Staff are making great efforts in educating the families in the slums who are part of the Strong Families Program. Staff know the more information families have, the safer, healthier, and more successful they can be together.
Recently the Strong Families staff team did a global handwashing class on October 15th. They took a foamy ball, rolled it in glitter, and then played a passing game to illustrate how easily germs can be spread from simply touching things others have also touched. This taught them the importance of cleanliness and together they spent time learning an Indian handwashing song.
Another way staff are growing community awareness is by providing hygiene classes for the teen girls in the program. Recently, the moms attended classes with their daughters and staff were encouraged by their desire to learn proper hygiene during monthly cycles. Each month, families receive sanitary items to reinforce what they learned in the classes.
An additional problem many face is anemia. To help with this, families are learning about common foods they can purchase and cook with to help build iron. Beets and spinach are becoming a more regular part of their diets.
These classes are multifaceted in their goals – to build awareness where there wasn’t any before, and to help each family learn the value and responsibility of pursuing health together.
