Health and Hygiene Promotion (HHP) Training for Religion's Teachers

The result of Impact Assessment of Community Training on Water Borne Diseases Prevention and Reduction that was conducted by Cordaid in November 2007 shown that basically the community has had the health and hygiene knowledge, but there is still a lack of will in practicing it in their daily life. Moreover, based on the analysis of medical records of Local Health Center (PUSTU), it showed that the water borne diseases such as skin diseases and Diarrhea are still in the top three of diseases that suffered by the community.

In line with this, the phenomenon observed by Community Development Department that religious activities takes an important part in the community, among religious leaders and among religion’s teachers also play a significant role in the village in which they have routine meeting and activities with the community, teaching the young ages and adult about religion. (There is also famous slogan that Health and Hygiene behavior it is part of faith and it is important to implement it in daily life).

Hoping that the religious leaders and the religion’s teachers can disseminate the health education through their preaching and their teaching to the community and also encourage the community to improve their health and hygiene living condition, Cordaid in collaboration with North Aceh Health Department conducted Hygiene and Health Promotion Training for religion’s teacher from six villages of Cordaid target areas on 30-31 January 2008.

The training are attended by The Head of Enviromental and Sanitation Division of North Aceh Health Department and it staffs, Cordaid Project Manager, Cordaid Asst. Project Manager, two CD staffs, 30 trainees, Religious leader, religious teacher, and Meunasah keeper.

In her short speech, Ibu Hamini, The Head of Enviromental and Health Sanitation Division of North Aceh Health Department, said that for the last two years Cordaid in collaboration with North Aceh Health Department has conducted HHP (Health and Hygiene Promotion for all households in Cordaid targeted 6 villages. She also expressed her thankfulness to Cordaid for conducted the HHP training as she mentioned that if the community only counts on the government, then such training could never be delivered in the village because the government has limited fund.

‘I hope through this training Tengku and Ummi (Names addressed for male and female of religious leaders and religion’s teacher) would disseminate the health education you’ve got from the training to the community and encourage the community to practice the HHP in their daily life, said Ibu Hamini at the end of her speech.

Gladys, Cordaid Seunuddon Project Manager, also thanked Ibu Hamini and all the trainees and she also hoped that all trainees can participate actively during the training and enjoy the training days.

During the training that used participatory methodology, the trainees both female and male were participating actively in group discussion. Each group, represented by one of the group member presented their group discussion about the topic given (chosen by using puzzle games) in front of all trainees that use two ways communication in which other groups could raise a question, give comment or suggestion.

At the end of each session, as the training is divided into four sessions, there would be a quiz to refresh and review the memory of the trainees about the lesson delivered in each session. The trainees seemed can’t wait to raised  their hand and answer the question given although some of them didn’t give a correct answer and sometimes another trainees have to give additional answer but they looked enjoy it very much and were laughing happily.

On the last hour of the training, there was a time for the trainees to share their opinion about the training process, and make an action plan in which they explained what they would do to the knowledge they’ve got during the training.

The conclusion of the trainees feeling is as followed; most of the trainees felt happy and satisfied because Cordaid and Health Department has been trained and served them well in the two days training and they also said that they got a valuable knowledge that they would disseminate not only for their family but also for their communities.

Then, for the Action Plan, the trainees said that the first thing that they would do is to start practice the HHP from their own self and their family since they believe if people see them then the people around them would do the same thing. They also said that they would encourage the communities to have health and hygiene behavior by disseminate the health education to their students and to their communities through their preaching and teaching this HHP in Mosque or religious activities (pengajian) as well. (Sinthia and Roma – Cordaid CD Team - Lhokseumawe)