Lifebuoy Partners With The Youngest 7-Year-Old Patent Holder - Vishalini NC; Appoints Her As Chief Education Officer

* This Global Handwashing Day (GHD), Lifebuoy is harnessing the power of peer-to-peer learning by calling on young changemakers to take on the mantle of H for Handwashing Chief Education Officers (CEO).

* Inspiring and cultivating a new generation of hand hygiene ambassadors to spread the message of handwashing with soap to millions of children around the world.

To promote the fundamentals of hand hygiene from a child’s earliest years and to redefine the ABCs of education, Lifebuoy has partnered with Vishalini NC, one of the youngest patent holders in India, as one of the H for Handwashing CEOs for India. All the H for Handwashing CEOs have been handpicked – they are children under the age of 12 and have been chosen due to their commitment towards their community.

7-year-old Vishalini NC, a Tamil Nadu resident, and one of the youngest patent holders in India, received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition for her noteworthy achievements. She is a class 2 student at the Delhi School of Excellence in Attapur, Telangana, and she won this recognition for inventing the ‘An Automatic Multi-Functional Life Rescue Flood House’ which prevents drowning during floods.

The H for Handwashing CEOs will be equipped to take the message of importance of hand hygiene forward using Lifebuoy’s decade-old proven behaviour change material, including handwashing games, posters, comic books, handwashing steps video, hygiene kit, to enable them to spread the important message. Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited said, “Lifebuoy’s purpose has always been about preventing illness by promoting good hand hygiene through handwashing with soap. On this Global Handwashing Day, we’re incredibly excited to recognise the fundamental part children can play in spreading the message that H must stand for Handwashing. Through the power of peer-to-peer learning, we hope to inspire more kids to rise and change the world’s handwashing behaviours.”

Having already reached over 12 million school children with educational material that aims to improve handwashing behaviours, under Lifebuoy’s H for Handwashing campaign, these new CEOs will be accelerating the impact through peer-to-peer learning and calling on schools to integrate hygiene into national curriculums.

In 2020, Lifebuoy launched its award-winning campaign H for Handwashing aiming to fundamentally change the world’s handwashing habits and accelerate handwashing behaviour change for children. Through this campaign the brand intends to transform the letter H in the alphabet so that H not only stands for Hat, Horse or Hippo – H also stands for Handwashing.

This GHD, Lifebuoy is harnessing the power of peer-to-peer learning within the context of early childhood learning. Studies have shown that when children teach other children, they are more likely to remember the information. Numerous studies have shown that children are more likely to change their behaviour when influenced by others, with one study[i] finding 59% of students changing their behaviour after being influenced by their peers. Therefore, Lifebuoy is calling on young changemakers to take on the mantle of H for Handwashing Chief Education Officers (CEO) to inspire and cultivate a new generation of hand hygiene ambassadors.

For decades, schools have been Lifebuoy’s most impactful touchpoint. The brand has reached over 60 million children through their flagship schools programme, teaching children from all backgrounds about the important habit of handwashing with soap. The H for Handwashing CEOs will be visiting schools to spread the message of importance of handwashing with soap to thousands of children nationwide.

About Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy is the world’s number one hygiene soap brandii, sold in nearly 100 countries. Through the Lifebuoy brand, we aim to make a difference by creating quality, affordable products and promoting healthy hygiene habits. Since 2010, we have reached over 1 billion people through our handwashing programmes.

The desire to be clean, active, and healthy is intrinsic to everyone – irrespective of age or economic status. We understand this and Lifebuoy soap has championed the cause for better health through hygiene for more than a century.

An inspiring vision for more hygienic, healthier, and ultimately more vital communities is the driving force behind the Lifebuoy brand. To realize this vision, we look to consistently innovate and provide accessible Lifebuoy products to a wide variety of consumers. The vision also commits the Lifebuoy brand team to visible action, through inspiring projects that motivate consumers to improve their hygiene behaviour.

Since the launch of the Lifebuoy brand in 1894, we have supported people in their quest for better personal hygiene. The classic red bar of soap and its distinctive medicated carbolic scent was synonymous with cleanliness throughout the twentieth century. Today, the brand is so much more. With its many soap variants and specially designed body washes, These, along with the range of liquid hand washes and hand hygiene gel, ensure daily hygiene and freshness for the entire family.

Lifebuoy co-founded Global Handwashing Day with the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008. The brand runs one of the world’s largest hygiene behaviour change programmes backed by strong partnerships, reaching over 1 billion people across more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America since 2010.

Social Media: Twitter – @lifebuoysoap / YouTube – 'Lifebuoy Global'

iWhy does peer instruction benefit student learning? | Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications | Full Text (springeropen.com)

iiCalculation based on Nielsen unit sales information for the total markets (approx. 40 countries). Latest 12 months available.