1m rural households to get quality health, hygiene products

One million rural households will receive quality health and hygiene products, as well as awareness and orientation in hygienic living under an initiative jointly embarked upon by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK, and M/S Reckitt-Benckiser, manufacturers of anti-septic Dettol and other pharmaceutical products.

The project is known as Project Hope and will also ensure women’s empowerment. Other companies are also associated with the project.

All these partners will be providing quality health and hygiene products to women micro-entrepreneurs and “Sehat Aapas” (local women workers and educators) to help them earn a livelihood by selling these products door to door in their rural communities and also orient the locals about the principles of hygienic, wholesome living.

This was announced at a press conference at the UK Deputy High Commission on Wednesday which was addressed by Patricia O’Hayer, global head of External Communications and Governmental Affairs at Reckitt-Benckiser, London), and Laura Kelly, head of Business Management at the DFID, London.

O’Hayer said: “Project Hope is the perfect model of partnership between the UK government and the private and social sectors in Pakistan. The project will deliver three things: empower rural women who reinforce health and hygiene practices in their communities; improve hygiene standards within their villages and reduce incidence of preventable diseases like diarrhea to create a more productive society.

Laura Kelly said: “This exciting new company brings together companies and civil society to get health and hygiene products to new markets. The approach is also helping to empower rural women for business development.”

Mark Rakestraw, acting UK deputy high commissioner, said: “The UK is a strong supporter of Pakistan’s prosperity. I am pleased that this smart new initiative is building on the ideas of Reckitt-Benckiser, a UK-based company, and has a potential for huge success. With financial support from the UK government, via the DFID, the Deputy High Commission is pleased to be supporting the initiative.”

It was announced by Nameer Jamillee, corporate social responsibility and communications manager, Reckitt-Benckiser, that the number of children dying annually from diarrhea had dropped from 53,000 to 39,000 as a result of the project.

Today, he said, 48 villages were being covered, the work having started with village Dhori in Punjab. Fahad Ashraf of Reckitt-Benckiser said that they did face some reluctance from certain people in the rural areas, but despite that the project had reached 28,000 households.