HEALTH AND SANITATION
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590 million by 2030. The Indian government
has recognised this problem and is working
to create a better standard for city housing
through the Swachh Bharat Mission. “Swachh
Bharat” translates to “Clean India.” During
my trip to India this winter, I noticed a definite
improvement in many public washroom
facilities compared to two years ago. Many
posters and promotional videos proclaimed
the Swachh Bharat campaign as the reason
for these improvements.
The effort that non-profit organisations like
IWSH are making to partner with governmental
organisations truly makes a tangible difference
in the lives of many people.
The increase in world population also affects
the employment sector. IWSH is making
admirable efforts to ‘kill two birds with one
stone’ by recruiting people in developing
countries to work in the underserved
plumbing sector. The project summary of a
partnership between IAMPO India and the
government of Kerala, called the Additional
Skill Acquisition Programme, states, “The
plumbing industry faces a huge gap in the
supply of skilled labour. This course will
provide the learner with practical skills and
knowledge to carry out plumbing applications
in both the commercial and domestic sectors
of the industry.”
Similarly, the Community Plumbing
Challenge for World Youth Skills Day and
its forerunner, the 67 Days of Design, offer
great opportunities to promote IWSH’s
mission to the younger generation while
cultivating useful skills. In order to reach
a wider audience, IWSH could induct
young people as ‘ambassadors’. These
ambassadors could be educated about
these IWSH projects and then instructed to
spread the word and increase awareness
about these events and its purpose in their
local communities and on social media.
IWSH’s commendable community service
work in developing nations also deserves
to be spotlighted. The 2015 Community
Plumbing Challenge at Maha Nagar Palika
School No. 125 was actually located in the
city where I was born: Nashik, India. In fact,
I remember my parents telling me the story
of how the hospital in which I was born was
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
crawling with cockroaches, so I understand
first-hand the sanitation problems that
abound in the city of Nashik and am doubly
motivated to help bring change.
Volunteers for this project helped design and
construct sanitary washroom facilities for
more than 400 students in grades 7-12 while
also educating the students about the spread
of bacteria and how they can practice habits
to keep themselves and their facilities clean.
One 11-year-old girl from the school even
commented, “When I grow up, I would like to
be a plumber.” Such service projects and the
efforts of volunteers could be documented
and used for advocacy campaigns through
social media platforms. These campaigns
could encourage plumbers to give back in
their own communities and solicit donations.
Student volunteering organisations, such
as Key Club International and the National
Honor Society in which I am involved at
my high school, would be eager to partner
with and fundraise for an organisation that
solves problems with a tangible impact in
impoverished areas.
The work that IWSH does to promote global
health through “Service, Sanitation, and
Sustainability” saves lives. According to the
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention,
“Water, sanitation, and hygiene have the
potential to prevent at least 9.1% of the
global disease burden and 6.3% of all
deaths.” The first time I became aware of
these facts was during seventh grade, when
we did a project in science class about how
limited access to clean water affects women
and children, the economics of a country,
and the sanitation situation. I was inspired to
start the organisation Water by Kids 4 Kids to
fundraise money for charities that bring water
and sanitation infrastructure to disadvantaged
communities. While that organisation no
longer exists, I know how important this issue
is and how learning more about it can spur
people to action and create positive change.
It is imperative for people to know that
they can contribute to the IWSH mission,
whether they want to become a volunteer,
spread awareness about the issue in their
community through education efforts, or raise
money to fund projects. PA
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9