Who Is The 7-Year-Old Handwashing CEO At Lifebuoy?

Meet Vishalini NC, one of the youngest patent holders in India, spearheading Lifebuoy’s H for Handwashing campaign.

Vishalini NC

Courtesy - HUL

Health and hygiene have transformed our social behaviour in the last three years. Adults in urban and sub-urban regions have grown more conscious of viruses and bacteria. And as a result, they have adopted preventive measures and best sanitary practices in their everyday routines. The change is everywhere: from bathrooms stocked with handwashes to handbags containing sanitisers.

Going a step further in creating hygiene awareness among children, Lifebuoy has now appointed a 7-year-old as one of the H for Handwashing CEOs for India. 

Vishalini NC is one of the youngest patent holders in India who received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inventing the ‘An Automatic Multi-Functional Life Rescue Flood House’. Her model prevents drowning during floods. A class 2 student at the Delhi School of Excellence in Attapur, Telangana, Vishalini, is now creating awareness about the fundamentals of hand hygiene among children. The initiative is backed by extensive research which has shown that when children teach other children, they are more likely to retain important information. 

“Lifebuoy’s purpose has always been about preventing illness by promoting good hand hygiene through handwashing with soap. On this Global Handwashing Day, we’re incredibly excited to recognise the fundamental part children can play in spreading the message that H must stand for Handwashing. Through the power of peer-to-peer learning, we hope to inspire more kids to rise and change the world’s handwashing behaviours.”

Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited

These CEOs will talk about the importance of hand hygiene using Lifebuoy’s decade-old proven behaviour change material. It includes handwashing games, posters, comic books, handwashing steps video and a hygiene kit. All the H for Handwashing CEOs under 12 years old have already reached over 12 million school children with educational material. They will accelerate the impact through peer-to-peer learning and will further call on schools to integrate hygiene into national curriculums. 

Courtesy - HUL

Lifebuoy launched its award-winning H for Handwashing campaign in 2020. It aimed to fundamentally change the world’s handwashing habits and accelerate handwashing behaviour change for children. Through this campaign, the brand intends to transform the letter H in the alphabet so that H not only stands for Hat, Horse, or Hippo – H also stands for Handwashing.

Therefore, Lifebuoy is calling on young changemakers to take on the mantle of H for Handwashing Chief Education Officers (CEO) to inspire and cultivate a new generation of hand hygiene ambassadors.

For decades, schools have been Lifebuoy’s most impactful touchpoint. The brand has reached over 60 million children through its flagship schools programme, teaching children from all backgrounds about the habit of handwashing with soap.