Lifebuoy appoints 2 CEOs to champion handwashing in Ghana

Belicia Asigri (left) and Kwame Danquah

Lifebuoy, hygiene soap brand, has celebrated Global Handwashing Day in Ghana by appointing two “H for Handwashing” Chief Education Officers (CEOs) who will spread the important message of handwashing with soap and water.

The two CEOs were announced during a celebration at the Christ the King International School in Accra after a nationwide selection process where two pupils, Belicia Asigri of Services Basic School and Kwame Danquah of Christ the King International School were handpicked from dozens of children under the age of 12.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Director of Pre-Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education, Nana Baffuor Awuah, lauded the use of children as peer educators, saying.

He said “I have no doubt that this initiative will raise a generation of hygiene-conscious citizens who will add to the development of the nation through sensitisation in their communities and become responsible change agents.”

Osato Evbuomwan, Category Manager Skin Cleansing of Unilever Ghana said, “Lifebuoy’s purpose has always been about preventing illness by promoting good hand hygiene through handwashing with soap.”

According to him, “this Global Handwashing Day, we are incredibly excited to recognise the fundamental role children can play in spreading the message that H must stand for Handwashing. Through the power of peer-to-peer learning, we hope to inspire more children to rise and change the world’s handwashing behaviours.”

With Lifebuoy having already reached over six million schoolchildren across Ghana with educational material to improve handwashing behaviours, the new CEOs will be accelerating the impact through peer-to-peer learning and calling on schools to integrate hygiene into national curricula.

In 2020, Lifebuoy launched its award-winning campaign, “H is for Handwashing”, aiming to fundamentally change the world’s handwashing habits and accelerate handwashing behaviour change for children. Through this campaign the brand’s intent was to transform the letter H in the alphabet to a symbol for Handwashing.

This year, Lifebuoy is harnessing the power of peer-to-peer learning within the context of early childhood learning.

Numerous studies have shown that children are more likely to change their behaviour when influenced by others, with one study finding 59 per cent of students changing their behaviour after being influenced by their peers.

 Therefore, Lifebuoy is calling on young changemakers to take on the mantle of “H for Handwashing” Chief Education Officers (CEOs) to inspire and cultivate a new generation of hand hygiene ambassadors.