#GIVEASHIT
Beyond The Toilet
The 21st Canadian Conference on Global Health was held in Ottawa this past week. The hot topic was sanitation, with emphasis on collaborative health measures like maternal health and malnutrition. Toilets play a huge role in decreasing maternal mortality because expecting mothers will be less exposed to diseases anemia and diarrhea. When sanitation is available people learn the importance of hand washing, infant mortality can be decreased by more than 1/3. WASH workshops are crucial for anyone working in our industry.
I went to Nepal for the first time in 2012 and ended up spending all year. When I wasn’t trekking the Himalaya or chilling at Phat Kath (see ThankBack Thursday), I could be found hunkered down learning the ropes of ‘international development.’ Before Martin and I pursued our passion for poo, I worked alongside an incredible group of Nepali women running a local organization named Chhimeki (translation: community). Their purpose was to improve the nutritional behaviour of pre-natal mothers and their families living in the Kathmandu valley. It was this experience that helped me truly understand the power of education. For the most part, families did not have adequate education on the importance of a nutritional diet, many of them didn't even have enough food to put on the table. Chhimeki empowers mothers by investing in agriculture and teaching families about food and nutrition. Chronic malnutrition and diarrhea are serious problems across Nepal – it plays a role in 60% of all child deaths. (UNICEF, 2011). Further, it is estimated that 50% of the 2.5 million that live in the Kathmandu Valley are forced to defecate in the open every day. Anyone who has seen this majestic city understands that human shit (and massive cow dumps) are a huge issue.
Whats the point?
The 21st Canadian Conference on Global Health was held in Ottawa this past week. The hot topic was sanitation, with emphasis on collaborative health measures like maternal health and malnutrition. Toilets play a huge role in decreasing maternal mortality because expecting mothers will be less exposed to diseases anemia and diarrhea. Moreover, educating mothers and their families about both nutrition and hygiene, can reduce infant mortality by more than 1/3. WASH workshops involving collaborative health measures are crucial for anyone working in our industry.
At Manavta, we are always seeking partners who support our collaborative health programs. If you are interested in joining our growing team of researchers or if you want to learn more about sanitation, we would love for you to contact us, become a partner or join our team.
ThankBack Thursday
Continuing our tradition of exhibiting gratitude one day of the week (I can assure you that we're grateful more often that once per week). We have SO much to be appreciative of, but in the interest of keeping this going weekly, we'll stick to two ThankBacks this week:
Continuing our tradition of exhibiting gratitude one day of the week (I can assure you that we're grateful more often that once per week). We have SO much to be appreciative of, but in the interest of keeping this going weekly, we'll stick to two ThankBacks this week:
Shelley True and Lianne Wand
Shelley and Lianne of TrueDotDesign are the best. Their marketing expertise is seemingly infinite and these women just get us. Shelley and Lianne have been so helpful in teaching us how to spread the word even more effectively. They are committed to helping us look as good as we feel (because we're worth it). We can't express how thankful we are that these two incredibly intelligent and talented individuals are willing to help us improve access to safe sanitation at schools that need it most!
Muk and Sunil Ghale
These brothers are the guys to know in the Kathmandu. Their rest-bar, Phat Kath (a high-quality Kathmandu pun) is one of Kathmandu's hidden treasures. Muk and Sunil were infinitely supportive of us during our time in Nepal in 2012/2013, and we can't wait to see them again in June. Driving out to our pilot project on the back of Muk's red Royal Enfield motorcycle, instead of taking the local bus for the millionth time was a welcome and exciting treat. Muk and Sunil helped us build our first toilet, and without Muk's extensive construction experience, we couldn't have been successful. Anyone thinking of traveling to Kathmandu would be foolish not to make Phat Kath one of their first stops, where Muk and Sunil can provide advice on anything from the best trekking routes to a trip to their BEAUTIFUL hometown of Manang.