WaterAid creates a stink on World Toilet Day

27 November 2008

In the UK campaigners dressed for the occasion and took over the streets.

Credit: Kitz Dunphy

On this year's World Toilet Day, 19 November, WaterAid and its partners held a series of awareness raising events around the world to highlight that 2.5 billion people live without access to a safe, private toilet.

Campaigners in the UK took to the streets in the build up to the day handing out sanitation postcards with the Leeds group receiving a welcome visit from John Battle, MP for Leeds West. Meanwhile to coincide with World Toilet Day, WaterAid America launched their new website which features children's animation The Adventures of Super Toilet.

Last week was declared National Sanitation Week in Burkina Faso to coincide with World Toilet Day and the International Year of Sanitation. The WaterAid country programme team held a series of events under the campaign name 'My Dignity, My Health, My Life' which included a 'Clean city day', television appearances and a national forum attended by the Presidency of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries Ministry. Schools in Pakistan performed plays and created banners for community talks highlighting the danger of open defecation.

WaterAid in Pakistan celebrated World Toilet Day with community talks and plays by school children.

Credit: WaterAid / Society for Human Development

The WASH Ethiopia Movement, hosted by WaterAid in Ethiopia, held a media panel discussion in the capital Addis Ababa to mark World Toilet Day. Building on WASH's campaign to identify 'Hidar Sitaten', an annual event where people burn their solid waste, as unsafe a film was shown on national television to illustrate good hygiene and sanitation practices.

Ghana saw TV and radio stations dedicating airtime to discussions about sanitation provision for the poor. Under the title "We Deserve Better", the Coalition of NGO's CONIWAS held a press conference which urged the Government to enforce sanitation building for new house.

Armed with the slogan "Latrines, a basic right for all" the End Water Poverty Campaign group in Mali held a television debate with the National Director of Sanitation and a procession through the capital city Bamako. In Nigeria the local End World Poverty group held a media debate which was featured on radio and in newspapers. The day's great achievement was the media's commitment to working closely with civil society organisations on issues around sanitation.

Feel inspired?

• It's not too late to download yourself a set of our sanitation posters - put them up in your community to help us raise awareness of this global issue.
• See the photos from the UK event on our slideshow
• Find out more about World Toilet Day in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali or Nigeria