A flurry of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that good hand hygiene saves lives. But this simple act of washing hands remains out of reach for many communities in Uganda. Despite social and economic challenges, a local youth group is advancing its efforts to ensure that vulnerable communities have access to basic hand hygiene. A series of feature stories to mark this year’s Global Handwashing Day on 15 October begins with their “smart innovation.”

1. ‘Ghetto Youths’ innovates handwashing in Kampala slums
A flurry of responsestothe COVID-19 pandemichas demonstratedthat good hand hygiene saveslives.
But this simple act of washing hands remains out of reach for many communities in Uganda. Despite
social and economic challenges, a local youth group is advancing its efforts to ensure that vulnerable
communities have access to basic hand hygiene. A series of feature stories to mark this year’s Global
Handwashing Day on 15 October begins with their “frugal innovation.”
RehemaNamulondohadtoclose herbusinessfornearlytwomonthsbecause she lackedahandwashing
facility. The 30-year-old resident of Kamwokya slum, just outside of the Ugandan capital Kampala, runs
one of the busiest restaurantsintheslum,which isprimarilyfrequentedbybodaboda(motorcycle) riders.
Considered an essential service, she was allowed to operate her canteen – but only if she provided
handwashing facilities.
“I was beingaskedtopartwithover US$50 fora standardhandwashingfacility, anditwasfar beyondmy
resources,” says Ms Namulondo. She was not alone. Many small business owners in the ghetto were
forcedto remaincloseddue to a lack of handwashingfacilities.Fortunately,agroup of local youthwere
spurred to come up with an affordable solution.
The Ghetto ResearchLab (GRL),a youth-orientedNGOinKamwokya,respondedtothe suddenincrease
in demand forsanitation andhygiene bydevisingthe “hands-off”washingstation,asimple buteffective
contactless handwashing facility.
“We realizedtherewasamuch greaterneedforusto washourhands thaneverbefore.We didnotwant
to wait for the government to come to our rescue. We decided to innovate this simple handwashing
equipmenttohelp the vulnerablepeople inthe slums,”saidPatrickMujuuzi,ateamleaderatthe Ghetto
Research Lab.
Ms Namulondowasone of the firstbeneficiariesof the new handwashingstation,allowinghertoreopen
her popular eatery. “This contactless handwashing stationsaved my business. I cannot imagine where I
would have earned a living without my restaurant,” she says.
Mr Mujuuzi and his team build the handwashing stations, and also make soap for the station. Each
handwashing station costs approximately US$13 to make, using local materials, and they are then
distributedfreeof charge toall Kampalaslums.Todate,the organizationhasproduced200handwashing
stations, which has provided employment for about 30 youth.
“This handwashing project has helped the youths in Kamwokya in various ways. Before making the
handwashing stations, we first trained them and then employedthem. Everyone who worked on this
project was paid at least $5,” Mr Mujuuzi explains.

2. “Washing hands is a luxury in the ghetto”
According to James Kakooza, the local council chairman for the Kamwokya II zone, handwashing is
considered a practice for the rich and is viewed as a “waste of water,” which remains in short supplyin
the slums.
However,he isquicktoadd that COVID-19has createda mindsetshift.He notesthatthe interventionby
GRL has brought handwashing services closer to a population often ignored and left behind.
“Since GRL introduced this facility, we have seen a sudden behavioural shift because unlike in the past
people are not being asked to pay to access water. There is, however, still a huge challenge,because
people are generallynotusedtowashinghands.The handwashingfacilitiesare stillnotenoughsopeople
go days without washing their hands,” Mr Kakooza says.
Global Handwashing Day
Speakingtothe slogan“Hand Hygienefor All” – the theme forthisyear’sGlobal HandwashingDay on 15
October – Mujuuzi explains that GRL’s interventionin sanitation and hygiene seeks to ensure that even
the vulnerable communities in the ghetto are not left behind and have access to basic hand hygiene
facilities. He adds, “Hand hygiene shouldn’t only be for the rich.”
Budgetary limitations, however, have made it difficult for the NGO to roll out handwashing stations to
more people.Mujuuzi says there isneedfor the governmenttosupportsmall scale innovatorsinWASH
to safeguard populations from not just COVID-19 but also future epidemics. ‘‘We appeal to more well-
wisherstointervene andhelpusempoweryouthstosetup more handwashingfacilitiesthatcan benefit
vulnerable people in the slums,” Mr Mujuuzi notes.
Dr Ekwaro Obuku,a physicianandhealthpolicyexpert inUganda,saysyouthacross the country mustbe
supportedtofosterinnovationsinhealth. “More thaneverbefore,COVID-19hasprovedthatsome of the
solutionswe are lookingforare all aroundus.The passionof…youthtodesigncost-effective handhygiene
facilities needs investment support from both the government and other partners.”
This story was published as part of a series to mark Global Handwashing Day 2020.