How we started Hygiene Quest – DEAN

Semiye Michael Executive Director DEAN Initiative shared how their popular Hygiene Education campaign started.

It was first NaijaWash. We wanted something that resonate the Nigerian Style and flavour. But then we started engaging partners and donors, concepts with scope changed as we made progress.

At a point Dettol Soap team asked that we reflect hygiene in the project name and it was changed to Hygiene & Me. So, during the early project implementation in Lagos, it was Hygiene & Me and it was widely accepted. When the idea of hygiene products poverty came into the scope, our partner, Dettol Soap also tasked us to refine the campaign, it was easy because Dettol Soap already had something we could build on. That was how Hygiene Quest as project title replaced the campaign name.

From NaijaWash to Hygiene & Me and finally to Hygiene Quest, it has been a great time and experience working with Dettol Soap team.

On Volunteers’ Turnout.

I think we have one of Nigeria’s finest and largest volunteer network and system. We started coordinating youth involvement in SDGs campaign in Nigeria relating with UNMC Nigeria office then. Young people turned up massively across the country and that led us to the starting of the Nigeria SDGs Youth Network in September 2015. Through this move we were able to have volunteer network present in every state of Nigeria. Today we have volunteers in all 774 local government areas of Nigeria. So volunteers turning out and replicating our campaign nationwide is expected due to the work we have done.

DEAN Initiative has continued to champion local action for the SDGs in Nigeria.