November 20, 2009
Toilet talk, sanitation oaths and chilling bathroom scenes mark World Toilet Day

Events were held all over the world on November 19 to mark World Toilet Day and raise awareness of the fact that 2.5 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation.

In Washington, DC WaterAid America participated in the Sanitation is Dignity exhibit on the lawn of the US Capitol, where cutout figures of people squatting highlight the indignity of lacking somewhere private to go to the toilet.

Mandy Folse, WaterAid America's Head of Policy and Advocacy, provided the opening comments for the event, saying:

"This exhibit reminds us that each day people are faced with the situation of having to use the toilet in the open with little or no privacy – in common areas in their communities, in buckets right outside their homes."

Ms. Folse continued: "But, sanitation is much more than just dignity. Sanitation reduces the spread of diarrheal diseases that kill 4,000 children a day [...] Adequate sanitation allows children, particularly girls, to be educated [...] Adequate sanitation yields huge economic benefits.

"Sanitation is at the foundation of human development and poverty reduction. And, the good news is that we have the solutions to end this global crisis and restore dignity for so many around the world."

Representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the World Water Corps, and students from Oyster Adams Elementary school who are supporting efforts to bring clean water and sanitation to a school in Nicaragua, also spoke at the event.

Watch a YouTube video of the event put together by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. (link opens in a new window)

Sanitation is at the foundation of human development and poverty reduction. And, the good news is that we have the solutions to end this global crisis and restore dignity for so many around the world.
Mandy Folse, Head of Policy & Advocacy, WaterAid America

Meanwhile, WaterAid America's Acting CEO David Winder was in Washington State, giving a presentation on the importance of sanitation to students at Forest Ridge School in Bellevue. 

In the evening Dr. Winder joined Glenn Austin from PATH and Rashmir Balasubramaniam from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at the Toilet Talk discussion event in Seattle that explored the links between health and sanitation. 

Dr. Winder highlighted solutions being used to tackle the sanitation crisis, such as the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach used by many of WaterAid's local partner organizations across Africa and Asia.  Dr. Winder commented:

"CLTS is based on the realization that all fecal matter has to be removed from the village and hygienic practices such as hand-washing adopted by all families."

In London, England WaterAid and award-winning ad director Kit Lynch-Robinson created a chilling scene in the Hyde Park Corner men’s restrooms by recreating a toilet scene from the developing world – complete with garbage dump, maggots, rusted pipes, a stagnant stream and a unique toilet scent, Eau de Toilet.

Barbara Frost, Chief Executive of WaterAid said:
"Here in the UK we tend to take our loos for granted – but imagine not having one at all. A lack of toilets not only kills 4,000 children every day in the developing world, but keeps kids out of school, puts a massive strain on health systems and hampers economic prosperity. Today we’re asking the public to spend just one moment experiencing what it might be like not to have a loo."

WaterAid's country programs also convened many events to mark World Toilet Day, such as an event in the State of Bihar in India that involved thousands of people, including the state's Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar, taking oaths pledging to free the state of open defecation.