World Toilet Day: 19th November 2014

This is just a small post to draw attention to an important global event that took place last week. The 19th November was World Toilet Day, with 2014’s theme being ‘Equality and Dignity’. UN-Water, collaborating with governments, NGOs such as Water Aid and many other stakeholders, organised World Toilet Day to raise awareness of the poor levels of sanitation and hygiene in some parts of the world. Although inviting many jokes due to the often humorous topic of toilets, many talks and events took place to highlight these issues and engage people in plans of action to tackle problems. 

In brief: (UN-Water)

• 2.5 billion people, of the world’s 7 billion, do not have improved access to sanitation 
• 1 billion still defecate in the open - putting women and girls at risk of rape and abuse due to lack of privacy
• Where toilets do exist they are often unsuitable for populations with special needs (e.g. disabled and elderly) and women and girls needing facilities for menstrual hygiene

Click here for a message from the UN Deputy Secretary-General on World Toilet Day to a conference organised by Water Aid and Unilever in Brussels. He points out that 1.8 billion people woke up that morning drinking water contaminated by open deification, and encourages people to join him in facing the sanitation challenge head on and recognise the huge importance of the toilet for saving lives and preserving dignity. 

Access to clean water and toilets is something most people in developed countries take for granted and don't think twice about. Events such as World Toilet Day are vital to raising awareness for issues facing the world. Even if toilet humour is prominent around this issue, at least jokes mean people are acknowledging the need to improve sanitation.

I leave you with Matt Damon embracing the comical side to World Toilet Day: 

Matt Damon is one of the biggest campaigners for improving global access to water and sanitation and runs the charity water.org. 

Microfinance: The Way Forward?

Microfinance is increasingly being recognised as a sustainable development mechanism supporting entrepreneurship, alleviating poverty and reducing gender inequality. Small loans (typically less than half a million USD) are provided to the poor to fund small projects. Many organisations are using Microfinance to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Water.org began it’s WaterCredit initiative in 2003, with their first African project in Kenya in 2005. They work on the premise that ‘many people in the developing world can, and want to, finance safe water and sanitation if they are able to pay for these services over time, as well as have a voice in their development and operation’ (Water.org). Water.org provides initial financing and technical expertise to Financial Institutions (FIs), connects them with WASH NGOs and helps them build small loan portfolios. By September 2014 they had disbursed 17,533 water and sanitation loans, serving 91,091 people, with an average loan recovery of 96% (Water.org). 

Click here to watch a video of Gary White, CEO of Water.org, explaining WaterCredit on CNBC Africa

There are numerous benefits to this scheme. Water access and sanitation needs are met whilst empowering local people, particularly females, by putting them in control of their own businesses. Easy access to water and sanitation subsequently means previous time spent fetching water can be spent on other activities, increasing the productivity of those with WaterCredit. Families working with the scheme can also grow their income by saving the money not being spent on the local vended water price. 

However, in my mind there are still a few issues with microfinancing the WASH sector in developing countries. It is questionable as to whether Microcredits actually alleviate poverty or just lead borrowers into a debt trap. Microfinance schemes are offered to the poor for almost everything so many people may find they are bound to repaying large numbers of loans in order to have a range of many basic services. Behavioural change is also required in several areas; creating water services does not necessarily lead to demand, and encouragement may be needed for people to actually use the new services.

Further, providing the funding to enable the creation of WASH services needs to be accompanied by additional changes ensuring the success and maintenance of each project. In a report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation they recognise the need to put appropriate policies in place to create space for the use of Microfinance in the WASH sector (Gates Foundation). Country-level assessments are needed examining local governments and banking systems for successful Microfinance projects. 

Microfinance, particularly through WaterCredit, is an important step in improving WASH services in Africa. As a response to failed aid schemes, it goes someway to assisting communities but is still not fully sustainable and may appear as neo-colonialism. Lenders need to ensure their loans are appropriate in the context of the countries’ policies, their funds will lead to successful schemes and not further debt.