A primary school in Jinja District has won the first national Dettol Hygiene Quest festival, a competition using music, dance and drama to teach children about hygiene.
Burugo Primary School beat 24 other finalists at the event in Jinja, eastern Uganda, after 159 schools took part nationwide.
Pupils performed pieces promoting sanitation, handwashing and disease prevention, and the winning school received a token of appreciation for its commitment to improving hygiene.
Officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports, district leaders and representatives of non-governmental organisations attended the finale.
Dr Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, founder and chief executive of Chil AI Lab and focal person for the Dettol Hygiene Quest in Uganda, said the arts had helped pupils move beyond rote learning.
“We have seen students internalise hygiene as part of their cultural identity,” she said.
“When we engage children through the arts, the message of health resonates deeply and effectively.”
She said organisers were committed to bringing the festival back “bigger and bolder” next year.
The programme is supported by Reckitt, the maker of Dettol and Jik, with technology partners including Chil AI Lab providing digital tools such as an AI chatbot.
Organisers say the initiative aims to reduce hygiene-related absenteeism in schools and improve health outcomes for pupils across Uganda.
