Iraq: Sulaimanyah - Water Awareness Campaign

Following a recent outbreak of Cholera, 15 GCC leaders in Sulaimanyah, Iraq designed and implemented an action project to raise awareness and inform citizens about water usage and the water-borne disease, Cholera. The three-day campaign, which was implemented November 24-26^th 2012, began with a one-day session on water conducted by a doctor specializing in community medicine. During this session, 20 GCC leaders learned about water usage and it’s relation to Cholera. With this knowledge, GCC leaders visited two elementary schools where they taught 100 young students about Cholera and explained how to use water in a healthy manner, in order to prevent the spread of Cholera and other water-related illnesses.

For the final part of the project, GCC leaders placed 25 large billboards to spread the message about water awareness. The billboards were strategically positioned in the country side and newly-constructed neighborhoods, as these areas lack a government water system and mostly use water from wells; moreover, the majority of people seeking treatment for water-borne diseases come from those areas. The billboards share clear and strong messages, such as: “Do not drink non-boiled or non-chloride water, which is the main cause of cholera,” “Do not waste water as this is the violation of others’ rights,” and, “Wash your hands before meals, cooking, and after toilet.’’ Within the countryside and newly-constructed neighborhoods, the billboards are visible in public places such as schools, mosques, parks, markets, and other heavily-visited areas in order to achieve maximum visibility. These billboards will reach and benefit roughly 5,000 citizens.