Global Handwashing Day Sparks Classroom Cleanliness
Abyei-Ajok Primary School in Rumbek Central County hosted Lakes State’s Global Handwashing Day ceremony, turning a routine awareness date into a vivid lesson for hundreds of pupils.
State Minister Zacharia Magot Ater Aguai told learners that “hand-washing must become a daily habit,” adding that trimmed nails and covered food form the bedrock of public health.
Officials Outline Broader Public Service Vision
Aguai linked the hygiene push to a wider agenda, noting Governor Rin Tueny Mabor’s focus on education, water, health, farming and roads. He credited national stability to President Salva Kiir, arguing that peace enables steady social investment.
Education Director-General Gabriel Maluac Yak said celebrating the day in schools “shows our commitment to clean drinking water and proper latrines for every child.”
NGOs Strengthen On-Site Sanitation Support
South Sudan Red Cross project coordinator Matur Ahou announced new volunteers to promote soap-or-ash hand-washing, insisting invisible germs are “beaten only by lather and time.”
Across Company’s Andrew Marial observed that sustained messaging has already raised hygiene awareness, translating into fewer stomach complaints reported by local clinics.
Community Calls for Water and Safety Measures
A land survey will allocate a 400 × 400 metre plot for future school expansion, Yak confirmed, while urging Red Cross partners to supply sanitary kits that keep adolescent girls in class.
Sub-Chief Makoi Bol appealed for a perimeter fence and borehole: pupils now cross busy roads for water and share latrines with villagers, “a risk we can correct,” he said.
Path Ahead for Healthier Learning Spaces
WASH director Abraham Majak distilled cleanliness into the “five Fs – feel, flies, food, fingers, forest,” cautioning against open defecation that contaminates water sources.
As the soap suds settled, officials, NGOs and parents left Abyei-Ajok with a common pledge: keep children healthy so that classrooms remain full and futures stay bright.