South Africa PHASE project: “The community plays a critical role”

LANXESS sponsored PHASE project reaches out to Sondela community / Rustenburg community sensitized on personal hygiene and sanitation through campaign

The LANXESS sponsored Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education (PHASE) project reached out to the Sondela community in Rustenburg by conducting a mobilization campaign recently. The objective of the campaign is to sensitize and improve the knowledge of the community on personal hygiene, water and sanitation.

Sondela is a community in which Banapeli Primary School, one of the seven schools currently benefiting from the PHASE project, is situated. The event was attended by representatives from AMREF, LANXESS, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, Bojanala District Municipality, Rustenburg Local Municipality, Community Health Workers and community members.

Addressing the community, AMREF Projects Manager, Kennedy Sivhaga, highlighted the importance of the community’s involvement in achieving the objectives of the project.

“Although the project’s main focus is at schools, the community, particularly parents, plays a critical role in enforcing the hygiene practices at home. This campaign is aimed at getting community support to get your support in this project,” said Sivhaga.

Over 3000 learners drawn from seven schools in the Rustenburg area are benefiting from the PHASE. The project aims to reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases thereby improving school attendance and performance amongst learners.

To date, a total of 752 PHASE educational kits valued at approximately R150 000 were provided to participating schools and communities to begin training activities. The toolkits are meant to build capacity of teachers, learners and parents to improve knowledge and behavior related to hygiene in schools and community.

Teachers, school nurses, school governing body members and the project steering committee are amongst the groups that have received training on the use of PHASE material. According to AMREF, children in rural areas of the Rustenburg Local Municipality are at risk of many preventable health conditions such as malnutrition, HIV/Aids, diarrhoea and cholera. Furthermore, the lack of water and sanitation facilities in schools coupled with little or no hygiene education is a major contributing factor to the prevalence of waterborne diseases in children.

The two year long project, which began in 2011, is being executed in partnership with the largest NGO in Africa, African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). Its first phase is set to be completed in August 2013.

LANXESS has taken a worldwide interest in the megatrend water and has been involved in different water related activities in their business as well as in the community.