Mro’s family would defecate "under the open sky." This attracted dogs and pigs, creating an unsafe environment for Mro's daughters. The family experienced many health issues, such as worms, malnutrition, and diarrhoea. The expenses for healthcare made it difficult for Mro to afford a toilet.
According to the United Nations, 3.5 billion people live without safely managed sanitation, including 419 million who practise open defecation. Our partner, The Community Advancement Forum (CAF), is helping to change these statistics.
Mro lives in the remote Bandarban Hills of Bangladesh, a minority tribal area without access to sanitation facilities. In places like Mro’s Village, people face challenges to improve their sanitation and hygiene. The Community Advancement Forum installs toilets and provided hygiene training and equipment like buckets and soap to these communities.
In-ground toilets were installed in Mro’s village, and the community received training on installing and maintaining the latrines. Now, 23 families, including Mro’s, have a new toilet!
Mro feels proud that they have a toilet. “They all use it,” he said. Another community member shared, “I participated in this training. Now I know how to construct and repair the toilets”.
Disease has reduced in Mro’s community. His family's healthcare expenses have been reduced, and he can instead use his income for his daughter’s education. With his training, Mro can earn extra income building toilets for others.
World Toilet Day (November 5) reminds us that sanitation is a human right. Everyone should have a safe and secure place to use a toilet, with adequate facilities. A toilet protects everyone’s dignity and especially transforms the lives of women and girls.
While we might think of toilets as humble, practical places, they are places of peace, protection, and progress!
When you buy the Great Gift of a Toilet, you can help people like Mro in Bangladesh access safe toilets and hygiene training.
Purchase this gift before Friday, December 6, to receive a Great Gift card in the post before Christmas. www.greatgifts.org.au