Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
A behavior-change program that empowers children to prevent illnesses related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
WASH UP!
Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are crucial to human health and well-being. Our global campaign to bring meaningful sanitation and hygiene education to children is called WASH UP! Sesame character-filled storybooks, games, videos, and teacher training materials make healthy habits easy to understand, practice, and promote.
A Serious Yet Preventable Problem
Illnesses related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are the world’s greatest threat to young children. Pneumonia and diarrhea claim the lives of more children under age five than measles, AIDS, and malaria combined. Knowledge and simple, child-led behavior change can be powerful antidotes — that’s why proper WASH education is so critical.
Now present across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, WASH UP! is measurably shifting attitudes and behaviors. In Nigeria, kids who participated in the program were twice as likely to wash their hands after defecation.
Reading at Home and School
A video showing how children can bring their learning home.
Enriching & Extending Play
Help parents find ways to encourage play-based learning at home and on the go.
School Routines, Home Routines
Having the same routines in different settings enriches learning.
Everyday Word Play
Tips to turn everyday activities into language-learning moments.
Making Math Time Anytime!
Tips to highlight math in everyday life.
WASH UP! Initiative in Action
Elmo and Raya, our first ever global health ambassador, are pioneering conversations with kids about clean water, hand washing with soap, and proper latrine use.
Sesame’s lovable characters have the unique ability to reach children and model behaviors around topics adults may see as taboo, such as toilet use. Take our global health ambassador, Raya.
Raya
Raya is an energetic six-year-old who’s guiding conversations all over the world about clean water, handwashing, and proper latrine use. Raya always remembers to wash her hands with soap and water and wear her sandals in the latrine to avoid contracting illness. She encourages children to share what they learn with friends and family, making good habits contagious.
18 Countries
From Afghanistan to Zambia, WASH UP! has brought lifesaving lessons around water, safety, and hygiene to children, families, and communities in 18 countries.
