Assumption
Giving soap, water & infrastructure is the solution?
What I learnt
Despite increasing access to hygiene resources like soap, water & infrastructure, illnesses are still affecting communities due to poor hygiene practices. Studies show that 47% of diarrheal diseases could be reduced simply by washing hands properly. Yet, even where water and soap are available, the behavioral adoption of hygiene is lacking. Its because of how people think, feel, and behave toward hygiene.
The question I had
How can we make hygiene habit a second nature, starting early at the roots of habit transformation?
How research can change
Informed observation - where hygiene becomes a performance
At a rural school, I observed children’s handwashing routines after informing them of the project. Students were camera-conscious and followed all the handwashing steps diligently, as they had been informed about the project and the observation. Most relied on buckets, soap, and even stones to scrub dirt.
Taking a step back
Silent observation - uncovering true hygiene habits
Assumption vs Reality
Germsters
A monthly hygiene habit kit : where habits meet play
Inspired by Charles Duhigg’s Cue–Routine–Reward framework from The Power of Habit, Germsters is designed to instill hygiene practices as playful, repeatable habits. A new hygiene habit is introduced each month using similar playful methods.
Cue
Using metaphors to influence behaviour
Testing it out
From urban homes
Testing it out
To rural classrooms
