Global Handwashing Day: Let's reach for 5!

Hello! So for the past two weeks, we've taken a peek in the lives of some mothers. And while we've seen all sorts of little details in their lives, I've realized we've probably missed out on some rather usual stuff that everyone does. Like going to the toilet perhaps. Or even washing our hands. Little things that don't seem to count as much, but may really matter.

Over on our side, we do wash our hands rather often (I admit, I am quite a germaphobe!). We get Junior J to wash his hands after trips to the playground (especially when we see kids with drippy noses playing there), and before meals. He actually enjoys washing his hands. After all, it has to do with soap...

... and water, two of the things kids love to play with.

And Baby J has also had to wash his hands, since he's been crawling around at the same playgrounds. He's started self-feeding recently, which all the more calls for his hands to be clean.

Hand washing is something that we've taken for granted, and we sometimes forget that it is something essential to health (we are then reminded when there is an out-break of hand foot mouth disease in the kindergarten that our child attends!). Each year, more than 2 million children do not make it to their 5th birthday, due to causes such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. According to the World Health Organization, hygiene interventions such as the promoting of hand washing actually reduce diarrhoeal cases by up to 45%. This means many of these deaths might have been prevented by the simple habit of hand washing.

Today, Global Handwashing Day is being celebrated in 100 countries across the world. Do take the time to wash your hands, plus get your kids to do so too (if you'd like, you can even get some printables here)! And if you are curious, you can also hop over to take a peek at the celebrations, which are part of the initiative by Lifebuoy to promote hygiene.

And beyond your own hand hygiene, how about taking the Lifebuoy pledge? Lifebuoy has been working with Millenium Villages Initiative to bring hygiene education to children in Africa. Each click on the "Like" button (no donations are required) translates to one more child being educated about hygiene, which may help prevent the spread of fatal diseases. That's one more child reaching his 5th birthday!

The pledge is just one click away, and can make a difference in someone's life.  Let's help children around the world reach for 5!