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Lifestyle Editor
Gospel musician Fungisai Zvakavapano Mashavave (pictured) is the brand ambassador of the Unilever’s Lifebouy School of 5 hand-washing programme.The five pillars of the programme are that children should learn to wash their hands when bathing, before each of the main meals namely breakfast, lunch and supper as well as each time after using the toilet.

Speaking at the unveiling of Fungisai at Unilever’s country headquarters in Workington yesterday, Lifebouy brand manager and programme manager for the hand-washing progrmame Chengetai Mujakachi said that the decision to appoint Fungisai was based on who the musician is as a person:

“Fungisai is a mother to children in the six to 10 year category which is the age group that we are targeting. She is also a celebrity and an opinion shaper. She is also an ordinary person with strong Christian values and has always projected a positive brand image. She is someone that the children can look up to, they call her “Mama Fungi” and she entertains them during the programme.”

She said the 6 to ten age group was selected as it was felt that they are still young enough to be amenable to behavioural change through the 21 day period as recommended by research but also mature enough to understand why they should wash their hands. It is also believed that they will carry the message far with each child inculcating behavioural change in at least five people outside school.

Mujakachira also went onto to say that the programme has already been initiated at five schools in Chitungwiza and will gradually spread to other schools in the Great Harare environs before going to Bulawayo, Masvingo and Mutare in the last quarter of this year.

Fungisai said she is honoured to work with Lifebouy because it is one of the largest health brands in the world.

“I chose to work with Unilever because I know that by keeping my children healthy I have a happy family. So I would like spread that simple but essential message to all the other mothers out there, anything to impact positively on my fellow Zimbabweans,” said Fungisai.

Unilever is working with the Government through the ministries responsible for education and health. They work through school health masters and with the aid of specially trained teachers who manage the programme with support and five visits from the Lifebouy team.
Diarrhoeal disease remain a cause for concern in the countries with periodic outbreaks of things like typhoid and dysentery. The worst outbreak was in 2008 when a cholera outbreak swept through some high density suburbs of Harare and spread to other parts of the country.

Mujakachira said that the programme is set to become a permanent one in the school landscape.

“As long as Unilever is operational in the country we will be doing this.”