Today we celebrate World Toilet Day!
We focus our attention on the sanitation challenges that 2.4 billion people still face in their daily lives. Having access to a clean toilet and other proper sanitation services is missing for a huge number of people throughout the world!
This has negative impact on health, education and living standards. It needs to change! This message was sent today by the Dutch WASH foundation Aqua for All. The theme of this year’s World Toilet Day is Toilets & jobs.
More mobile phones than toilets
Of the world’s 7 billion people, 6 billion have mobile phones. Only 4.5 billion have access to toilets or latrine.
Toilets play a crucial role in creating a strong economy. Toilets also improve health and protect people’s safety and dignity, particularly the dignity of women and girls.
Several Dutch organisations are paying attention to this neglected topic that is shrouded in taboos.
Tool to visualize shit flow
On occasion of World Toilet Day the Dutch-based institute for water education Unesco-IHE points out that sanitation does not stop at the toilet.
The institute developed a Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) as a new way of visualizing how excreta physically flows through a city or town and is a useful tool to inform urban sanitation programming.
An SFD offers an innovative way to engage city stakeholders like political leaders, sanitation experts and civil society organizations in a coordinated dialogue about excreta management.
Virtual reality trip
Non-governmental organization Simavi launched today the #doormijnbril campaign to call attention for World Toilet Day. The campaign is a virtual reality trip through Kenya starring grandmother Celina, mother Caroline and Linette, a local Kenyan schoolgirl.
Simavi invites you to see the world through their eyes and experience daily village life.
Outstanding persons and institutes are invited to enter on the 2017-edition of the Sarphati Sanitation Awards. Above Dutchman dr. Samuel Sarphati who introduced sanitation in Amsterdam in the 19th century.
Toilet hero’s
WASH foundation Aqua for All took today’s opportunity for reminding of its bi-annual Sarphati Sanitation Awards to celebrate toilet hero’s .
The awards are inspired by Dutchman dr. Samuel Sarphati, who back in the 19th century undertook many initiatives to improve the unhealthy conditions in Amsterdam, such as starting a company to collect fecal waste in Amsterdam and turn it into fertilizer.
So according to Aqua for All, this year’s theme of jobs in sanitation, ties in nicely with the legacy of dr. Sarphati, and continues to inspire us.
The 2017-awards will be handed out at the Amsterdam International Water Week (30 October - 3 November 2017).
This news item is based on original publications on the websites of Aqua for All, Unesco-IHE and Simavi.
Read also on this website
● Stockholm World Water Week 2016: Taking sanitation to the next level, 31 August 2016
● New WASH facilities alone will not solve menstruation issue for school girls in Bangladesh, 18 August 2016
● Via Water funds project to upgrade SanPlat toilets in Maputo, Mozambique, 29 April 2016
● Dutch king Willem-Alexander: International community must roll up sleeves for remaining water challenges, 20 November 2015
● Happy World Toilet Day! This business concerns us all, 19 November 2015
● Four young entrepreneurs announced as nominees for special Sarphati Sanitation award 2015, 16 October 2015
More information
Aqua for All
The Hague, the Netherlands
+31 70 7200 870
www.aquaforall.org
Unesco-IHE
Delft, the Netherlands
+31 15 212 29 21
www.unesco-ihe.org
Simavi
Haarlem, the Netherlands
+31 23 531 80 55
www.simavi.org/get-involved