19 November is World Toilet Day

In the average person’s lifetime, over three years will be spent on the toilet. However 2.6 Billion people around the world don't have that luxury.

The 19th of November is World Toilet Day. Yes it sounds funny that there is a World Toilet Organization. http://www.worldtoilet.org/ But this organization is really doing good things around the world.

Sanitation is a problem that people are often shy to discuss. But a reluctance to talk about sanitation is part of the reason why an estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to sanitation. WTO’s mission is to improve toilets and sanitation globally.

World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. WTO is also one of the few organizations to focus on toilets instead of water, which receives more attention and resources under the common subject of sanitation. Founded in 2001 with 15 members, it now has 120 member organizations in 47 countries working towards eliminating the toilet taboo and delivering sustainable sanitation.

WTO was created as a global network and service platform wherein all toilet and sanitation organizations can learn from one another and leverage on media and global support that in turn can influence governments to promote sound sanitation and public health policies.

WTO is the organizer of the very successful series of World Toilet Summits and World Toilet Expo and Forum. To-date, 8 World Toilet Summits and 2 World Toilet Expo & Forum have been hosted in 9 different cities around the world. Each summit addresses the critical issues of toilet and sanitation from technologies, development, funding, to design, maintenance, social entrepreneurship, capacity building, research and various other related topics, creating massive media coverage and momentum.

In 2005, WTO started the world’s first World Toilet College (WTC) providing training in toilet design, maintenance, School Sanitation and Disaster Sanitation and implementation of Sustainable Sanitation systems. WTO is also one of the founding members of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSana), a coalition of 50 prominent organizations to promote sustainable sanitation systems.

OK even I have to snicker at the mention of the World Toilet College (how would that look on your CV!) But this organization is one of the few addressing the issue of safe and sustainable sanitation in developing counties.

Sanitation of human waste is something that we often take for granted, but we shouldn’t. Successful sanitation systems reduce illnesses and disease as well as help maintain a healthy environment. It is estimated that 2,600,000,000 people in the world lack sanitation facilities.

So if you are looking to support a charity and want to support some of the less famous but well deserving ones, please consider supporting the WTO.

In any case, on 19 November when you are “sitting”, think of how fortunate we are to have sanitation systems and perhaps think about helping 2.6 Billion people who don’t.

I support the WTO, won’t you?

 

I gotta go potty.

 

World. Toilet. Summit.

 

Talk about the Rodney Dangerfield of Charities. LoL