NORWAY – Hilary Ware and Alison Whitney taught communities of African kids how to properly wash their hands to avoid disease.

The kids taught them how to dance.

Ware, who teaches for Stephens Memorial Hospital, and Whitney, a retired school nurse, are spreading the word about their experiences in Kigali, Rwanda, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Wednesday they made a presentation at Norway Memorial Library, and Ware plans to make a presentation at her church.

The two traveled to South Africa on May 16 and stayed in Africa through June 9 with the U.S. nonprofit group Children Affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization, run by Whitney’s sister-in-law, supports children orphaned when their parents died from the disease, and raises awareness in the United States.

The group recruits South Africans to continue the projects.

As nurses, Ware and Whitney decided to teach group leaders sanitation skills. Most of the neighborhoods they visited had no running water and no electricity, Whitney said.

Ware said children would wash their hands in a communal basin of water, which would then accumulate germs. The nurses taught the communities how to make a Tippy Tap. Made from a five-liter bottle, the device slowly dripped clean water for people to wash their hands, she said.

Ware said she was pleased to watch group leaders make the devices, then instruct others to do the same.

“The groups (CHABA) take care of the children, and the children take care of each other,” Whitney said.

Wednesday they showed slides to a group of about 15 who came to hear about their experience. They said they were fascinated by the different culture, but heartbroken by the tragedy that had happened there.

Whitney said she was amazed at the initiative young people took in South Africa to help others.