Friday I went to see Beasts of the Southern Wild, an independent film about an isolated community in the bayou, and the imaginative six-year-old girl who believes it to be the “prettiest place on earth”. Oblivious to the extreme poverty surrounding her, her world begins to shift as she observes her father dying mysteriously and goes searching for her lost mother. The movie was difficult to watch at times—the filthy living conditions and inhospitable environs made me squirm in my seat more than once. There was no plumbing, no running water, no electricity and no one cleaning up after themselves. All of this trash and human waste contaminating one tiny island. As a sister to a microbiologist, I cringed.
Most of us take for granted the daily access we have to clean drinking water and methods of sanitation that have been established for us in this country. We are the lucky ones. (Thank you, Romans!) According to WASH United, “Globally, one in seven people lack access to even minimum supplies of safe water for basic personal and domestic needs. At any given time almost half of the people in developing countries are suffering from one or more of the main diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation, such as diarrhoea, guinea worm, trachoma and schistosomiasis.” The lack of proper sanitation and plumbing has a far-reaching magnitude as well: “Almost 40% of the world population have no access to sanitation that ensures health, physical safety, privacy and dignity.”
We are resilient creatures, yes, but even the smallest of sanitation changes can make an impact on preventing disease and saving lives lost due to unclean drinking water and unhygienic conditions. WASH United is a coalition of organizations, agencies and sports players dedicated to improving sanitation and promote safe drinking water worldwide. Together with Quicksand, an innovation-led consultancy based in India, and a host of additional contributors and financial supporters, WASH United is launching a water- and sanitation-themed traveling carnival with rides, vendors, games and performances to spread the word about the importance of healthy sanitation measures. The Great WASH Yatra will make 8 stops from New Delhi to Mumbai over 45 days beginning on Mahatama Gandhi’s birthday on October 2, and closing with an end ceremony on November 19th, World Toilet Day.
Today marks the deadline for creative individuals, who wish to take part in this campaigning caravan, to submit a proposal and rough budget for any creative endeavor that would help promote WASH’s mission during the Yatra. Earlier this year, as part of the UnBox Festival, a kick-off for the Great WASH Yatra included a month-long collaboration with performance artists, designers, craftspeople and puppeteers to produce a puppet show that will be part of the traveling carnival. You can get a real sense of the energy behind the performance in this video:
[vimeo 36288496 w=500 h=281]
Had I known about this sooner, and had the stars aligned above my glowing laptop screen, I would have jumped at the chance to apply. I can’t wait to hear more about this in the fall and see whose projects are selected. There are eight fellowships available. What a fantastic opportunity to dive straight into the culture of rural India and have a chance to make a real difference not only in people’s daily lives, but also make an impact on worldwide public health.
The next time you wash your Prius or water the lawn, consider that there are people in this country who do not have access to safe drinking water or proper methods of sewage disposal. (Tip: Consider installing a rain barrel or using gray water for these purposes.) With recent cuts to federal funding for drinking and wastewater infrastructure, maybe it’s time to start a campaign here in our own backyard to help provide this basic need and human right to marginalized Americans.
Jami Dodson is a designer, writer, thinker with extensive experience in creative services. She thrives on delivering compelling communications solutions for mission-driven causes. Jami believes that open-minded, cross-disciplinary ways of problem solving are valuable, tangible things, and that they can build awareness and make lasting change in our society. When not designing or volunteering at greening events, you can find her at the farmer’s market or enjoying a manhattan.
