Bacteria Are Spread By Flies....

  Assisted by supporters and the NGO Japan Platform, JEN has continued, since April 2009, hygiene education at elementary schools in both Morobo district and Kashokeji district, located in Central Equatoria State.  At present, we are carrying out preliminary research checking the "hygiene  level" of children and clarifying the reasons why children are reluctant to follow hygienic rules.

  The research results showed that children have their own idea of hygiene manners. For example, some children, who have no toilets in their house believe that "they will not be sick if they leave faeces in the bushland"  This idea might be a combination of things taught by adults and the knowledge that Bacteria is scattered by flies, which they have learned in school.

  Concerning how to relieve diarrhea, the local people have their own beliefs. Diarrhea is very dangerous for them, especially for children, as it might sometimes cause dehydration.  It is said that a patient, in case of emergency, should take water which has similar ingredients to body water. The water is a mixture of a certain quantity of water, sugar and salt.  But some people think that water would not relieve diarrhea. Others think they should add coffee, soil, and mud to the water mix.

  The purpose of JEN projects is not to teach the local children the right knowledge and rules of public hygiene, and to make them follow the rules. Rather, JEN aims to let the children identify problems facing them and solve and analyze those problems independently by themselves.