So critical, not accessible.

Public hand wash station in Thamel, Kathmandu.

As the world swiftly takes measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, engaging in social distancing and frequent hand-washing, experts are still predicting a death toll that could run into the tens of thousands.

Yet we are still among the lucky ones. At least we can wash our hands. Many are unlikely to be able to afford soap, let alone have clean water.  As the news headlines have been all about keeping our hands clean, organizations alike must consider what this outbreak means for the worlds poorest. I recently came across a publication by the WHO that outlines the magnitude of this crisis and I’d like to share some key statistics.

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THE BREAKDOWN

• Roughly 3 billion people, nearly 40% of humanity, almost all in developing nations, lack basic hand washing facilities at home. 

• 47 per cent of schools lack a hand washing facility with water and soap, affecting 900 million school-age children. Thats over one-third of schools worldwide!

• 16 per cent of healthcare facilities, or around 1 in 6, have no hygiene service. Meaning where patients receive care there is no soap and water at toilets.

District hospital, Mugu Nepal. Photo : Monkia Deuapala, Kathmandu University

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REAL TALK

The corona virus will no doubt cause economic and human tragedies. But what this could potentially do to the developing world is over the top. In Nepal for example, around 3 in 10 people do not have access to hand washing with soap and water at home. What is even more appalling especially at a time like this, 54 per cent health care facilities have no access to hand-washing facilities.

While some of us are worrying about stocking up enough paper to clean our bums, some of the worlds poorest nations are bracing for catastrophic consequences if Covid-19 spreads.

In Jumla for example, people have been lining up preparing for shortages of gas, salt, rice and cooking oil. Rural areas like this in Nepal will face great hurdles moving forward, as transportation and access is difficult. If you have watched any of my travel videos to Jumla, you have seen the crazy roads and amount of time it takes to get to this place. Check out the recent photo essay on the situation in Jumla by Soraj Shahi, a local volunteer with Project Namuna.

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NEVER STOP GIVING A SHIT

Jholunge, Sindhupalchowk

At Manavta, we are again reminded about the importance of our work, and are humbled to continue our fight to end open defecation, teach and provide access to hand washing for children and their families, while climbing the hills to reach more communities in Nepal. Global strifes such as Covid-19, bring people from all hemispheres together in a fight of solidarity. But with this we should definitely remember that we are the lucky ones.

Urgent action is needed to ensure people around the world have access to clean water and good hygiene, not just today but every day. Be sure to stay up to date with us on our social media, drop us a line if you want to get involved and check out the Its Time to Give A Shit Campaign to help us reach our goal of getting proper sanitation to over 500 people this year. Stay safe, stay Clean!

It's World Toilet Day

Let me start by offering you all a Happy World Toilet Day! Happier, if you have access to a toilet… happiest if you’re reading this while sitting on your fully accessible toilet.

I’ll begin by paying my respects:

World Toilet Day is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. 

The toilet, dubbed by The Economist Magazine as the world’s most useful invention, has saved billions of people from death and disease. Despite this, 892 million people are still subject to open defecation and the diseases that come with it. I say subject to because open defecation is not a choice that populations in countries such as India, Nepal and Kenya can make. Millions of people are forcefully subjected to live a life of poor sanitation and hygiene, simply due to lack of resources. Thankfully, organizations such as UNICEF, the UN and WHO are tackling this crisis with initiatives such as WASH to ensure that everyone has access to a toilet by the year 2030. Achieving this goal is essential to eradicating poverty, thereby making this world a safer, cleaner and happier place to live. 

Enter Manavta…

For those we haven’t had the pleasure to meet, we’re Manavta, a non-profit organization that builds sanitation facilities at rural schools in Nepal. Our name, Manavta, means Humanity. Our journey began when we fell in love with Nepal and its people. We did our research and realized that more than half of the population doesn’t have access to a toilet. Even more disconcerting is that the lack of sanitation facilities in rural communities forces girls who start menstruating, to abandon educational opportunities, often leaving them trapped in a cycle of poverty. We’ve joined forces with fellow #ShitDisturbers and are looking to change the world, one toilet at a time. Through sustainable and innovative sanitation systems, we are not only looking to save the planet but humanity along with it. Our philosophy is to educate and empower the communities affected by this crisis so that together, we can help millions enjoy the same freedoms that we do.

For those of you enjoying this read on the toilet, remain seated a little while longer to spread this shit.

Road to Jholunge

Update from the Field

Namaste from Nepal! To say the least our first few months back, have been eye opening. We have spent some time connecting with local NGOs, district public officials and learning about the current WASH situation. While scoping out various districts, we connected with local NGO Educating Nepal and have had the opportunity to spend time in a small village located in the district of Sindhupalchowk, named Jholunge (jho-loon-ge).

Nestled in the valley of Maghi Gaon, the village is home to some of the best fishermen in Nepal. Through a somewhat treacherous road, the village can be reached within 5 hours by local bus. However, as the current border blockage with India continues to make headlines, traveling has been quite the task especially with a lack of fuel and transportation.

Starting this December, Manavta will be building urine diversion toilets for three families and working alongside the community, students of Suryoda Primary School and artists from Kathmandu, to spread the good word about stopping open defecation. As many of you may know, Sindhupalchowk is also the epicenter of the earthquake and has been the site of much of the destruction that was witnessed in the media. Jholunge in total lost 25 members of their community and are currently rebuilding their homes, schools and lives. Their story is something I will come to learn while I spend the next few months living with them. We are so grateful to be able to work with this community and are equally heartfelt by the support our fans have shown us during the past few years leading up to this project. 

We are set to depart next week and I encourage you to keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (links at the very bottom of the page) to learn more about the progress and the community we are working with. If you would like to get involved with our current operations you can connect with us on social media or at toilets@manavtaproject.org, we would love to hear from you!