits are taught, practiced and integrated into daily school routines. Expensive infrastructure in schools is not necessary to meet health goals. The intent is to keep it simple, scalable and sustainable.