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  4. The Global Sanitation Crisis

What is the world sanitation crisis? 

Like water, toilets are critical. Toilets prevent the spread of disease, and provide health, privacy and safety. Today, 1 in 4 people don’t have access to a toilet so they spend hours a day searching for a place to go. And more people have a mobile phone than a toilet. 

We give families the tools they need to fund their own sanitation solutions, because we believe it's time everyone everywhere has access to a toilet. 

1.7 B 1.7 billion people lack access to improved sanitation
6% of the global population defecates in the open

More than a place to go

Water.org empowers people with access to small, affordable loans to fund their own sanitation solutions, because access to a toilet means more than a place to go. Access to a toilet empowers people in need with health, privacy and safety. It empowers them with time to work, time to go to school and time to play.

More people have a mobile phone than a toilet.
World Toilet Day 2018
Cambodia's water crisis

From fear to freedom

Mong and Rim live in a rural Cambodian village. While Rim was able to build the family a one-bedroom home to protect them at night, he could not afford to give them the facilities needed to protect them from unsafe water and the risks associated with open defecation.

That was until the couple was empowered with something we call WaterCredit. With a small loan, Mong and Rim were able to affordably finance the materials needed to build a bathroom and rain catchment system on their property.

Click here to read their story

This is why we do what we do

Here are the percentages of the population living without access to a toilet in the countries where we work. 

References