Global Handwashing Day

In my years of experience as a producer, (no, i'm not going to say how many), I've done a lot of projects but only few really had an impact on me. I actually forget that I've been part of a big event as I worked from project to project over the years. The first ever Global Handwashing Day which was held yesterday at the West Rembo Sports Complex was one of those projects that made a mark for me. I won't describe the process of organizing this event because it's just work. It's part of my job. Whatever the hardships I went through... whatever the stress... it doesn't matter. What's important is that the event went well and it was successful.

I learned a lot during GHD production. I learned how to use the digital SLR camera. It's been ages since I last used my film SLR camera and now everything's digital. I learned to direct people during the shoot. I do this in some projects if there's no director but this time I got to ask people to dance and they're not professional talents. The shoots - I enjoyed so much. Two to four companies or groups from both private and public sectors a day was really exhausting but so much fun. I also got to be voice talent. I was one of the germ monsters that cause diseases in the program.

GHD editing went smoothly because my team was working on the videos while I was out shooting. The research for pictures was a bit heartbreaking for me because I got to see a lot of suffering kids. What can I do? I need them for the visuals. I also learned that there were a lot of kids who die of diarrhea, pneumonia, bulate and flu every single year. Knock on wood.

I've never been an advocate of handwashing. Putting my hands under running water was enough or a dab of hand sanitizer would often suffice or even a few splashes of rubbing alcohol. But my child was taught how to wash hands at school and I would often marvel as she counts from 1 to 20 while soaping her hands and she wasn't even 3 years old then. She even tells us Tatay, Mama, wash hands!

This GHD project though opened my eyes to the importance of washing one's hands with soap and clean water. I became aware of the 5 steps in washing one's hands.

1. wet your hands with clean and running water
2. lather and make lots of bubbles using a soap with long-lasting skin germ protection. (Okay. Use Safeguard. this is my blog so i can advertise.)
3. scrub the front and back of your hands
4. clean around and between every finger and under every fingernail
5. rinse and dry hands thoroughly. use clean towel.

Washing of hands should take about 20 seconds or the length of 2 happy birthday songs. No, no, no, not the "sayo ang inuman... sayo ang pulutan" version, just the traditional happy birthday song.

The fact that this project was UNICEF's with Safeguard as sponsor and me being a mom as well made this project meaningful for me. Three hundred Grade 1 kids from Fort Bonifacio Elementary School were invited to the event. Tonipet of Art Angel was a great host and captured the attention of everyone who was there. All the kids were eager to wash their hands at the mobile sinks in the venue. We had giant Disease monsters fabricated and as Senator Gordon, Sec Lapus, DOH NCR Regional Director Anden, Mr. Davis of UNICEF and Mr. Anand of P&G directed their highpowered water jets at the monsters, the mural that featured all the hands with signature of all sectors who support the cause was revealed as the monsters dissolved from the strength of the water from the hoses.

It was a great project for me. These are projects that make me proud to be a producer, a producer who now washes her hands as often as possible with soap and clean water. Lol!