To have clean hands in a global pandemic: How Rwanda’s innovative methods to promote washing hands can inspire countries around the world (Draft)
From late February to today, the entire world is trying to survive the many trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 has drastically changed how people live in the world with numerous world leaders forcing many citizens to self-quarantine in their homes. While many are trying to safe in their homes, there are thousands upon thousands of people who are being negatively affected by this virus such as suffering greatly and quickly dying in over packed hospitals. While the virus has brought obstacles to many who cannot physically be present to stop the virus head on, there are innovators using online communicators like Zoom, Twitter, etc who are brainstorming many ways to help flatten the curve that the virus has imposed on the world. While the virus has rapidly spread to nearly every major world country, there are a few countries that have notably extremely low percentage of people being infected with the virus. One of these notable countries that have such a low number of is Rwanda. Rwanda is a country in East Africa and they have the lowest number of infected cases compared to the neighboring countries in Africa or in major first world countries. What greatly helps Rwanda combat against the spread of COVID-19 is through its innovative campaign to encourage citizens to constantly wash their hands.
Many innovators around the world are trying to figure out creative ways to promote the great importance of people needing to wash their hands during this situation. So far many governments around the world have just simply spread the rules and precautions of what to do during this pandemic on their websites or social media sites in these very bland bullet pointed lists. These lists dryly detail the important steps of staying safe such as staying indoors and washing your hands constantly if a person needs to leave their home for work. While it is important to share these posts, they are presented in a not very eye-catching manner which will result in the average person to generally skip over these vital pieces of information that is meant to help them. What Rwanda has done to spread their message of washing hands has brought many eyes and ears to listen and follow important instructions on keeping hands clean during this pandemic.
During the early stages of the pandemic, the Rwandan government had started normally sharing their message on television and social media sites on keeping hands clean during this situation. Quickly however, many Rwandan officials and medical workers shared vital pieces of information on what to do during this pandemic with songs about washing one’s hands on many social media sites.The songs that were posted came from past videos of volunteers at Rwandan schools educating and singing songs with students about how important it is to wash your hands for Global Hand washing Day. An article from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, an agency that specializes in supporting third world countries in serious situations, described how one volunteer named Yasuko Yoshiga participated with a volunteer group to promote to numerous Rwandan schools the importance of keeping hands clean. (See figure 1) With Rwandan officials and citizens alike sharing these songs, it highlights how much more attention is being placed on the message that the Rwandan government is trying to spread to all of its citizens. This concept of reminding people to wash their hands through songs is now being used more often around the world rather than just Rwanda.
One instance of this occurring is seen with Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers, posting on The Killers twitter account a video of him singing the bands’ hit song Mr. Brightside while washing his hands. (See figure 2) Flowers later explained on Twitter that people could sing this song for twenty seconds while washing their hands in order to be both timely and entertained when one washes their hands. This action has led to other famous artists such as Mariah Carey and Gloria Gaynor to also post videos of themselves singing along to their own songs while hand washing. With music artists using this method to remind people to wash their hands, it only shows how Rwanda understands that using music as a creative tool to keep citizens safe is will help a great deal with flattening the curve. While Rwanda has innovated the way people should promote the message of washing one’s hands, there is another innovation that the Rwandan Government has brought to the hard working people that still need to endure the outside world.
Even though millions around the world are strongly advised to stay at home, there are people deemed as essential workers that still need to go out in the world and perform their tasks. This situation however brings large amounts of risks towards many essential workers due their higher chances of being infected with COVID-19 just for being outside of their homes. What the many governments around the world have done to help people who still need to go outside is only advising people to wear protective masks and gloves while also staying six feet apart from one another. While these pieces of information are vital for people who still need to leave home, it does not help make sure people are consistently staying clean with their hands or even their face. In Rwanda, the government also had advised their citizens to wear protective clothes when leaving their homes but they also went one step further to ensure that the average person’s hands are usually clean. The government planned and quickly put in place the innovative idea of placing portable hand washing sinks in the many cities and towns of Rwanda. (See figure 3) Taking inspiration from New York City’s pay phones, the portable sinks are placed in the most heavily populated areas like the capital Kigali in Rwanda free for anyone to use at any time. In an article written for the website USNews, writer, Giulia Paravicini, details the many areas that contain numerous portable sinks. Paravicini reports that, “Banks, shops, restaurants as well as bars, have all been equipped with portable wash sinks and customers seem keen to use them.” (Paravicini, 6) Paravicini also highlights one person’s testimony about how they are constantly using the portable sinks. Paravicini writes, ““I just washed my hands at the bank and I now I just did again,” said Jean Pierre Habimana 48-year-old father of four as he was boarding a bus.” (Paravicini, 7) With Rwanda having these portable sinks set up, it has become one of the few countries to contain barely any confirmed cases in the country. This amazing feat is detailed by Paravicini saying, “Rwanda has not recorded any cases of the virus so far but neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed its first case on Tuesday, making it eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa hit by the epidemic.” (Paravicini, 2) With an achievement like this, it is only a matter of time before places elsewhere would follow the same footsteps as Rwanda.
Thankfully as recent as April 2nd, the state of Montana, U.S has been taking inspiration from the actions done by the Rwandan government. Writer for NBC Montana, Kevin Maki, wrote an article describing how some stores in Hamilton, Montana have begun installing portable sinks in stores. (See figure 4) Maki mentions in his article, “Some businesses and other public places that are still open have set up portable hand-washing sinks. At Super 1 Foods in Hamilton there are two portable sinks to use as soon as you walk in the door.” (Maki, 2) With constant instillations of portable sinks, to the incorporation of songs with promoting people to wash their hands, there are many innovations that Rwanda has put in place that other countries will need to take note of.
