Today is World Toilet Day and we’re working with Water.org to turn your attention to the 2.4 billion people who lack access to a toilet worldwide. While there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure everyone has access to a toilet, we’re also celebrating all of the lives toilets save – which is why toilets win!
Travel around the world to four communities who are proving why toilets win:
Photo credit: Water.org
Meet Nusrat from rural Odisha, India. She’s 34 years old and a wife and mother to six kids. For 19 years, she lived in her community without a toilet – she and her family would have to go out to a field, filled with human waste. Through Water.org, Nusrat was able to apply for a loan to build a toilet in their home and be trained on toilet maintenance. It has been a year since Nusrat’s family installed their own toilet and they’ve repaid all of their loan!
“I feel very happy now. I feel proud. I am not ashamed anymore. In the past one year we didn’t fall sick even once. I give credit to my toilet for the positive change in our lives.”
Photo credit: Water.org
Hamsaveni and Rajesh live in India, where 77 million people lack access to safe water and 769 million lack access to improved sanitation. They used to have to walk half a kilometer to use the toilet, which could take up to 45 minutes. But after taking out a small WaterCredit loan to build a toilet in their own home, they can use their time to work and help them support their daughters to send them to school.
“When [our daughters] decide what they want to study, we will support them. We want to give them a good education. We wish for them both to have bright futures.”
Photo credit: Water.org
In Uganda, 31.5 million people don’t have access to improved sanitation – that’s more than half the population. Recently, a community in Uganda was able to construct toilets through Water.org that are shared between five families. Today, these men, women and children don’t have to worry about the issues millions face without access to a toilet.
Photo credit: Water.org
Meet Muhayanti. She lives in Rancalabuh, Indonesia with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, Intan. Until recently, Muhayanti spent a lot of her time walking to collect water. But after turning to Water.org and KPP, she was able to get a WaterCredit loan that has allowed her to build a water tap and a toilet on her property.
“Now it’s easier for me to wash our clothing and bathe Intan. Intan was prone to sickness, often. She has been much healthier now that we have a tap and toilet.”