Every year, almost 394,000 children die from preventable diseases not from war or pandemics, but simply due to lack of hygiene. Since 2007, Lifebuoy has been observing Global Handwashing Day to raise awareness. But in 2020, during COVID-19, the Lifebuoy wanted to go further, creating an education platform that could build lifelong handwashing habits in children. 

Our Objective

We set out to design a long-term program that would integrate hygiene into children’s everyday learning in a way that felt natural, fun, and impactful. Beyond teaching handwashing, our aim was to strengthen Lifebuoy’s role as the most trusted hygiene brand in Bangladesh.

A Simple but Powerful Idea

The alphabet is the foundation of learning for every child. By redefining “H” as H for Handwashing, we turned a single letter into a lifelong symbol of hygiene. What started as a small idea grew into a platform that evolved with children;books, online classrooms, games, peer-led lessons, and even AI-powered learning keeping handwashing fresh, fun, and unforgettable.

Bringing the Campaign to Life

The journey began in 2020 with a colorful illustrated alphabet book, introducing “H for Handwashing” into children’s vocabulary and making hygiene fun and relatable. When schools shut down in 2021, the campaign adapted by creating the country’s largest online classroom on YouTube, where thousands of children learned proper handwashing together during lockdown. In 2022, the message was made peer-driven as selected students became “Child CEOs,” teaching their friends and amplifying the lesson through their own voices. By 2023, the campaign reached schools directly, with games and interactive kits that turned hygiene into play, sparking stories from classrooms across the nation and engaging over 250,000 children. Most recently, in 2024, Lifebuoy introduced South Asia’s first AI-powered virtual teacher, Headmaster Hippo, who guided children through gamified, personalized lessons—making hygiene education not only effective, but exciting.

Results That Made an Impact

Over three years, we directly engaged 523,750 unique students, covered 1,931 schools, and worked with 18,000+ teachers to reinforce hygiene education. Each year, the campaign stayed relevant by evolving with new formats from storybooks to AI. Most importantly, we built a movement that kept handwashing memorable, fun, and ingrained in children’s lives.

The Takeaway

What began as a simple letter in the alphabet became a global education platform. By keeping the message consistent yet fresh, we ensured that children don’t just learn about hygiene—they live it. Because when children’s hands are safe, so is Bangladesh.