ASSOCIATIONS 3
From the Executive Director
By
By Steve Brown , IOPSA Executive Director
What do you want to do with your life ?
Now that we have successfully made it through Janu-worry , we can officially begin the year and start moving forward . awareness of the importance of proper sanitation and has met with presidents all over the world .
IOPSA has more than 120 events scheduled for this year . With that , the organisation is hitting the ground running and the teams across the country are gearing up for a bumper year .
My take from this story was simply : what are we each doing to make a difference ? How are we using our own lives to make the lives of others better ?
Now , I am not one to make new year ’ s resolutions . Honestly , even if I did make one , it would probably just get broken in a few days . I reckon we make these resolutions because we feel like we want to make a difference in some way – either to ourselves or those around us . And while we are considering making a difference , I ’ d like to mention World Toilet Day which ( as we all should know ) is commemorated on 19 November each year .
This initiative was started by a guy named Jack Sim , a wealthy entrepreneur from Singapore who started out in the construction industry . In 2001 he established the World Toilet Organization . Story goes that he realised that the average lifespan for a man was 80 . At age 40 in 2001 , it hit him that he had 40 years of life left . The question he ended up asking himself was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life .
It turns out he wanted to become an advocate for proper sanitation . Right now , there are more people on the planet who have cell phones than have toilets . That ’ s 2.6 billion people that have no access to flushing toilets . We know how bad that can be and what kind of diseases and illnesses can come from that .
As plumbers we sometimes sell ourselves short . Every day we make a difference to people ' s lives . We need to stand proud and make a decision that 2025 is going to be when we begin to stand up for compliance and achieving industry goals , and also personal goals .
Jack Sim had a vision .
What do you want to do with your life ?
Set your goals and make it happen . When 2026 rolls around , be in a position that you can look back on 2025 as your breakthrough year of prosperity for your business and personal life with a sense of pride . PA
© Plumbing Africa
So , Jack Sim started counting down the days he had left on earth and decided that his purpose should be to deliver information on the lack of proper ablutions and the challenges experienced by those who have no ablution facilities . Jack has made a huge impact in creating
" How are we using our own lives to make the lives of others better ?"
Steve Brown , IOPSA Executive Director
February 2025 Volume 30 I Number 12 www . plumbingafrica . co . za