200,000 HANDS, ONE MOVEMENT: MATERO CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO MAKE HANDWASHING A COMMUNITY CULTURE

By Alain Kabinda

A community-wide movement targeting 200,000 people has been launched in Matero, Lusaka, to promote handwashing as a daily habit and strengthen the fight against preventable diseases.

Dubbed Sambeni Kuminwe Campaign – Every Hand Counts, the six-month initiative seeks to transform hand hygiene from an occasional public health message into a shared community responsibility practised in homes, schools, workplaces, markets and public spaces.

The campaign, championed by health professional and community advocate Kachusha Nkosha, is being mobilised through the Youth WASH Ambassadors Club (YWAC), in partnership with Line Media and The Impact Solution.

It aims to reach residents across all ten zones of Matero, using community mobilisation, education, storytelling, innovation and practical demonstrations to encourage consistent handwashing practices.

The initiative comes against the recognition that although handwashing is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways of preventing disease transmission, awareness alone does not always translate into consistent practice.

Limited access to handwashing facilities, inadequate soap supplies, misconceptions and competing household priorities remain among the challenges that can prevent people from washing their hands at critical moments.

Through the Sambeni Kuminwe Campaign, organisers intend to bridge this gap by moving beyond conventional awareness activities and encouraging residents to take practical responsibility for improving hygiene within their households and communities.

The campaign is designed to involve everyone, including children, parents, teachers, community leaders, traders, young people, institutions and businesses.

Through a documentary-style community engagement approach, participants will be encouraged to publicly make their handwashing commitments, share their experiences and inspire others to adopt better hygiene practices.

Interactive community activities, demonstrations and creative communication will also be used to address everyday barriers to hand hygiene. The first community activation is expected to bring together residents at Matero Community Hall, with an initial target of reaching 1,000 people.

The free exhibition will showcase hygiene innovations, provide information on proper handwashing and encourage residents to become ambassadors of good hygiene practices in their respective households and neighbourhoods.

However, organisers say the ambition extends beyond the initial activation, with a broader vision of building a sustainable community movement that strengthens local ownership and attracts public and private sector investment in practical hygiene solutions.

Businesses, organisations and individuals are also being invited to support the campaign through donations of soap, installation of handwashing facilities, educational materials, branded campaign merchandise, technical assistance and community mobilisation.

The partnership brings together youth-led mobilisation, media engagement and community impact approaches to ensure that the handwashing message reaches people beyond traditional public health awareness platforms.

At its core, the campaign is anchored on the belief that lasting public health improvements require collective action, with every individual playing a role in protecting families and communities.

The organisers maintain that the success of the initiative will not only be measured by the number of people reached but also by the extent to which handwashing becomes an everyday culture across Matero.

With a target of 200,000 participants over six months, the campaign is calling on residents and stakeholders across Lusaka to join the movement and make hand hygiene a shared responsibility.

As the initiative gathers momentum, its message remains simple: one person can influence a household, one household can inspire a neighbourhood, and neighbourhoods working together can transform an entire community.