HEALTH AND SANITATION 33
How Can IWSH Contribute Toward the United Nations ’ Sustainable Development goals ?
By
Calvin Cao
Meet Honorine : a round-faced restaurateur with a smile brighter than the Madagascan sun under which she works . Wearing a red tank top , she seasons and serves her signature doughnuts . It ’ s impossible to imagine that , not long ago , she walked six hours a day to retrieve filthy pond water .
Honorine ’ s story , published in Euronews , shows how water can bring a community prosperity by advancing the UN ’ s Sustainable Development Goals . It all started when Charity Water , an organization similar to IWSH , built a groundwater tap beside her home . This obviously contributed to UN Sustainable Development Goal No . 6 ( access to clean water and sanitation ). But it doesn ’ t stop there .
The water immediately improved health in Honorine ’ s community — UN SDG No . 3 . Before , her water came from a cholera-ridden pond in which animals bathed and defecated . She isn ’ t alone : worldwide , 2 billion drink water contaminated with faeces . No clean water also meant no handwashing , which increases the risk of diarrheal diseases by 42-45 %. All in all , inadequate access to water and sanitation causes 30 % of deaths in children under 5 in developing countries like Madagascar . But now , Honorine ’ s family had safe drinking water and a handwashing station just around the corner . “ Since the installation of our clean water tap , we feel blessed . It seems like the disease has gone ,” she told Euronews .
Water also immediately improved gender equality — Sustainable Development Goal No . 5 . Before , Honorine rose at 3 a . m . daily , making a six-hour round trip hauling a backbreaking water jug . In 80 % of households fetching water , women and girls are primarily responsible , leaving no time for jobs or leisure . Additionally , lack of proper washrooms forces women to defecate in the open , which is humiliating , and increases the risk of extramarital sexual violence by 40 %. When women don ’ t spend their lives hauling water , they are safer . They can find work , become more independent , and escape poverty . Honorine channeled her cooking passion and opened a restaurant serving everything from meats and noodles to her beloved doughnuts . It became a community social hub . “ I love to welcome people ,” she told Euronews . “ It ’ s my passion for business .”
When girls and the general population aren ’ t spending their days hauling water or in bed sick , they can get an education — Sustainable Development Goal No . 4 . Every hour of reduction in water collection time causes a 30 percent increase in girls ’ school attendance . In total , 443 million school days worldwide lost to illness would be regained if everyone had a tap like Honorine ’ s .
With an education , people can start businesses , grow the economy and lift themselves out of poverty — SDG Nos . 1 , 8 and 9 . Every hundred dollars invested in communities by organisations like IWSH in sanitation provides $ 400 in economic returns . In total , universal clean water access would grow the world economy by $ 260 billion , owing to its effects on health and education , according to UNICEF . In Honorine ’ s community , many were inspired by her entrepreneurship and started their own businesses . Now , her village is a small but bustling economic hub . “ The community is thankful because we no longer have to go far for water ,” she told Euronews . “ We are happy .”
This case study beautifully illustrates Maslow ’ s Hierarchy of Needs : after the tap was built and Honorine ’ s survival needs ( clean water ) were met , she could care for her health and achieve greater independence through gender equality . Now , she and her community can chase their dreams through education and entrepreneurship , growing the economy . When economies grow , the Madagascan government has the resources to build more water taps in more communities . And the water cycle begins anew .
The policymakers behind the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals never meant them to be separate — progress on one goal inevitably furthers another . In fact , access to clean water impacts many goals I haven ’ t mentioned for brevity ’ s sake — better sewage means less waste dumped into rivers , meaning more responsible industry ( Goal No . 12 ), and preventing damage to ecosystems ( Goals Nos . 13 , 14 and 15 ). A country made economically prosperous through water access is more
David Viola , IAPMO CEO
In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations , the following essay won IAPMO ’ s 2023 annual Scholarship Essay Competition . First introduced in 2009 and open to any student actively enrolled in a high school , community college , trade school , four-year accredited college or university or working in an apprentice program , the competition has elicited entries from all over the world . Written by Calvin Cao of Western University in London , Ontario , Canada , it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine .
Dave Viola IAPMO CEO
“ When girls and the general population aren ’ t spending their days hauling water or in bed sick , they can get an education .”
September 2024 Volume 30 I Number 7 www . plumbingafrica . co . za