Hyderabad: Youngistaan Foundation with the support of UNICEF distributed over 1,500 hand hygiene kits to Garbage Collectors who are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic as they go home to home to collect garbage.
Each hand hygiene kit includes 2 liquid hand wash bottles, 1 antiseptic liquid bottle, a pair of latex hand gloves to collect garbage, 3 detergent soaps, 4 reusable masks, 1 nail cutter, and communication materials on COVID-19 precautionary measures.
An Inaugural program of distribution of Hygiene Kits to garbage collectors was conducted at Charminar on Monday, 1st November 2021. Representatives from the Local Community, GHMC, UNICEF, and Youngistaan Foundation have participated in this event where 60 garbage collectors were given hygiene kits and awareness on COVID Appropriate Behaviour was conducted.
Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana said “I am happy to inaugurate this event of UNICEF, Youngistaan Foundation, and GHMC on Health and Hygiene during these COVID times. Reaching these hygiene kits with soaps, gloves, masks, and sanitizers to common people will not only help them but will also inculcate in them Hygiene habits during this Pandemic.”
Badhavath Santhosh, IASAdditional Commissioner Health, GHMC, said “Swachh Auto Tipper Drivers interact with every household on a daily basis by going door to door to collect garbage. In order to support such vulnerable people who are at high risk, Youngistaan Foundation and UNICEF have come forward to provide essential hygiene kits to help them combat COVID-19.”
Arun Daniel Yellamaty, Founder, Director, Youngistaan Foundation, “We are very happy to do our bit in helping the garbage collectors who do a lot for the community and are more vulnerable during this pandemic. We
plan to distribute to over 1500 people of them and also work with them in the upcoming days as well. We want to thank Ghmc and UNICEF for all the support.”
Venkatesh Aralikatty, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, UNICEF Hyderabad, “As part of Global Humanitarian action for children and response to COVID 19 pandemic, UNICEF Hyderabad field office in partnership with Youngistaan Foundation and GHMC is distributing Hygiene kits to SATs in Hyderabad to help prevent and arrest the spread of COVID 19. These Hygiene kits shall help and inculcate the habit of Handwashing and keeping themselves safe from COVID-19. UNICEF and Youngistaan Foundation is also creating a pool of Volunteers to address WASH and COVID 19 issues in Hyderabad and Telangana state at large. Today’s inaugural event on distribution of Hygiene kits at Charminar with Chief Guest Hon’ble Governor of Haryana Sri Bandaru Dattatreya has highlighted the importance of COVID appropriate behaviors to be continued by people.”
Speaking to a few local garbage collectors, Krishnaveni, SAT Auto Garbage Collector said “I always go and help my husband to pick garbage, But never paid too much of attention towards sanitation as anyone ever told us or alerted us about the safety hazards and I always worried of my daughter’s safety. But now due to this awareness created here, I will be much careful hereafter.”
Narasimha, SAT Auto Garbage Collector at Punchamala, said, “this is the first time people came and interacted with us and gave us hygiene kits in the entire pandemic. I am very happy to get the gloves and will be using this hereafter to be more careful and safe during this pandemic.”
As a follow-up to this drive, the team will be conducting a feedback survey from the garbage collectors to understand the scenario of hygiene practices and their reach out with awareness messages to their immediate audiences.
This program was supported by UNICEF under the COVID-19 response and humanitarian action program. Youngistaan Foundation with the support of UNICEF, State and District administrations, Municipal Corporations will be conducting awareness drives among garbage collectors, installing handwash stations, enabling young volunteers to participate in advocating the importance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour in rural and urban communities of Telangana.
