A corporate health and hygiene provider recently staged a cleanliness intervention at four schools in Centurion that saw them emerge amongst the cleanest in the city.
Bidvest Steiner’s annual adopt-a-school social investment project this year focused on getting the Itumeleng Lethabong Pre-school and Créche, the Tsepisa Primary School, the Bulamahlo Care Centre and the Raslouw Academy sparkling clean by implementing hygiene services, pest control and intensive cleaning.
Jan Dames, regional general manager of Bidvest Steiner, explained that good hygiene practices such as washing hands regularly with a good quality hand soap for at least 20 seconds were best learnt at an early age. “This is why we focused on young pupils who could be moulded into effective personal health and hygiene ambassadors for their communities,” he said.
There are many consequences to poor personal hygiene, including a general predisposition to becoming infected with anything from the E.coli bacteria strains to viruses.
In addition, someone who does not practice regular hand washing becomes a transmitter of viruses and bacteria themselves.
The adopt-a-school project was first rolled out at the Itumeleng Lethabong Pre-school and Créche in 2010, followed by the Bulamahlo Care Centre in 2012 and Tsepisa Primary School in 2013. Raslouw Academy was the latest addition to the programme.
Now the ubiquitous presence of health and hygiene items such as air freshener dispensers, She bins, paper towel dispensers and hand sanitiser stations have meant that pupils at the four schools have a new understanding of the importance of good hygiene.
“There is a health and safety requirement in every workplace today, so we believe our intervention is equipping pupils with the necessary hygiene skills they will need in the future,” Dames concluded.
