1.000 PKK Women Become Cadres for the 21 Days Movement

Lembang, 29 June 2011 – PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk., via it’s health soap brand Lifebuoy, invites the PKK (Pendidikan Kesejahteraan Keluarga/program at village level to educate women on various aspects of family welfare) women throughout Indonesia to become cadres for the 21 Days Movement in shaping healthy habits. Socialization regarding the Clean and Healthy Lifestyle (Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat/PHBS) and Washing Hands With Soap (Cuci Tangan Pakai Sabun/CTPS) and also the mechanism of the 21 Days Movement were carried out in a seminar during the event celebrating National Level Family Day 2011.

The national family day was held in order to remind the people of Indonesia, of the importance of families as a power source in developing a nation and a country.

The National Seminar which was held on Wednesday (29/6) in Lembang, West Jawa heralded the theme of “21 Days Movement in Shaping Healthy Habits for Indonesian Families”. The event was a joint organization between Central TP PKK, BKKBN, and PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. Meanwhile the Seminar participants were 1,000 cadres from PKK representatives of 33 provinces which included among others female Governors, Bupati, Mayors (Walikota), and Regents (Camat) who were the PKK Driving Team for their respective regions.

The National Seminar event was opened by the General Chairperson of TP PKK Ny. Vita Gamawan Fauzi, who was also the keynote speaker. The greeting speech was read out by Ny. Netty Prasetyani Heryawan, head of TP PKK West Jawa, and Eka Sugiarto, Brand Building Director Skin Cleansing, PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. While speakers for the event were dr. H. Tb. Rachmat Sentika, Sp.A., MARS, Health Expert; Ny. Susi Soebekti, Head IV TP PKK Pusat; dr. Ade Nirmala Chandra, Professional Marketing Manager Lifebuoy, PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk.; and Dik Doank as the Brand Ambassador for Lifebuoy.

Since 2004 until now, Lifebuoy is consistent in campaigning for PHBS and CTPS due to the still unfamiliar with the habit of correct ways in hand washing which affects the vulnerability for germ transmission via hands. Community Health Development Index(Indeks Pembangunan Kesehatan Masyarakat/IPKM) 2010 showed that the percentage of households meeting with the PHBS criteria under the 'good' category on a national average was only 35.68%. Meanwhile the percentage of people with a correct way of CTPS on a national average was only 24.48%.

The low level of the CTPS habits may cause at least 10 health problems caused by germs, which include diarrhoea, caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli or E. coli, which now has a new strain which carries a deadly effect as is evident in Europe. The Ministry of Health in Indonesia said that PHBS activities such as ensuring food are cooked well and only eating clean and healthy food, in addition of CTPS each time before cooking and eating may prevent the transmission of the new strain of E. coli. WHO also recommends the same thing.

dr. H. Tb. Rachmat Sentika explained that the CTPS habit which could be the minimum prevention from the 10 health problems caused by germs including diarrhoea. “CTPS is the spot-on effort in breaking the chain for the transmission of germs and bacteria, including the new strain of E. coli,” said Rachmat.

Prevention of infectious diseases through preventive lifestyle such as CTPS should be made familiar since early, as the main educators in a family, mothers hold important roles in instilling the culture of CTPS to their children to become habits until they are adults. PKK cadres at the moment is made up of members of more than two million people from all of Indonesia, which is made up of mothers, and is the forefront in preaching the habits of PHBS and CTPS in families, in accordance with Lifebuoy's vision to be included in the effort to increase hygiene and health of 237 million people in Indonesia via the PHBS education beginning from an early stage within the family.

In her speech Eka Sugiarto said that families are the core of a country. Families are the smallest unit as the core from a social system in a society. "All changes and growth of a good culture always begins from the family. Families with healthy habits such as PHBS and CTPS will produce a healthy society,” said Eka.

A same synergy and perspective in empowering families in the health sector encouraged PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. and Central TP PKK cooperated in cultivating healthy habits in the form of PHBS and CTPS through the latest Lifebuoy program which is the 21 Days Movements.

The 21 Days Movements held by Lifebuoy is a program to encourage healthy habits during 5 crucial moments for 21 days non-stop so that the routine becomes a healthy daily lifestyle. The healthy habits during the 5 crucial moments are bathing using soap, washing hands using soap (CTPS) before breakfast, CTPS prior to lunch, CTPS before dinner, and CTPS after using the toilet.

In the 21 Days Movements, families especially mothers are hoped to teach their children to carry out the healthy habits during 5 crucial moments for 21 days non-stop. The 21 Days Movement refers to many opinions and research from behavior change experts including Dr. Maxwell Maltz in his book Psycho-Cybernetics, that in order to form a new habit in an individual requires at least 21 days for the new habit to be carried out non-stop.

According to Susi Soebekti, mothers play an important role in cultivating healthy habits in the form of PHBS and CTPS in families. “The sooner mothers teach healthy habits to their kids, the activities will be instilled in the children's minds until they grow up into adults. In this matter, PKK women will be effective cadres in socializing the 21 Days Movement," she said.

Effectiveness of the PKK movement has acquired national recognition which is proven by awards from world organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Asian Management Programme. PKK's strategy in the effort to reach as many families as possible was begun from a central level, until the smallest level. Via the 21 Days Movement program, the PKK cadres will find it easier to get their families and surroundings in cultivating this healthy habit.

Eka Sugiarto added that the 21 Days Movement in shaping the healthy behavior is the realized commitment and social mission by Lifebuoy in participating to create a healthier Indonesia. "Lifebuoy is a product by PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. which is able to protect the consumers in preventing diseases. However in the end it is dependent on the will of each individual and families to start the healthy habits, such as the healthy habits during five crucial moments," said Eka.

At the end of the event, Dik Doank invited all Indonesian people, especially beginning from the mother to help make the 21 Days Movement successful and help build healthy habits. "The implementation of the 21 Days Movement in shaping healthy habits will later be in the form of activities that are fun, educational and interesting to children, so that the process to shape healthy habits becomes an activity enjoyed both by children and parents alike, this will be an effective way for parents in shaping healthy habits in their children,” said Dik Doank.