No matter where you go
Toilets around the world have a few things in common: they’re rarely uniform and they’re often customized. And those, gentle reader, are but two reasons why they make great subjects for photos.
This marks the second year a toilet-shaped, loo-themed calendar has been published by PATH’s Defeat Diarrheal Disease (DefeatDD) team. The calendar, “Oh, the places we go: public health’s humble hero,” serves as a colorful reminder that hygiene truly does improve people’s lives.
But first, here are some photos
Munni Jatav is delighted as she stands near her toilet in Gwalior, Golpahaba Slum, Madhya Pradesh, India. Photo: Marco Betti/WaterAid.
This low-cost latrine in the remote Nga Wa Village of Paletwa Township in Myanmar uses natural materials: bamboo stems and leaves. Photo: Kyaw Kyaw Soe/International Rescue Committee.
DefeatDD’s Hope Randall says that this year, QR codes were added to the calendar so folks with smartphones can scan the codes and share child health issues with friends, family, and colleagues. Hope adds,
Click to download the calendar and see additional photo entries.
“Sanitation and hygiene education have reached some remarkably remote places. We advocate for toilets because they improve people’s lives. In the end, it’s not just about toilets really. It’s about health, safety, women’s empowerment, and so much more.”
Get a whiff of the competition
It takes something to make a splash in the heralded pages of DefeatDD’s calendar. As you can imagine, competition was stiff. Here are a few outhouses that didn’t make it to the big time, but we loved them so much we had to share.
These clearly are the boys rooms. Photo: Tendai Tendere/Practical Action.
This loo has it all: rain water harvesting, passive solar heat, a shower, sink, and a double vault toilet. Photo: Hilary Lewis.
A warthog lounges in front of an outhouse, reminding us that doors often provide a service beyond mere modesty. Photo: Sarah Bramley.
This toilet, painted with Kiboko (hippos in Swahili) and topped with a pair of Ankole cow horns, overlooks a waterhole in Lake Mburu National Park, Uganda. Photo: Sarah Bramley/Save the Children.
Hopefully there’s a toilet for more than one tourist at this sign’s destination. Photo: Christopher Duggan.