Hygiene Educators

Below I have copied the article entitled Staying Healthy that appeared recently on the Samaritan's Purse website.

The article highlights the amazing Haitian hygiene educators I am privileged to work with. Currently, I am working with eight hygiene educators. Over the past few months I have had the joy of facilitating participatory hygiene training, which has the goal of building the hygiene educators' capacities in community health education within a disaster context. We have experienced many successes as a team as well as many challenges. The job itself is challenging as the climate is sweltering hot and conditions, in terms of sanitation, in the camps where we train in are poor. Yet I feel I have learned even more from the them as we continue to educate on disease prevention in the internally displaced persons communities. Here is the article in full about two of my wonderful hygiene trainers...



Hygiene education helps prevent the spread of disease among earthquake survivors in Haiti

An escalating “buzzzzzz” filled the open-air classroom in Haiti where a lively group of 3-to-6 year olds reacted to a larger-than-life illustration of the ugly “bug” that can make children sick if they don’t wash their hands.

More than 60 children at the Mission of Hope school and orphanage sat cross-legged on mats and listened intently as two Samaritan’s Purse health and hygiene workers talked about the importance of hand washing and cleanliness.

The children quickly learned a song about hygiene to the tune of Frere Jacques. Every hand went up when Myriam, the team leader, asked who wanted to stand and repeat the five important points about hygiene they had just learned.

“I really love working with children,” Myriam said. “It’s so important to teach them how to protect themselves and others from catching and spreading dangerous diseases.”

Five-year-old Marie counted her fingers as she repeated the key points of the lesson. Everyone joined in the applause when Myriam and Flosie, her coworker, smiled and said, “Bravo!”

Concerns about clean water, sanitation, and the spread of disease became critical following the earthquake, as hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and were forced into makeshift camps. Samaritan’s Purse responded by providing shelter, clean water, latrines, health education, and hygiene workshops in tent camps, schools, mission compounds, and community centers.

Nearly 12,000 family hygiene kits were distributed in the worst-hit parts of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

Health and hygiene teams continue to coordinate education programs for children and adults living in tent communities. They also conduct on-site inspections and meet with community organizers who help monitor health and sanitation projects in the camps.

As Myriam and Flosie entered a tent camp in Grand Guave, children swarmed around them as several adults walked over to receive cleaning supplies and talk about conditions in the community.

“Working with the people who live here helps them take ownership of the community and feel a sense of involvement in it,” Myriam said. “Together, we can promote proper hygiene and create a healthier environment for everyone.”

Myriam and Flosie walked further down the main road to an outdoor community center where a second group of children had gathered. Another “buzzzzzz” echoed through the crowd as Myriam pointed to the nasty bug on her colorful chart and started another presentation.