This is my daughter. She is 4 and a half years old right now. Almost every other week she asks me how we are going to celebrate her fifth birthday- whether it will again be a pool party or we might have a pony this time. Reaching 5 is a matter of such joy for her because she knows that 5 year old kids are considered “big kids”and she can even enjoy a lot of rides at the adventure parks which are open only for kids 5 and above. *smiling*

For me, my daughter is my whole life. My world revolves around her, my mornings are spent making plans for her present and the nights dreaming up about her future. There are a million things I want for my daughter and also a lot of things I hope for her. If I look at the future way ahead I look at her as a confident young woman living life at own terms while making the world a better place.

And that’s why as a mother my heart really broke when I came to know that in India every year 6 Lakh children never reach the age of 5 because they die of preventable diseases like Pneumonia and Diarrhea.

6 Lakh children never get to celebrate their 5th Birthday

6 Lakh children never grow up to enjoy their teen years

6 Lakh children never get the chance to become a doctor/astronaut/artist or anything they might have dreamt of.

It is even sadder to hear that this death rate is totally preventable with a very simple solution –  Handwashing with Soap

I have often wondered whether my obsession with asking Sam to wash her hands multiple times a day is needed or not. But after looking at these stats I am happy that I am so particular about washing hands with soap.

Did you know?

Handwashing with Soap during the daily routine can reduce diarrhea by 45% and Pneumonia by 23%

I think that kind of odds are definitely favorable for every parent in this country.

Lifebuoy Help a child reach 5 Campaign

Lifebuoy has changed handwashing habits of 130 million people till now and with their “Help a Child reach 5” campaign, which aims to eradicate diarrhea one village at a time,  Lifebuoy hopes to reach out to million more people who can benefit from their handwashing with soap programmes.

The campaign has adopted Thesgora, a village in Madhya Pradesh with the highest rate of diarrhea, to inculcate the habits of handwashing. Donations are also invited from public for this noble cause and you can make this donation online  by going to their Youtube channel. For every donation made Lifebuoy will match the donation amount to the cause.

You might remember the above image from the award-winning and very moving video that was created for the “Help a Child reach 5 campaign” which showed Gondappa, a father celebrating his son’s fifth birthday by walking on his hands to the village temple on top of a hill. When a bemused woman asks what the big deal is about a fifth birthday, a village elder tells her that this is Gondappa’s first child to survive till the age of 5. This is the reality of many villages in our rural India and probably some urban parts too.

Lifebuoy has recently roped in mother and actor Kajol to spread awareness about the campaign and here is a video of what she feels about the issue.

How you can join the Help a Child reach 5 campaign

♦ Watch the video I have shared above.

♦ Donate to the cause by viewing and sharing the  . The amount of your donation will be matched by Lifebuoy.

♦ Every time you share the Lifebuoy donates 1 rupee to the campaign. So please share as much as you can.

♦ You can inculcate healthy habits of handwashing with soap not just in your house but also in people you employ like your house help, driver, watchman etc. Tell them how washing hands with soap before eating and after using toilet can prevent so many diseases.

For more information about the “Help a Child reach 5” campaign visit .

 This post has been sponsored by Lifebuoy, but all thoughts are my own.