Safe Water for Communities

Happy World Toilet Day!

November 19, 2012

Imagine life without your bathroom. For one in three people, toilets are an unattainable luxury. Approximately 2.6 billion people lack access to proper sanitation. For this reason, today, November 19th, is World Toilet Day. Take a moment and imagine what life would be like without something so simple as sanitation and privacy. We don't like to think about that reality. This lack of privacy is especially dangerous for women and girls, who often must wait until it's dark outside to find relief as it’s considered indecent for them to do so when they could be seen. Aside from the basic right of human dignity, pause and consider the health consequences. Every twenty seconds diarrhea alone takes the life of a child. That's 5,000 preventable deaths a day.

The international community gathered together in 2000 to form a set of objectives known as the Millennium Development Goals in hopes of improving human rights and the quality of life around the globe. Of all the goals set to be achieved by the year 2015, access to safe water and sanitation are the goals which most clearly will not be met. We ask that you take the time on World Toilet Day to consider how you might play a role in resolving this crisis. If you need ideas, check out how we’re working to combat the global sanitation crisis here: http://www.watermissions.org/healthylatrine You can make sanitation and Hope happen. Today, in honor of World Toilet Day, we ask you to slow down to consider how blessed we all are to have safe water and sanitation. Don't take that bathroom of yours for granted. (And don't forget to wash your hands. Even that's a privilege the whole world can't enjoy.) How will you recognize World Toilet Day?

Waiting for Joy: Matrida’s Story

Water Mission Responds to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

Happy World Toilet Day!

Related Impact Stories

Get Updates in Your Inbox