Nepalese campaigner visits the UK

Lajana Manandhar speaking during WaterAid's Speaker tour in February 2008.

Credit: WaterAid

1 April 2008

WaterAid invited Nepalese water campaigner Lajana Manandhar to the UK in February, when she gave fascinating insight into the daily reality of living without access to safe water and basic sanitation.

Lajana's speaker tour visited London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, and emphasised the sanitation crisis in particular to mark the UN's International Year of Sanitation 2008.

Before arriving, Lajana said, "I am very much looking forward to visiting the UK, and meeting with WaterAid supporters and campaigners. I am grateful to have the opportunity to talk to people about the importance of water and sanitation and what a big difference their support can make to the lives of some of the poorest people in the world."

Lajana is a founder member of Lumanti Support Group for Shelter in Nepal. She has worked in the water and sanitation sector for more than 12 years, and in 2006 she represented Nepal at the World Water Forum in Mexico. She also contributed to the book Water Voices from Around the World.

Lumanti is a member of End Water Poverty, which is campaigning for sanitation and water for all. To further End Water Poverty's efforts, Lajana is encouraging people in the UK to send postcards to the Japanese Prime Minister to ensure that world leaders at July's G8 summit address the crisis in sanitation and water.

Just 150 years ago children in London were dying by the thousands from diseases that spread due to streets and rivers - especially the Thames - that were like open sewers. It was only after the UK government took action and provided effective sanitation that the diseases disappeared, public health improved and lives were saved.

The scenario is very much the same in the developing world today, where 5,000 children die every day due to lack of access to the basic human rights of clean water and safe sanitation.

Lajana shared her hope that by having visited the UK and delivered these talks, she can make a difference to the billions of people for whom living without access to clean water and a safe place to go to the toilet is still a daily reality.