When I told my husband I was writing post to raise awareness around World Toilet Day, which takes place on Thursday 19th November, he replied that he couldn’t think of anyone more qualified! This is because I have a bit of a toilet obsession- seriously! I’m paranoid about toilets and I wont go anywhere that doesn’t have one! I know the location of every toilet (the good and the gross) on all my regular routes and I get panicky if there isn’t one around. I hate being trapped in the middle of a row at the cinema because I can’t stop stressing I’ll need to go to the toilet. It’s a bit crazy.
So when I found out that 950 million people around the world have no access to sanitation I had a little internal freak out. I can’t imagine what it’s like to not just be able to go to a nice, clean toilet when they want to.
That’s why Domestos is on a mission to help provide 25 million people with improved access to a toilet by 2020 as toilets do change lives. That might sound strange but access to a safe toilet has numerous benefits.
Access to a safe toilet can help prevent dangerous diseases such as diarrhoea, which kills a child every 2 minutes. Can you imagine having to worry about your child dying every time they get a stomach bug? It’s not something that even crosses our minds here in Australia.
Having access to sanitation has an impact in other ways- ways I never even thought of. For example it protects women and girls from the risk of shame, harassment and even attack because they have nowhere safe to go to the toilet. Can you imagine risking rape every time you needed to go to the toilet?
I also discovered that lack of a safe toilet leaves kids in these areas hugely behind in their education because they are missing so much school. Around the world 443 million school days are missed because of sickness- can you imagine what that does to these people who are struggling so hard already?
So how can you help? There are several ways- buy a bottle of Domestos, because every bottle sold contributes directly to UNICEF’s global sanitation programmes.
You can also watch and share this video below because the more people who are educated the more help we can provide!
Also- find out how Domestos are working to keep kids in the classroom at http://www.domestos.com.au/article/category/990542/our-mission
Thanks to the global partnership between Unilever and UNICEF, 1,320,000 people have been reached with behaviour change programmes, helping to ensure improved health, safety, and dignity. Of these, 655,000 people are now living in open defecation free communities.
As well as this, 69,000 school children have benefited from sanitation and hygiene education programmes in 260 schools, meaning fewer sick days and more children staying in school. This is all part of Unilever’s goal to help provide 25 million people with improved access to a toilet by 2020.
Access to a safe toilet allows children to have a brighter future. Celebrate how life is improved with a loo on the 15th annual World Toilet Day, 19th November.
Leave a Reply