Wilker, from fighting in class to being a handwashing leader

PETARE (VENEZUELA).- He lives in Petare, one of the most populous and vulnerable neighborhoods in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. He is 9 years old and is a great fan of baseball, a sport that he used to practice with his brother until his mother began to travel periodically to Colombia to buy and sell products and earn some money since his father has been in prison for 3 years. “I get really bored,” Wilker explains after leaving school.

His father's situation has affected the whole family, especially after his grandmother told him that every time there is a power outage in the detention center, his father only receives a glass of water in the cell. "That affected me a lot," acknowledges Wilker, the oldest of four siblings.

Wilker changed schools last year. His new school is a house that has been modified to become an alternative educational center for 200 children, who have not been able to have the opportunity to join the regular educational system. Everything was new to him: the classmates, the teachers, the classrooms. His adaptation was not easy in the midst of all the circumstances surrounding the family. He had an “out-of-regulation behavior,” according to Odalis Centeno, one of his teachers. "He fought, he didn't want to work," sums up Marga Machado, another of his current teachers.

Suddenly one day UNICEF came to his school with several buckets full of water and Wilker was interested. In front of him, he had not only a glass of water like the one his father receives when the power goes out but several buckets full of water. The UNICEF team began teaching students good hygiene practices such as hand washing. Wilker, along with his classmates, learned the importance of rubbing their hands well with soap and water, the technique of intertwining their fingers full of foam, cleaning well under the nails... And to repeat the whole process before each food, before going to the bathroom, or after playing.

From that day on, Wilker began to change. His new knowledge of handwashing empowered him. His attitude also changed. From getting into fights with peers, Wilker went on to want to become a cop. From not working at school to becoming a leader among his peers and his community, and even to volunteer to attend an improvised handwashing information point installed on the street next to the school to teach neighbors about these hygiene practices.

Every time UNICEF and its partners have WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions in Petare, Wilker's neighborhood, this cheerful and lively little boy stands out among the most active promoters of hand washing. With enthusiasm and conviction, he chases passersby to invite them to stop for a few minutes and teaches them the correct way to wash their hands.

Handwashing with soap has been shown to be the cheapest and most cost-effective way to prevent hygiene-related diseases. It reduces respiratory tract infections by more than 25 percent and deaths from diarrhea by up to 50 percent. But what no one had ever imagined is that it could also transform the life of a 9-year-old boy.

"He feels important, a leader, and he wants things to improve," says Professor Machado. "I really feel the change in him," confirms Centeno. Even his mother does not seem to come out of her astonishment: "Now every day he explains to his brothers that they have to wash their hands before eating."

But without a doubt, the first beneficiary is Wilker himself, turned into an agent of change. “I teach parents and children in my community how to wash their hands correctly to prevent bacteria and diseases,” he explains while inviting passersby to his information point. “I have to be honest. At school, we are very aggressive, also in my community… But I like to come to school to learn ”, he adds.

As part of its response to school dropouts in the most vulnerable communities, UNICEF Venezuela has provided schools with materials for children's recreation, pedagogical tools for teachers, as well as hygiene and sanitation supplies. These elements also improve their learning processes and give many children, like Wilker, new motivations to go to school.

So far this year, UNICEF and its partners have helped more than 180,000 people gain access to safe water and have provided more than 60,000 children with access to learning materials, among others. It is estimated that more than one million children are out of school in Venezuela. In order to continue meeting the most urgent needs of children and adolescents, UNICEF needs US $70 million.