Swadeshi Industrial Works PLC launched a novel hygiene awareness campaign titled ‘Swadeshi Khomba Baby Honda Purudu’ for Sri Lanka’s primary schoolchildren to coincide with World Children’s Day.
Grade three schoolchildren at Sapugaskanda Sobhitha Vidyalaya (Primary) took part in activities inculcating ‘Honda Purudu’ (Good habits) among them.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF Sri Lanka, Nilusha Patabendi outlined the 12 steps of washing hands properly. A hand-washing jingle was introduced to the school through a drama on the importance of Honda Purudu. The event was rounded off with the Honda Purudu line art drawing competition with 50 students showcasing their artistic talents.
Swadeshi Industrial Works spokesperson said, “We identified that HodaPurudu should not be limited to a particular day and that they should always be nurtured among children. So we were instrumental in fixing HodaPurudu awareness billboards inside the school which will remind students to adhere to good habits every time they see them. We are delighted to participate in this awareness campaign, which included UNICEF’s hand-washing guidance, and we look forward to conducting community empowerment projects of this calibre.”
As part of the HodaPurudu awareness campaign, Swadeshi Khomba Baby team fixed 12 boards in the school highlighting the 12 steps of Honda Purudu. The team also donated sinks that displayed the 12 steps of hand washing.
In 2019, Swadeshi entered into an agreement with UNICEF’s BetterParenting.LK, that saw the company support the online platform that offers expert information on childcare, development, food and nutrition to parents.