FSD Uganda – Busoga Trust Jinja, Uganda Health and Hygiene Education

Community Partner Overview

Busoga Trust is located in Jinja town and operates in the rural communities in and around Jinja District. The mission of the organization is to work alongside rural Ugandan communities to enable comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene development. The organization works to improve the lives of the rural impoverished communities through safe and sufficient drinking water sources, sustainable water source management structures, construction of household sanitation and hygiene facilities and education on the importance of hygiene and sanitation.

Social Issue Focus and Impact

The Health and Hygiene Education internship covers public health campaigns to enhance awareness and the practice of proper hygiene and hand washing at critical times among primary school children and their families. In addition, the project provides education on menstrual hygiene in primary schools.

In Uganda, hygiene and sanitation is of critical concern for especially young children's health. Many children and families lack basic understanding of hygiene, including hand washing, water and sanitation, and menstrual hygiene for adolescent youth. This has far reaching Public health consequences. Most of the children are exposed to serious health hazards like contaminated food and water, which leads to typhoid, diarrheal diseases outbreaks. This is mostly attributed to community ignorance or lack of education about some basic health elements. A greater majority of the Ugandan population have very limited knowledge about how to handle some simple hygiene and sanitation issues which eventually leads to dire consequences including affecting Primary school education outcomes.

By participation in the Health and Hygiene Education project you will be contributing to addressing Public health challenges that affect especially the outcomes of school going children within your local community placement.

Project Description

As intern/volunteer you will listen to and gather input from youth, teachers, and other community stakeholders about these issues to ensure a sustainable and effective strategy to tackling hygiene and sanitation education. Together with the community colleagues, you will come up with interactive methods and use the methods on a project that will create awareness in ways that lead to behaviour change. You will be part of a bigger team responsible for promoting good health practices through a variety of public health interventions projects especially among children. The project is also expected to be environmentally and culturally appropriate to spearhead the campaign in the communities of placement.

As a Health and Hygiene Education Intern Uganda, you will be making positive contribution by proactively planning, implementing and evaluating campaigns to enhance awareness and the practice of proper hygiene and hand-washing at critical times among primary school children. The internship experience will help you to build your career while having a lasting impact on the people in the community of your placement.

Student Profile Health sciences, Sociology, Medical, Biology, and Nursing, Public health or similar related fields are able to apply to this Health and Hygiene Education Internship. An interest in water and sanitation and a background in education or training are highly desirable. You will be required to submit a CV as well as go through a phone interview for the vetting process before your placement is confirmed.