Clean water comes first. But clean water—alone—won’t solve the problem. Kids need to know how to wash their hands—after using the toilet and before eating meals. They must develop personal hygiene routines (e.g., hand washing, menstrual hygiene management and personal care) to advance their health.
Distinct Hand Washing Stations
Far too often, if water is present at all, kids must drink and wash their hands from the same spigots. Splash separates bubblers (for drinking) from taps (for hand washing), reducing the risk of water re-contamination and following best practices in public health.
We keep drinking fountains and hand-washing taps separate for greatest health impact.
Compelling Materials
Boring, irrelevant materials yield the poorest results. Splash designs fun, compelling and playful curricula to keep kids engaged and excited about healthy hygiene behaviors. We find our hardest work isn’t about technology—it’s about teaching kids to wash their hands!
Child-Centered Learning
Experiential learning is key. No textbook, alone, can do the job. Kids giggle, sing and learn as they gain hands-on practice and learning about the health impact of unclean water—and what they can do to promote health behaviors in others.
Soap is Key
In the proposed updates to the UN Millennium Development Goals for 2015 and beyond, it is clear that “hand washing with soap is a top priority in all settings.” Splash is perfectly positioned to deliver on this imperative, with the dual-focus of safe water and clean hands.
Behavior Change
While hand washing facilities and soap are the physical ingredients needed, it is only with education and behavior change that kids will keep their hands clean and their water safe. This is challenging work—perhaps our most difficult.
Long-term change drives everything we do. Splash isn’t content with short-term fixes. Sustainable impact matters.