HANDWASHING CAMPAIGNS SCORE ON CREATIVITY

A 20- second song and video competition on handwashing, a running challenge and handwashing awareness drives for school children were some of the activities held in Dubai as part of the Global Handwashing Day celebrations yesterday.

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day, a day dedicated to increasing awareness about handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent spread of disease.

Wash and sing

Dubai Municipality, represented by Children’s City, partnered with Dettol to release a 20- second song on handwashing. A competition was also launched where children can participate and appear in the next Dettol video by submitting video clips of them washing their hands and singing the new ditty.

Children between five to 12 years old can participate by submitting a video clip of no more than one minute to dettol_ GHWD@rb.com. The contest runs until November 20. The video must contain only the lyrics of the song.

Sweat for soap

Dubai- based British national Ahmad Ali, 32, and his friends has joined a global running challenge called #Sweat4Soap, where for every kilometre they logged, one bar of soap will be donated; and for every 100 km, a handwashing station will be donated to a community in need.

The campaign was launched on October 10 and will run until tomorrow. “The idea was born by Mina Guli, an ultra- runner and water warrior fighting to avert the world water crisis. Together with Project Maji, an NGO based in Dubai, the # sweat 4s oap campaign was developed to create amovement for action,” he added.

“The campaign currently has more than 2,000 official registrants from 50 countries, Ali said.

The Maji Bucket — zero- touch handwashing stations — will be donated to 28 communities in Ghana. The soaps are made from recycled hotel soaps. Anyone can join the campaign. Just share a picture of the run or walk and the distance covered by posting photos on social media and tagging #Sweat4Soap.