Global Hand recommends The Sphere Project’s Minimum Standards, where applicable to household goods.

“Families have access to household utensils, soap for personal hygiene and tools for their dignity and well-being.”

The following is designed to be read in light of Principles, and Cross-referential Issues.

Feedback? We would be grateful to hear from you if you have:

• Relevant resources
• Comments or suggestions or stories
• Stories of product unwisely/wisely placed.

Please email us at enquiries@globalhand.org.

1.5 Household goods

Global Hand recommends The Sphere Project’s Minimum Standards, where applicable to household goods.

1.5.1.“Each disaster-affected household has access to sufficient soap and other items to ensure personal hygiene, health, dignity and well-being. Each disaster-affected household has access to cooking and eating utensils.”

Non-food items standard 2: personal hygiene, page 232 Sphere Handbook 2004 Revised Edition

Key indicators include:

• “Each household has access to a large-sized cooking pot with handle and a pan to act as a lid; a medium-sized cooking pot with handle and lid; a basin for food preparation or serving; a kitchen knife; and two wooden serving spoons.
• “Each household has access to two 10- to 20-litre water collection vessels with a lid or cap (20-litre jerry can with a screw cap or 10- litre bucket with lid), plus additional water or food storage vessels.”
• “Each person has access to a dished plate, a metal spoon and a mug or drinking vessel.”

Guidance notes include the following:

“Appropriateness: items provided should be culturally appropriate and enable safe practices to be followed. Women or those typically overseeing the preparation of food and the collection of water should be consulted when specifying items. Cooking and eating utensils and water collection vessels should be sized to suit older people, people with disabilities and children as required.”
Non-food items standard 3: cooking and eating utensils, page 233 Sphere Handbook 2004 Revised Edition

See the Sphere Project for further detail.

Member Comment:
One member suggested that this document is not only a set of best practices for gifts-in-kind (GIK) groups, but also addresses non-GH issues, over which Global Hand members may have little control.

In reference to section 1.5.1., on Household goods, we were asked whether members would be violating best practices if they sent food, but did not send pots and forks. A member could conduct their work to an excellent standard, but might not be seen as such, if an organisation they work with does not keep to the same standards.