Prudence’s Journey 

A Grade 7 student, Prudence lives with her parents and siblings. Though the journey to school is long, she tackles it daily with a smile, often accompanied by her friends. 

Prudence’s favourite subject is English, and her biggest inspiration is her teacher. “I want to become a teacher like her one day,” she told us.  

Prudence is learning skills that help in everyday life. With her schoolmates she attended the five interactive Hygiene Behaviour Change (HBC) sessions which covered essential topics such as maintaining a clean environment, proper use and cleaning of toilets, and especially the importance of accessing safe water. Prudence learned that water taken from unsafe sources must be either boiled or treated with chlorine before drinking to ensure it is safe. Before the sessions, not many people at school knew much about hygiene or how to practise it. 

One habit she has fully embraced is handwashing.  

“Even if my hands don’t look dirty, I always wash them properly, before meals, after using the toilet, when preparing food, and before going to class.” 

These habits have not only stuck with her but have influenced her home life as well. After learning about food safety during the HBC sessions, Prudence shared the knowledge with her parents. Now, they make sure all leftovers are properly covered. 

What stood out most to her, is the way the HBC programme made learning enjoyable. “I really enjoyed the group activities, quizzes, and games, they were fun and engaging.” 

Prudence’s story is a powerful reminder of how education can positively impact families and communities.