The campaign had a dedicated crew, equipped with Jeyes cleaning products and toilet sanitisers, to clean public toilets, school bathrooms, homes and community areas.

The initiative takes place over seven months from May to November, with the aim of continuing the work already initiated by the Western Cape Provincial Health Department. To ensure that people understand the benefits of good hygiene, MTC for Health have been commissioned to carry out a health education programme. Through home visits, community events and school visits, the programme targets both adults and children.

Busisiwe Ngcebetsha, project manager at MTC for Health, along with 3 trained health educators, will provide residents with basic information about hygiene, sanitation and the prevention and treatment of diarrhoea in children.

“Children are often eager to learn and willing to absorb new ideas. Therefore introducing hygiene behaviour at schools can lead to life-long positive habits amongst the youth. By helping to develop useful life skills on health, hygiene and sanitation a positive step is taken in the prevention of health risks and in some cases premature death,” says Ngcebetsha.

Four hundred learners from Intshayelelo Primary School and Ikhusi Primary School in Khayelitsha have already participated in the school health education events.