There are many things that community members could do to stop the Covid-19 transmission, among others is to adopt proper hand washing with soap in key times as a habit. Unfortunately, some people have not yet to adopt this practice. Thus, campaign in the proper hand washing with soap during key times should be conducted more intensively, particularly in USAID IUWASH PLUS assisted urban villages.
This is what Faisal T. Waiola, the Coordinator of the Participatory M&E Team in Sulamadaha uban villag in Ternate city, has done. The participatory M&E team is a community based organization trained by USAID IUWASH PLUS program to encourage improvements of household water and sanitation access as well as to promote behavior change. These activities are implemented with supports from local community health center and USAID IUWASH PLUS.
Initial Measure
In mid-March 2020, Faisal led the participatory M&E team to assist the BKM of Sulamadaa Mosque to make three hand washing with soap facilities from used bucket. Then, they placed the facilities in the mosque area to get the community used to wash their hands with soap before entering the mosque.
According to Faisal, they placed the hand washing with soap facilities in the mosque at that time since there were people praying in the mosque.
Besides preparing the facilities, the participatory M&E team also educated the community on how to wash with hands properly in the key times. Those messages were delivered through banners and stickers so that the community members remember the messages and practice them at home.
Further, Faisal explained that the Participatory M&E team has already promoted hand washing with soap before the Covid-19 pandemic. The team carries out this activity as part of their responsibilities to practice clean and healthy behavior.
More People Participate
To attract more people, Faisal posted the benefits of hand washing with soap in his Facebook account. Furthermore, he also provides water taps and hand washing with soap stickers to the community who build hand washing with soap stations at home.
As of mid-April 2020, five households have built the hand washing with soap stations at home through supports from Faisal.
“Let’s cut Covid-19 transmission by washing our hands with soap properly and wearing mask,” invite Faisal.
Contributors: Shofyan Ardiansyah/Mashuri Mashar
Available in 
