Peter Tabichi, the Kenyan science teacher who won the US$1 million (Ksh 100million) Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2019, has been appointed as the Dettol Superhero Brand ambassador for 2020.
The Dettol Soaperhero program is a student led school hygiene program that was launched in August 2019 to help reduce sanitation-related ailments among school-going children across the country.
Mr. Tabichi, 36, who is also the first “Champion for Children in Conflicts and Crisis” for the global fund for education, will champion the cause to over 9 million school going children across the country.
Reckitt Benckiser, through its flagship brand Dettol, in partnership with Practical Action and the County Government of Kisumu earlier this year launched the program, which is currently in the pilot phase.
Over two million primary school going children have undertaken the Dettol sponsored hand-washing hygiene program countrywide, with Kisumu County recruiting fifty (50) schools, in the pilot phase of the program, so far.
Commenting on the new role, Peter Tabichi said; “For me, teaching is a very powerful job, I want to be part of building the next generation, in itself that, making sure that the students are learning valuable knowledge and skills to make better future is a scary situation”.
“It will be my great honour to work with various partners to ensure that we are reducing sanitation-related ailments among school-going children across the country.”
Tabichi, a Science and Mathematics teacher at Keriko Secondary School, Pwani Village, in Nakuru County, gives away 80 percent of his monthly income to help the less privileged.
He also prides himself with coming up with a Science nurturing club in a school that boasted only one computer.
He says the initiative helped pupils research and design projects that qualified them for national competitions.
The teacher says his students have also won the Royal Society of Chemistry after harnessing local plant life to generate electricity.
On his part, Reckitt Benckiser Africa Expansion Director Health, Dele Adeyole said: “Dettol has over the years focused its interventions on school hygiene programs, targeting children in both urban and rural areas. Today, we are honoured to partner with ‘the world’s best teacher’ in the fight against hygiene-based diseases in our schools.”
In Kenya, Dettol has reached over 2 million mothers in both the government and private health sector, teaching them these basic hygiene habits and sampling soap to them.
Additionally, Dettol has over the years focused its investment in school hygiene programs, targeting children in both urban and rural areas.
