Lift up cyclone-devastated families in Mozambique

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) continues its support of hygiene awareness-raising activities in Govuro District, Inhambane Province, where an outbreak of cholera has grown exponentially after Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

This is a story of Percilia and she is a nurse works at the Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) of a Health Center during the cholera outbreak.

Percilia explaining a story

Percilia :

“The hygiene awareness-raising activities by PWJ has created many positive impacts on the local communities and the Health Center. 

The Health Center did not have disinfectant before the project, and the cholera-contaminated latrine pits were abandoned without disinfection. PWJ provided granulated chlorine, a product that the Health Center needed to disinfect hands, utensils and for other cleaning work. We could finally disinfect the latrine pits in the CTC, which were abandoned and simply covered with plastic sheeting.

PWJ also constructed 7 latrines in the Health Center CTC for both patients and healthcare workers. There used to be a much greater need of latrines since there were no latrines for patients in the Health Centre before.

PWJ’s Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion activities included the distribution of slabs and construction of improved traditional latrines, raising awareness on the proper usage of latrines, distribution of Cholera response kits. These activities will save the community in response to Cholera outbreak and facilitate the reduction of patients in the Health Center.

The behavioral change of people with Hygiene awareness is normally difficult when people are not used to the idea. People had never used latrines, depended on open defecation at the Save River banks.

PWJ tried to facilitate community dialogues through community mass meetings, and Hygiene promoters conducted door to door visits to explain the importance of latrine usages. The community involvement and the participatory approach worked very well, so people use the latrines now.

I think it is important to continue the explanation of why using the latrines is important over the long time so that the behavioral change becomes stable and it becomes habit. It is also necessary to fully understand about the cholera disease.” 

PWJ believes that it is also vital for children to understand the importance of latrines from an early age, and held the cholera prevention workshops at primary schools. The children were very attentive at the workshop.

About a year has passed since Cyclone Freddy, the environment of the affected areas is becoming better and cleaner than before. 

PWJ continues its support for strengthening the resilience of people in disaster-affected areas. With your support, the damage of the repeated disasters can be reduced. Your support is always greatly appreciated.