Press Release: UNESCO Global Partnership

2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Global Hand-Washing Partnership –– and also the 10th anniversary of CES Canada joining this global partnership. The group believes that 80% of water borne and other communicable diseases can be limited or eradicated by proper hand hygiene.

Growing up in a clean and safe environment is every child’s right. Access to clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices is critical for health and learning in school. COVID-19 has shown us the importance of hand hygiene to prevent the spread of disease.

An estimated (UNICEF) three billion people worldwide, including hundreds of millions of school-going children, do not have access to hand-washing facilities with soap. This includes 6 million Kenyan youth in primary and secondary school. The consequences of unsafe water and lack of hygiene can be deadly.

In December 2010, CES was part of a UN Conference that brought together best practices of hygiene in schools. Since that time CES has highlighted the Hand-Wash station at Kimang’eti Girls HS as a model that combines hand washing with soap and agri-irrigation strategies. The treated water systems giving access to clean water at the Village of Lutaso and four other schools in the area, stands as a model of collaboration (2016-19) between Water Mission and CES Canada/Kenya with funding from the Peter Cundill Foundation and the Paul Due Jensen Foundation.

As we move forward, our goal is to utilize the resources and energies of our CES Alumni to become involved in their former secondary schools as ambassadors, educators and role models of hygiene management and healthy living.

CES Canada continues to create new opportunities in western Kenyan schools to educate and provide access to washing hands with soap. The Global Hand-Washing Partnership continues its commitment to serve as leader for hand hygiene and serve as a knowledge hub for the promoters of hand hygiene, a group that CES Canada plays a part in.