Washing cars for behaviour change

By JOSHUA MASINDE
Published August 12, 2009

Members of Integrated Efforts in Culture for Development (IECD) washing cars for behaviour change. Photo by Joshua Masinde

They approach vehicle owners and drivers at the parking yard and offer to wash the vehicles at a small fee. After brief negotiations, they get onto work, scrapping, and mopping the vehicles, to the satiation of the owners or the drivers. The hitherto dirty and dusty vehicles attain an appealing cleanliness, after the exercise, conducted by members of Integrated Efforts in Culture for Development (IECD), a local non-governmental organization (NGO) in Uganda.

The NGO conducted a car washing exercise at Makerere University, as one way of raising money to help in creating awareness on HIV/AIDS, and effecting behaviour change amongst the community members in Kampala District. With the initiative of mobilising resources within reach, for behaviour change communication in Kawempe Division, they have been a blessing to the target community members.

Herbert Tusiime Willis, the NGO’s director, said they use behavioural, material, and linguistic approaches to reach out to society in order to effect behaviour change, and foster a healthy society.

“We felt there is so much that needed to be done, to change the present image in Kawempe Division,” Mr. Tusiime said. “Kawempe Division is facing the worst health problem in Kampala, and this situation is what we have set out to try and alleviate.”

The high levels of poverty, and other social problems such as diseases, are attributed to the precarious nature of health in Kawempe Division.

Members of IECD, which comprise of former students of Anthropology at Makerere University, formed IECD in September 2007 although it became fully registered as an NGO in March 2008. The novelty of washing vehicles to raise money for community activities is not new to this region.

Soon after the formation of the NGO, they undertook a car washing exercise in Bukoto in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, to fundraise for behaviour change amongst the youth in the area. They target are people who own or drive cars. On their first exercise, they washed about 33 cars, out of which they raised around Ushs 95,000 (about $47).

“We approach them and request to wash their cars at a price they wish to pay,” Tusiime said. “After washing the cars, no specific charge is imposed. There are those who pay as low as Ushs1, 000 ($0.50), while others pay as much as Ush20, 000 ($20).”

By 1 p.m., they had washed around 35 cars, mostly belonging to church goers at St. Augustine Church at Makerere University, out of which they raised Ushs 12,0000 ($60).

The organisation works closely with all religions. They approach different churches, where they request to wash cars for willing members of the congregation.

At the onset, the community didn’t fully appreciate their mission, and initiative to not only keep the environment clean, but also to work towards a healthy society. Yet, after continued sensitization, the community, esspecially in Kawempe Division, begand accepting the organisation’s ideals, and started to support them. Their work, Herbert said, is community-centered to benefit community members.

Cathy Nantongo, IECD’s acting treasurer, said after the community members in Kawempe Division began to appreciate their work, they have planned to launch a project to sensitise them on solid waste management.

“We have just concluded a training conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), on solid waste management,” Nantongo said. “This will enable us [to] educate the community on how to dispose solid waste.” She attributed this to the fact that many people in the community dispose solid waste anywhere, even in residential areas, which are supposed to be kept clean. Whenever it rains, the wastes contaminate water meant for domestic use, which makes the community vulnerable to diseases such as cholera, she said.

“We need a clean environment, and a healthy community,” said Kisira Shebbi, IECD’s environmental coordinator. “That is why the community is coming out to support us.”

Reach Joshua Masinde at editor@eafricainfocus.com