Jack Sims is flush with ideas for better sanitation in third world countries. None of them involve water however. Fittingly, the WTO founder is in Alice Springs this week to promote the work of the 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 235 member organizations in 58 countries working towards eliminating the toilet taboo and delivering sustainable sanitation.
WTO: Who We Are
Outback Australia is the home of the composting toilet that Jack favours as the solution to sanitation problems such as those associated with diarrhoea. He is a speaker at the CRC Association (CRCA) Pathfinders Conference: Challenge and Change.
He claims that these toilets cost as little as $US35, as cheap as the current 'status symbol' in Asia, the mobile phone. For more, please listen to Fran Kelly's interview with Jack Sims on the Breakfast Program.
“WTO also declared its founding day of November 19 as “World Toilet Day” and this is now being celebrated by members all over the world.”
So there’s an International World Toilet day too
Yeah! They even have their own website: <a herf=“http://worldtoiletday.com/”>World Toilet Day</a>. You can plan an “event”!
Imagine how amazing it would be to get decent toilets into slums in the developing world. Imagine what a huge difference it would make. Wow.