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17 November 2021 - News

Bringing health to more than 125 thousand families

SC staff member and three Mayan women learning how to wash their hands properly

Our humanitarian response actions are shaped by the trajectory of more than 100 years that we have responding to emergencies and carrying out advocacy actions so that the rights of children are prioritized in humanitarian contexts. Our work focuses on providing timely, appropriate, effective and reliable assistance to the most vulnerable children, their families and communities. We have achieved this by working in collaboration with communities, civil society, government and the private sector.

The year 2020 was a significant and changing year for humanity due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As an organization, we had the opportunity to collaborate with our strategic ally: Colgate-Palmolive through the “Safe Hands” initiative, with the aim of promoting hand washing and hygiene as a key measure for the prevention of COVID-19 infections. .

Since October 2020, Colgate and Save the Children have worked together to deliver 500,000 bars of soap to 125,000 families in the Departments of Quiché, Chiquimula and Guatemala City. In Quiché and Chiquimula, we work hand in hand with community leaders, parent organizations and health services to carry out actions to promote hand washing and delivery of soap bars. Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, through the Respiratory Well-Being Centers authorized by the Municipality of Guatemala and supported by the Municipal Fire Department, we achieved the distribution of more than 105 thousand bars of soap for the benefit of many girls, boys and their families who reside in the most vulnerable areas of the city.

This donation was of great benefit to many families in the department of Quiché and Chiquimula, which are priority areas in our Community Development Programs. Likewise, this initiative was also part of an alliance that Colgate-Palmolive made an alliance with the World Health Organization to promote hand hygiene and increase access to basic hygiene supplies for families in greater vulnerability and conditions like poverty.

Thanks to the Save the Children and Colgate Palmolive alliance, in addition to the invaluable support of local, educational and municipal authorities, we are sure to move on the right path so that every child is protected, has access to education and quality health services!