Volunteers empowered to promote hygiene

The Story Workshop Education Trust has empowered 140 community volunteers to promote sanitation and hygiene issues in Salima District.

Speaking on Thursday during orientation of the volunteers in the district, The Story Workshop Education Trust Salima district project officer Phyllis Chingana said the volunteers are critical for influencing behaviour change among community members.

She said the volunteers, from traditional authorities Mwanza and Khombedza, will collect data from households on hygiene, nutrition and agricultural issues.

“The volunteers are championing hygiene and nutrition issues in their communities. They are promoters and cluster leaders, therefore, we have taken advantage of their knowledge to continue sensitising their communities to issues affecting them,” said Chingana.

She said they are implementing a Community Connect Project aimed at reducing fatality rate and the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases through community engagement and information-sharing in the district.

“The project provides support on existing government efforts to address good hygiene, nutrition, health, gender-based violence and disease prevention,” said Chingana.

One of the volunteers, Thokozani Katondo, said the orientation was timely as his area struggled with cholera cases since last year.

The project targets 100 000 households in the district.