Hygiene Education in Sudan: Issue Discovery through Group Discussion

JEN’s hygiene education in Sudan this year is provided to the communities, especially schools. The teachers and students had been participants until the year before, however, adults became leading player from this year. The method was not one way lecture style but participatory like the lessons held in the past. Here is an explanation by using the example of Adile primary school  in Kajo Keji county.

In October, each village had issue discovery sessions through group discussion. 15-6 villagers, not all, were gathered. Chief of the village helped to gather women and men, young to late middle aged people with good balance.

Then, they discussed what the problems are using picture cards. Some people had already knew the life with hygiene so that they detected toward the solutions by sharing information each other. This time, they discussed what is led if they did the business not in toilet but in the river or garden.

The picture cards helped the explanation and discussion which is difficult to express only by words. The session were progressed in a friendly atmosphere.




Mr. Bonny Loase (28)  rising 3 children said “If my youngest child did the business in our house or in front of the house, I will be clean it up as soon as possible to prevent from disease. I would like to attend next hygiene education session and learn more.”



At the edge of eaves at the rear of the group, people watched the session with their curiosity although they did not attend the discussion.



It took 90min by car from the town centre of Kajo Keji county to Kaiba  village which has the Adile primary school. We had to walk for 10 min to the village as we could not use cars due to the increasing of river water amount and the flow.


Due to the increasing the river water, JEN staff used wood combined bridge made by local people.



We arrived at the village by 10 min walk glancing sorghum farm at both sides of the road.

At the centre of the village, there are some buildings like below made by clay wall. The group discussion was held in the middle of there.



 
It took 10 min walk to the school to install wells and latrines from there. The inner garden of the school was beautiful. JEN and school staff checked together the place of installing the latrines. The candidate site was tussock at the edge of the school. Installation of the latrines would start next month led by local people.


It was a lunch break, when we visited. In the inner garden, the boys were enjoying playing football, girls were enjoying hit-ball game, in which they threw a tennis ball size ball from both side about 20m distance to the girls in the middle. If the ball hit one of them, they have to change the place. They enjoyed the lunch break.








(This project is supported by JPF and every one.)