Madrinha-trust mentee for undergraduate scholarship
Project title: Infection control and healthy nutrition
Target Group: Children of ages between 5-14 years old.
“Teaching the basics of personal hygiene to children is of great importance for maintaining their cleanliness and health, especially for young children. They are more exposed to germs because they spend significant time in close and direct contact with each other, whether in lessons or play areas. When hygiene habits are instilled at a young age, they can prevent problems as children grow into adolescence.
Personal hygiene is one of the ways to care for the body, and its importance lies in protecting the body from millions of foreign germs and viruses. By practising personal hygiene, the body can be protected from diseases caused by these germs, and it also enhances the feeling of satisfaction with one’s general appearance.
We implemented the project in a private school by explaining simple PowerPoint slides to the children. During the awareness session, we gave motivational gifts to the students. Here are the most important personal hygiene habits for children that we explained to them:
- Skin hygiene:
- Take a shower regularly, using soap and warm water, and rub the skin well.
- Wash your face frequently with soap and water.
- Do not use other people’s personal tools.
- Hand hygiene:
- Learn the correct way to wash hands.
- Wash hands before and after eating and after playing.
- Hair hygiene:
- Wash hair regularly and trim the ends.
- Dental hygiene:
- Learn the correct way to brush teeth.
- Brush teeth after eating and before sleep, and avoid eating sweets frequently.
- Eyes, feet, nose, and ears hygiene:
- Wash them regularly.
- General Tips:
- Shower daily.
- Brush your teeth.
- Cut your nails.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Use your own tools, and do not use others’ tools.
- Always change clothes.
We then discussed healthy nutrition.
A healthy diet should contain reasonable amounts of fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates while reducing fats, salt, sodium, and sugars. We explained the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.
We also gave some tips on healthy nutrition:
Samar
- Eat a variety of different types of food.
- Choose fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Eat regularly and in moderate amounts.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Make carbohydrate-rich foods the basis of your diet.
- Eat fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid white bread and refined flour.
- Eat foods rich in dietary fibre.
- Drink milk and dairy products.
- Reduce the intake of sweets and sugars.
