Promoting Hygiene with improved handwashing stations

Clean Hands, Healthy Communities: Handwashing Innovation and Youth Enterprise Model

Uniterrupted access to safe and clean water is only part of TeamUp’s the story. We go a step further by making handwashing easier, more accessible, and more affordable through locally made, portable handwashing stations.

With Whave Solutions taking lead, TeamUp introduced user-friendly handwashing stations that are tailored to community needs. These stations are:

  • Portable, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use in homes.
  • Multi-user, with up to four taps to allow simultaneous handwashing (ideal for schools, clinics, and community gatherings).
  • Equipped with drain buckets, making it possible to reuse wastewater for cleaning or watering gardens, promoting water conservation and smart hygiene.

Innovation Empowers Youth

To make these handwashing stations widely available and sustainable, TeamUp launched an innovative Hand-Wash Station (HWS) franchise model  which creates opportunities for youth.

Over 120 young people have been trained both online and in-person in rural entrepreneurship, product marketing, and sales. These youth now serve as franchise agents, bringing affordable, high-quality handwashing stations directly to:.

  • Households
  • Primary and secondary schools
  • Health facilities
  • Local businesses and community centers

 

The result is improved personal hygiene, reduced disease transmission, and better health outcomes especially in high-traffic areas like schools and health centers.

The introduction of the HWS franchise model marked a significant shift in the TeamUp program, moving beyond traditional WASH approaches to integrate rural youth entrepreneurship. This pivot came in response to real challenges youth face: unemployment, limited economic opportunities, and the need for locally adapted hygiene solutions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

By connecting water access with economic opportunity, TeamUp ensures that both hygiene and livelihoods improve hand-in-hand.