“I am always the first one to wake up in the morning to prepare breakfast and get things ready for the day for my husband and children,” said Razia Aapa, a resident of Dhori village in Sargodha, Punjab.
Like many other women of this village, Razia Aapa is a housewife who spends her day and night taking care of her home and family; a role which defines the lives of a majority of the women across villages, towns and cities in Pakistan. What is however often overlooked is the fact that in doing so, these women lay the very foundation of creating a nourishing environment for an entire generation and perhaps many more to come.
Razia ensures a clean and comfortable environment for her family, prioritises every need of her family and nurtures her home with love, care and harmony. However, in the less affluent areas of our country, people are not accustomed to the essentials of a healthy lifestyle.
Not only the lack of resources but more importantly the lack of awareness and education deprives them of the fundamentals of ensuring a healthier lifestyle. This in turn affects the mothers’ ability to cater to her child’s hygiene and despite her best efforts; the child is vulnerable to diseases like typhoid, influenza and even diarrhoea - diseases which can otherwise be easily prevented.
It is vital to ensure that adequate avenues of education and awareness are created in our society for healthier growth of the upcoming generations. Educating and empowering women to take charge can bring about a positive change in our society.
Considering over 60% of the overall population of our country resides in the rural areas, the need is to create a healthier environment nationally.
Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan, makers of Dettol and Harpic, under their social responsibility umbrella of “Sehatmand Gharanay, Khushaal Pakistan (SGKP)” initiated the education and empowerment of women from low-income households stressing a healthier and more hygienic lifestyle. It began as a pilot project in Dhori, a small village in Punjab with approximately 600 households.
The three steps program aims to educate women, provide them with cost-effective solutions in the form of hygiene products to complement this education, and empower them as agents of change while helping them earn livelihood.
The results from Dhori were phenomenal with significant reductions in diarrhoeal incidences and open defecation coupled with massive improvements in people washing hands at critical times and treating water before drinking. Additionally, 44 motivated households constructed washrooms in their households realising its importance as a result of this intervention.
From regular hand washing and boiling drinking water before use to the consequences of open defecation, the awareness sessions have successfully educated and empowered women identified as Sehat Aapas, to not only make a difference to their homes but also the society they exist in.
“I never knew our water was unsafe for drinking before this programme. They demonstrated us how important it is to boil the water before drinking and to clean our utensils properly. They also taught us to wash hands at various critical times during the day and I have taught my children the same. Who knew such small things make such a huge difference and I have learnt to believe that a healthier lifestyle is highly needed for the betterment of our society,” remarked Razia, now a Sehat Aapa in Dhori.
In addition to educating households, the project empowers women to become agents of change in the society. Defying the conventional norms, these Sehat Aapas go door-to-door carrying a basket of various health and hygiene products that they sell and earn livelihood from.
All Sehat Aapas from Dhori made sufficient amount of income to add to their household income which kept them motivated to spread the message across their villages. The idea is to create a sense of empowerment and achievement among these women who promote the idea of a healthier lifestyle in their communities.
The initiative is now being implemented to reach out to over 25 villages aiming to impact thousands of households. With the expansion of this programme, we can hope to witness a sustainable change in the society through women empowerment contributing to a healthier, happier Pakistan.