Children learn about rabies, personal hygiene
PUPILS from Earlywood Education Centre in Empangeni recently learnt about rabies, personal hygiene and cholera during a visit by the King Cetshwayo Department of Environmental Health Services.
A facilitator from the department, Thandeka Madlala visited the school on Wednesday to create awareness on these important topics.
The school hall was filled with giggling and laughter as Madlala gave a stepby-step demonstration on how to bath themselves for hygienic purposes.
The pupils were greatly entertained by her 'wash everywhere!' message.
Madlala focused on the importance of proper hygiene, and taught the pupils to wash their hands for at least 10 seconds - or while singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice - and shaking them dry while saying ‘Hip, Hip, Hooray’.
The children were listening attentively and participated in every question asked. Their focus was rewarded by the freebies when they answered questions correctly.
The older grades also listened to an environmental talk focusing on how litter affects the environment.
The lesson was that 'small' litter may be interpreted as harmless, but a developed behaviour of continuous littering will eventually have a negative impact on both the environment and the people living in it.
Cholera, defined as a waterborne disease, was used as an example of how not taking care of the environment poses a threat to your health.
Advice on how to prevent the disease was to pour a teaspoon of unscented bleach into a bucket of unclean water and leave it until the following day before using it.
Pivotal information regarding rabies was also shared. Rabies is a fatal disease spread by pets or stray animals and, according to Madlala, is contracted by the saliva from an infected animal when they lick your face, scratch, or bite you.
Infected animals are easily identifiable by their aggressive behaviour and refusal to go near water.
Madlala cautioned the pupils to immediately rinse any wounds under running water for 15 minutes if licked, scratched or bitten by an animal.
They must then be rushed to a clinic or doctor, where they will be given vaccinations to stop a rabies infection. Failure to do so may lead to death.
Children who own a dog or a cat were advised to take their pets to a veterinarian or their local SPCA for annual vaccination against rabies.
Vaccinating pets against this disease is a legal obligation.