As part of its continuous commitment to inculcate long-lasting hygiene behaviours amongst communities, Unilever Sri Lanka’s flagship hygiene soap brand, Lifebuoy, commemorated Global Handwashing Day in partnership with the Sri Lanka Scouts Association to reiterate the importance of handwashing amongst the children at the 13th National Cuboree 2022 held at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.
The event involved educating over 12,000 children on the risks of poor hand hygiene and teaching them easy steps of handwashing via interactive and informative activities. The initiative also harnessed the natural leadership abilities of the children and encouraged them to spread their learnings on the importance of handwashing to five other people.
In order to continue their mission of sharing this important message, the children were encouraged to sign up as Handwashing Chief Education Officers (CEOs). Furthermore, a total of nine schools from across Sri Lanka were selected and offered a grant of Rs. 100,000 each to set up their own handwashing stations within their school premises, under the leadership of the Handwashing CEOs. Lifebuoy also provided soap bars and Cuboree handbooks to the children along with a sufficient supply of Lifebuoy handwash to the selected schools.
Commenting on the event, Nilushi Jayatileke, Marketing Director – Personal Care and Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever Sri Lanka said, “We are honoured to have been able to collaborate with the Sri Lanka Scout Association on our Global Handwashing Day programme to educate future generations on the importance of handwashing and help them understand the risks associated with poor hand hygiene. As a brand that has championed handwashing for over a decade in Sri Lanka, Lifebuoy will continue to be at the forefront of advocating good hygiene, ensuring that fundamental habit changes are taught to children at the very early stages of their education.”
Since 2007, Lifebuoy has been on a mission to prevent illness and save lives by advocating good hygiene and proper handwashing, using soap. To encourage better hand hygiene practices and educate children on the importance of engaging in correct handwashing methods, Lifebuoy has partnered with the Ministry of Education to install over 100 handwashing units across schools and public places and implemented several awareness campaigns. The brand has also worked with the Ministry of Health to upgrade sanitation facilities and water pipeline systems in schools and organise community clean-up activities. Since the launch of its ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign in 2021, the brand has reached over 3.6 million Sri Lankans, joining hands with educators to spread the message of handwashing.
Lifebuoy’s history dates back to the year 1894. The initial product was launched in Britain to combat poor sanitation and rampant epidemics. Lifebuoy advocated large-scale social changes and transformed the lives of vulnerable families, by making hygiene and cleanliness affordable. Since its inception, Lifebuoy has become a daily essential that offers protection from disease and instils good hygiene among every family member.
Today, Lifebuoy has evolved to more than just a bar of soap, offering a plethora of innovative variants that cater to various need segments and formats including hand wash, body wash, and sanitizers. Lifebuoy is sold in over 30 countries across the globe and remains the world’s No.1 selling Germ Protection soap brand.
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About Lifebuoy:
As the world’s No. 01 selling Germ Protection Soap Brand, Lifebuoy aims to make a difference by creating accessible hygiene products and promoting healthy hygiene habits. First launched in the 1800s, Lifebuoy was introduced to fight the spread of cholera in England. The brand runs one of the world’s largest handwashing behavioural change programmes, having reached over 1 billion people.
About Unilever
Since its inception in 1938, Unilever Sri Lanka has established itself as one of the largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in Sri Lanka. Its current product portfolio includes 30 market leading brands in categories such as Home Care, Personal Care, Beauty & Wellbeing and Nutrition. 96% of its products are manufactured locally, to the strictest manufacturing standards. Over the past 84 years, Unilever has been deeply rooted in Sri Lankan society, curating a landscape that preserves and nurtures the true Sri Lankan way of life. Enhancing the livelihoods of the communities it operates in will continue to be at the forefront of this effort as it continues to set industry standards.