Sport creates rituals and habits. Often girls are not taught effective hygiene habits at home. A sport environment can be a place to learn about personal caretaking and regularise healthy habits. For example, older players and coaches can emphasise and model washing up after a game or practice. Leaders can emphasise the importance of being healthy in order to excel and perform optimally on the field. A facilitator or coach can educate girls on very basic issues, such as how to wash up properly and answer questions about perspiration, bodily function and puberty changes, what is normal and what is not.
Useful Example – Partners in Healthcare and Hygiene
Boxgirls is a boxing programme in the slums of Nairobi that caters to nearly 700 girls. Due to rampant domestic and sexual abuse among girls in the slums, the programme uses self-defence training to teach the girls how to defend themselves against GBV. The slums are so dangerous that the girls simply do not walk out at night; even using the toilet becomes a challenge. The Foundation for International Cardiac and Children's Services (FICCS) has partnered with Boxgirls to provide them healthcare and hygiene support, including sending nurses on a weekly basis to support the girls. In addition to medical support, FICCS donated much needed boxing gloves and first aid supplies, including sanitary pads, which assists the girls in their training, and most importantly, they now have proper medical and hygiene supplies as they travel to different tournaments.
Useful Example – Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
WASH United uses three key tactics to fight for safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for all people and to put sanitation and hygiene in the spotlight:
- Harness the passion for sport and the role model status of super stars
- Use fun, interactive games and storytelling to promote learning and facilitate long-term behaviour change
- Focus on positive, aspirational communications that appeal to higher-level human needs and desires
Adolescent Girl Life Skills: