KHT works with villages to support better health though the implementation of water and sanitation systems as well as hygiene education.
Whilst our water system and latrines are vital in supporting better health and dignity fort isolated and deprived Karen villages, our hygiene education is also a simple but important component of our work.
Our team work with the village to stress the importance of proper hand washing, the importance of keeping drinking water and food in safe containers, the importance of boiling water in certain seasons and the importance of keeping latrines clean.
The Karen are very capable of managing their own hygiene practices, however a group setting and reminder for the young and old on the ways disease can spread is a good way to empower people to take charge of their own health. The hygiene trainings during Covid helped dispel fears, gave people a sense of control and were important in reminding everyone about the value of social distancing and be extra vigilant.
Our hygiene training also provide a reminder on how to store and manage household water for the best health outcomes. As we move into a new project season, KHT will be looking into how else to improve our training sessions with villagers. We have been asked to include other health related information, and we were fortunate to have the support of Gordonstoun School who provided first aid training to one village last season.
An example of a poster we leave for the village to put up in bathrooms
and community spaces.
Our team often have to use both Karen and Thai to communicate with the village, as Karen is not a written language and all materials provided must be easy to understand from pictures and our training.
KHT is looking forward to improving us hygiene education and health support and we are grateful for your ongoing support! You can donate to our WASH projects today and helps us continue making a difference.
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