BY NED GAGAHE
Marvin Memorial Community High School (CHS) in Central Islands Province joined 30 other schools across the province and rest of the world to commemorate World Handwashing Day on Wednesday October 15, 2025.
Island Sun was on the ground to witness the colourful celebration, that brought together students, teachers, parents, and the surrounding Haleta community. This is the first time ever that the Global Handwashing Day was celebrated in the country.
The day began with a vibrant parade through Haleta village, led by the entire school. Students proudly chanted a special poem they composed for the day, drawing attention from the whole community.
Various school activities were showcased, including art displays, and demonstrations highlighting students’ creativity and understanding of hygiene practices. From Early Childhood to Secondary level, every class took part in the celebration.
Adding to the excitement, the school launched its own theme song for the day, sung passionately by both students and teachers. Parents and community members turned out in large numbers to join in the event, showing strong community support.
The formal part of the program featured speeches, awareness talks, and a show of locally made handwashing facilities designed by teachers and students.
Global Handwashing Day, is observed every year on October 15. The 2025 theme “Be a Handwashing Hero” was used worldwide to encourage people — especially children, parents, teachers, and healthcare workers — to promote hand hygiene in their communities.
Year Six student Simon Peter said the commemoration was both exciting and educational.
“Clean hands make us clean and healthy. Handwashing prevents diseases and stops harmful germs from entering our bodies,” he said.
Year Seven student Salome Sogho also expressed her happiness to be part of the global event.
“Today is an important day, Global Handwashing Day. I know people around the world are also observing this day. Handwashing is very important for us students and everyone because it helps keep our bodies clean and healthy,” she said.
School Principal (Secondary Sector) Mr George Solomon Gegere said Global Handwashing Day is an important event for students to learn about good hygiene.
“The day is very important, especially for young people, students, and those still in school. Without proper hygiene and handwashing, their future health could be at risk. Handwashing has a big impact on the wellbeing of children,” he said.
“People around the world are also observing this day.
“Here at Marvin CHS, we gathered to promote good hygiene and demonstrated some of the handwashing facilities that were supported by UNICEF earlier this year,” he added.
School Principal (Primary Sector) Mr Mclean James said that while Marvin CHS continues to face challenges in accessing proper WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities, the school remains committed to teaching students through local innovation.
“Marvin CHS has not received the same support as other schools.
“Most of our facilities are locally made. We teachers and students use materials like drinking bottles and bamboo to build handwashing stations. It’s a creative way to teach students the importance of hygiene,” James said.
He also revealed that the school has developed a WASH Improvement Plan 2026, which aims to improve facilities and strengthen hygiene education in the coming years.
UNICEF National Officer for WASH in Schools and Health Care Facilities, Patricia Keniherea, said 30 schools in Central Islands Province are currently part of the WASH in Schools programme, which is funded by the Australian Government and implemented by the Central Islands Provincial Education Authority with technical support from UNICEF.
Keniherea explained that the two-year project, which began in April 2024 and will end in April 2026, has two main components — hardware development and hygiene behaviour change.
“The hardware component includes construction of water supply systems, sanitation blocks, and handwashing stations.
“The behaviour change component focuses on hygiene training for teachers, school boards, community leaders, and parents, using the Solomon Islands National WASH in Schools Standards,” she said.
She added that Global Handwashing Day allows schools to advocate for hand hygiene through creative activities such as poems, songs, and dramas.
“This is the first time schools in Central Islands Province are commemorating a global hygiene event like this.
“We hope this event inspires other schools across the country to also hold their own hygiene advocacy and promotion activities,” Keniherea said.
She said such events give schools the opportunity to raise awareness about proper handwashing at critical times — before eating, after using the toilet, after playing with animals, after caring for the elderly, and after caring for babies.
“When we celebrate global events like this in schools, we create an opportunity to advocate for positive change within schools, communities, and families,” Keniherea said.
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