Lifebuoy, the world’s number one hygiene soap brand, is celebrating Global Handwashing Day (GHD) by hosting the World’s Largest Virtual Classroom to impart the important lesson of handwashing with soap.

Having already helped over 1 billion people develop better handwashing habits, improve their hygiene, and protect themselves against preventable diseases, this GHD, Lifebuoy will launch a hygiene-focused alphabet book.

In 2020, inspired by how children learn their A, B, C’s, Lifebuoy set out on a mission to transform the way the letter H is taught worldwide. The brand launched the “H for Handwashing” multi-year campaign carrying a simple message: While H is for hat, horse, and hippo…H must also stand for Handwashing!

Since the last GHD’s launch, the campaign has reached over 11 million children. Lifebuoy has partnered with the education ministries of India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka to ensure workbooks and other educational materials help to engrain effective hygiene habits from an early age.

This GHD, the World’s Largest Virtual Classroom will bring together a panel of experts comprising Rico Hizon, CNN Anchor and broadcast journalist; Roberta Golinkoff, academic and author of over 14 books on early childhood learning; Kajol Devgn, award-winning actress and global handwashing advocate; along with teachers, parents, educators and children from over 30 countries around the world.

At this much awaited event, Lifebuoy will announce its partnership with Sesame Workshop to launch the brand’s first set of digital behaviour change games – fun, interactive and research-based virtual modules starring Sesame Workshop’s beloved muppets, Elmo, Raya, Cookie Monster, and Grover that will teach children that H is for Handwashing!

This classroom event will also see the launch of Lifebuoy’s first ever children’s book – a “H for Handwashing” alphabet book – in which kids can explore the Alphabet with Azzy (as in A to Z) the horse. Throughout the book, Azzy embarks on an engaging, earning journey about the importance of handwashing. The book is intended to support school curricula all over the world, whenever and wherever children are taught the ABCs.

Nana Yaa-Kissi, Beauty and Personal Care Marketing Director for Unilever Ghana PLC said, “After an incredibly successful first year of Lifebuoy’s H for Handwashing campaign, we’re very excited to be taking this movement to the next level. The World’s Largest Classroom is the launch of our partnership with Sesame Street. We believe this event will reinvigorate teachers’ and parents’, and consequently children’s, relationship with handwashing, changing the perception of handwashing from a chore that needs to be done, to fun moments throughout the day.”

Brand Manager for Lifebuoy, Derrick Odechie-Bossman said, “As a pioneering purpose-led brand, Lifebuoy has always believed in making an impact and driving behaviour change for the better. While we have previously reached over 3.8 Ghanaians with handwashing messages, we know that there is still much to be done. Amid a generation-defining pandemic, we are working towards equipping future generations with the unforgettable lesson of handwashing with soap to safeguard their health and well-being at the World’s Largest Classroom.”

Lifebuoy is aiming to create the Guinness World Record by attracting more than 100,000 viewers to this virtual event!
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 and has reached over 1 billion people across 30 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America since 2010.