GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY 2015

Thank you to OMEP-USA Student Group Members Foundation Setters for Future Minds; Alpha Upsilon Gamma Chapter #001 of Atlanta Technical College (ATC) for Volunteering today for ‪#‎GlobalHandwashingDay‬ !

Thank you to Mrs. Katie Day their Advisor and head of the Early Childhood Program at ATC for instilling the importance of giving back to the community.

Thank you all for helping us promote ‪#‎healthyhandwashing‬ habits! ‪#‎WASH‬ ‪#‎WASHfromtheSTART‬

Today is ‪#‎Globalhandwashingday‬ as the Region 4 Representative for ‪#‎OMEPUSA‬ it is important to me to support the initiatives of our organization. Today we gave away gift bags that included dish soap, hand soap, tissue and hand sanitizer to emphasize the importance of Healthy Handwashing Habits as well as Clean Kitchen Cooking habits. We gave Healthy Schools, Healthy People certificates, courtesy of SNAP. SNAP is the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention. These were given for their efforts to improve “hand hygiene and reduce absenteeism.”

Katie Day, Head of the Early Childhood Education program and Student Advisor for Foundation Setters for Future Minds Alpha Upsilon Gamma Chapter #001 of Atlanta Technical College invited me out to speak to them about OMEP-USA last month. I was happy to oblige.

I left the meeting feeling inspired and made a pledge to sponsor their group membership. I asked a few things of them in return for that sponsorship: Be active and (SANKOFA) reach back to help the community.

I was inspired to SANKOFA (I use it as a verb), during our 67th OMEP World Assembly and International Conference by Dr. Valora Washington CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition who really helped me understand and see the importance of reaching back and helping the community. Helping our children, their families and even our fellow educators. I told the Students about two events I have planned ‪#‎UniversalChildrensDay‬ which is November 20th every year and #GlobalHandwashingDay.

I told them they could sign up and volunteer if they were interested. Today, they showed up along with Mrs. Day. Thank you Portia and Tobias! (Tobias, btw is a male educator! whoo hoo! We need more men in ECE)!! I’m so proud and thankful for them. They read to the children, and engaged them as Future ECE professionals should. I know they are gaining the skills and resources they need to be Child Development Professionals under the leadership of Mrs. Day!

You see, Mrs. Day was my Advisor when I was a student at Atlanta Technical College. She and Ms. Holloway are beautiful souls and educators who inspired me to be great and do great things! I am thankful for Mrs. Day’s personal investment in me. She believed me and always advised me well! I am thankful that she invited me out to speak to and inspire the new Early Childhood Education Students of Atlanta Technical College, and I am thankful that the student members took time out of their day to give back! I am Thankful for Dr. Washington for reminding me about the principles of Sankofa and the importance of “reaching back.”

I am thankful for Dr. Jean Simpson, President of OMEP-USA for giving me the opportunity to take on a leadership role as Region 4 Representative of OMEP-USA in 2013. I am thankful for Judith Wagner for nominating me as Board Member at Large as her last official duty as OMEP-USA president in 2011, when I was just a member, hungry to be involved in something far greater than me, bigger than anything I could ever have imagined.

I am grateful to Nitza B. Vega-Lahr for inspiring me to further my education and believing in me as an educator and for her leadership. I am thankful for @Donna Smythe the Executive Director of Child Development Association for her leadership and believing in me and her support. I am most thankful for my Mommy (yes Mommy) Beverley Adams who expected (expects) nothing less than my best, everyday, every time and was/is an excellent example of Womanhood and Motherhood. I love you!!!!!

I am thankful for my fellow educators with whom I have had the opportunity to work with over the years and who I work with today. Thank you to OMEP-USA Student member and @Child Development Association (CDA) staff; Jessica Stovall, a ECE student Atlanta Metropolitan State College, who planned the activities for the children today, and my friend and colleague Attallah Shabazz Pamoja for her help and support of the children and families we serve daily.

It has not always been easy, this journey, but I realize, every step, every child I hugged, taught and loved; every family I advocated for and supported, and who supported me, it was all worth it. All of it. I couldn’t be where I am today with out you, and this is only the beginning. Can you imagine what tomorrow will bring?

— by Ebony Cray Jones

OMEP Kenya global hand washing day project was done at Ebbenezer 56 academy in Kawangware. The project was conducted by OMEP Kenya secretary Mercy Macharia with the help of teacher Rossyline and teacher Jemimah.

Mercy Macharia facilitated a discussion with the children to increase the awareness of hand washing with soap and clean water. She started by asking the children the importance of handwashing with soap and clean water and when it should occur. The children actively participated by giving out their own views. Brian said that we should wash hands to prevent kipindupindu(chorella). Wambui said that washing hands with soap and clean water prevents us from having stomach aches and diarrhoea.

There were chorus answers from the children that we should wash our hands after visiting toilets, before eating our foods and after playing. We were very impressed that the children were already aware on the importance of handwashing. After having the discussion with the children, they were very happy and ready to spread the gospel of handwashing to their parents and caregivers. We also taught them a song on washing hands and we taught them how to wash their hands well guiding the smaller kids as they washed the hands. After everybody washed their hands, we were ready to share some snacks that we had bought for them and they all enjoyed the event. OMEP Kenya also donated soaps to the school to be used during school hours because that was the major challenge that the school faced.