WaterCan believes that sanitation is a vital investment for health, dignity and development.
Imagine, each person produces approximately 150 grams of faeces per day. This results in a huge amount of human waste deposited in and around communities that lack proper sanitation facilities, leading to squalid conditions that breed disease and deepen human poverty.
Everyday diarrhoea, caused by poor sanitation, kills 5,000 children in the developing world. Many more die of intestinal worms, acute respiratory infections, typhoid and dysentery, all easily reduced with the availability of proper toilet facilities and routine hand washing.
All WaterCan projects support the construction of communal toilet facilities in rural communities, urban slums and primary schools. Although these facilities are communal in nature, they do provide separate and private stalls for men and women/ boys and girls.
In determining the design, location and promotion of sanitation facilities, due consideration is always given to community input and environmental assessments, as well as cost and availability of materials and technical skill required for construction.
Banner photo credit: Peter Bregg
