People’s self-discipline to wash their hands with soap is crucial to protect ourselves from COVID-19. Moreover, Indonesia is is entering the new normal to adapt with the COVID-19. Thus, the hand washing with soap campaign is still necessary to ensure the community makes this practice a habit.
Nowadays, many interesting stories on how the community promotes hand washing with soap have appeared.
In Bantaeng district, a runner club named Bantaeng Runners Community (BRC) led by Andi Harianto or known as Anto uses local wisdom to run the hand washing with soap campain.
Inspired by Tradition
Anto and his friends in BRC made ‘Barraneng’ to help their surrounding community develop hand washing with soap habits as they were inspired by the tradition of Bantang people.
‘Barraneng’ or often known as ‘gumbang’, ‘bempa’ or ‘padasang’ by the Bugisnese-Makassar community is a crock containing water usually used to wash hands and feet.
‘Barraneng’ was commonly found in front of the people’s houses so that the owners and guests could wash their feet before entering the house until 1990s.
“To make the hand washing with soap a sustainable behavior, there should be a modification that is rooted from the local culture,” Anto explained.
Thus, the BRC modified the ‘barrenneng’ and equipped it with water tap and soap.
Used Home Appliances
Before re-introducing the ‘barraneng’, Anto and the BRC members had actually made hand washing with soaps from used home appliances.
According to Anto, the development of hand washing with soap stations is a form of BRC’s participation to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading wider as well to set an example of hygiene and healthy behavior for the community.
In the beginning, BRC only made two hand washing with soap stations from used bucket or water bottle to save some money. Then, the facilities were placed in front of Anto’s house, which is also the meeting venue for the BRC members.
The BRC’s initiative also received supports from USAID IUWASH PLUS. Through a collaboration, USAID IUWASH PLUS provided water taps as well as hand washing with soap promotional posters and stickers, while the BRC prepared for the used home appliances.
Only within a week, 17 hand washing with soap stations were ready to use and to be distributed to the BRC members. Those facilities were placed in front of the members’ respective houses.
Social Media Promotion
To attract more people, Anto uploaded the ’barraneng’ and the activity to develop hand washing with soap stations in his social media. It turns out that his posts receive warm responses from the netizens.
Some of them shared Anto’s posts. Even more, many people follow Anto’s path to make the ‘barraneng’.
Furthermore, Anto also helped the community members who are not able to make the hand washing with soap stations independently.
Becoming the Agent of Change
Anto admitted that before the COVID-19 spread out widely, he less cared about hand washing with soap. “In the past, I washed my hands simply, when my hands looked dirty,” said Anto.
Yet, the fast spread of the COVID-19 has changed Anto’s perspective and habits. He, who used to be less care, now becomes the motor for the hand washing with soap behavior change.
Not limited to the hand washing with soap, Anto and the BRC members are committed to promoting other hygiene and healthy behavior, such as stop open defecation and piped water use.
Thus, USAID IUWASH PLUS provided an online training on how to develop promotional poster using digital media to five members of the BRC and to other organizations, such as Fattayat NU and Boetta Ilmu.
“The message on personal hygiene and sanitation is very good and important to disseminate. We will become the agent of change for those behavior change,” ended Anto.
Contributors Andi Harianto/Mashuri Mashar
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